


Need

by DarkHououmon



Category: ChalkZone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-03
Updated: 2015-03-14
Packaged: 2018-03-05 03:52:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 52
Words: 514,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3104570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkHououmon/pseuds/DarkHououmon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"All ziz time, I zought zat perpetual motion waz going to be my ticket to fame, but I waz wrong. I have found zomething elze, zomething far more imprezzive. And zat, my rectangle friend...iz you. Now...let'z zee how you tick..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Amusements

First rule: never get cocky...

sss

Blocky found a hard time believing it. A part of him wondered if time really could fly this fast. He had heard the expression, but he had often enjoyed life so much that he didn't really pay attention to the details. Perhaps he should take a moment and do that once in a while. He could very easily miss things.

Just like today.

Much to his shock, today was his birthday. He was four years old. It had been exactly four years since Rudy Tabootie had drawn him. Four years of living in ChalkZone. Four years of interacting with others, of having fun, of playing. He had not noticed how fast time went, and for him, it still felt as though he had just woken up from being created.

It felt this way for many zoners. They did not have the same concept of time as humans in the Real World did. They did not have the same concept of age. Zoners are born into the world and then find their purpose, a place to live. Then they live about as if they had always been that way. Some zoners had a tougher time adjusting, and there were some unlucky zoners, like Skrawl, who had no purpose and invented their own. Of course, not all of them were as destructive as Skrawl.

Blocky was one such example. He had really no purpose. He was just a silly drawing that Rudy drew when he was a tiny boy in first grade. Just something little Rudy made when he was bored and wanted to have a little fun.

Coming into ChalkZone, he was like a newborn without a parent. He didn't know what he was going to do. Rudy only designed him to be a happy, fun-loving guy. Those traits stuck, but they did little to help him figure out his place in the world. So he had wandered around without a purpose. He never became as bad as Skrawl, or any other of the nastier zoners. He was able to find something to do, even if it didn't exactly benefit the other zoners.

He had been relieved when Rudy draw Snap. Although younger, Snap, at times, acted more mature than he did. Blocky had been impressed with how much Rudy had improved art wise. He felt some tinge of jealousy, but he never let it distract him from being nice with Snap. He was grateful to finally have someone to hang around with. Snap proved to be a great friend. And it was Snap who had reminded him of his birthday.

"Come on!" Snap cried as he dragged Blocky forward. A wide grin was on his face. "The party is about to get started!"

Blocky was perplexed. "Party? I don't remember anything about a party..."

"You don't?" Snap asked. He rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe I should have stuck a note in your house or something." He paused between two trees. He put his hand over his eyes and looked around. "It shouldn't be too far from here..." He tugged on Blocky again. "Let's get going!"

Blocky struggled to keep himself from slipping. He understood Snap's excitement. He was always one for parties, even if they weren't about him. But he wished he didn't tug so hard. He was nearly making his feet trip out from underneath him. It was a struggle just to keep his footing.

Snap appeared to realize what he was doing and, while he still gripped him tightly, he slowed down a little so that Blocky could keep up with him better. Blocky was relieved, but he still wished that Snap would just slow down. The party was going to wait for them, right? It wasn't like, if they were a few minutes late, everyone was just going to get up and walk away. But Snap was so excited, he wasn't taking this into account. He looked as if they just had to be there in the next few seconds or they would miss out on everything.

Snap was taking him along the grassy plains that stretched along the side of Candycane Forest. His first thought was that they were going to the city. He recognized this path. He knew that if they kept going along it, they would eventually reach ChalkZone City. It wasn't a bad place for such events, and with all the supplies that they had, there was so much they could do for a party.

Instead of that, however, Snap made a sudden, sharp turn, and Blocky found them going into the Candycane Forest. He stiffened up, momentarily remembering their nasty run-in with the mother chocolate bunny. Even though she had ended up being nice to them later on, he was still haunted by the memories of what had happened. Simply being in the forest was enough to trigger the memories, and try as he might to push it away, he was not able to fully dismiss it.

Snap had taken the mother's babies and he had tried to eat them. The thought still gave him a tinge of anger. He had tried to warn Snap, but he wouldn't listen, and they both nearly got ripped apart by the angry mom because of it. At least it all worked out in the end, and Snap never tried to pull the stunt again after that.

Snap didn't appear nervous at all entering. His eyes were wide and focused. It was as if he was on some kind of mission. He looked left and right, as if trying to find something. Colors of white and red zipped by them in a blur as they kept turning seemingly randomnly. He had no idea what Snap saw that caused the changes of direction, but he could hardly focus on that as he tried in vain to keep himself from tripping.

His luck didn't last too long and he felt his foot get caught in something. A raised bump on the ground. He let out a cry of pain and he fell forward. He nearly smashed his face in the ground, Snap barely able to stop it from happening.

"Are you okay, Blocky?" Snap asked, looking at his friend with concern.

Blocky rubbed the top of his head. "Y-Yeah I'm fine..." He looked up at Snap. "But...can you please slow down? I don't think we need to be going this fast."

"I'm sorry." Snap said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm just so excited!" He spread his arms out. "I mean, how often does a birthday come around?"

"Once a year?" Blocky asked.

Snap pointed a rounded hand at the rectangular zoner. "Exactly! There is no way I'm going to miss this kind of celebration! And neither should you!" Snap grabbed his other hand and started to pull him. "It's in your honor! You should hurry up and..."

Blocky planted his feet firmly on the ground. He tugged his hands back. He winced as he felt Snap's hand lose grip on him, making him stumble back. He looked at his hands and shook them. "I know you're excited, Snap. But we can take our time, right? I mean..." He paused for a moment. "It's not like the party is going to start without me, right?"

Snap blinked at this. He then rubbed the side of his face nervously, a small grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that, Blocky." He gave a quick, nervous chuckle before holding his hand out towards Blocky. "I do apologize about that."

"Oh don't worry about it." Blocky said with a smile. "We're almost there I'm sure." After a second, he gave a light frown. "...aren't we...?"

Snap nodded his head. "Yeah, it's real close!" He motioned with his hand, encouraging Blocky to come follow him. "So let's get going!" With that, he turned and continued walking along the path.

The walking continued for sometime. Without a watch or anyway to tell time, Blocky had no idea how much time had passed. For him, it felt like hours. Each step felt as though it was taking an eternity, and the effects of that increased each time he set his foot on the ground. He occassionally looked at Snap to see if there were any indication of him getting close. But Snap's expression didn't change, so Blocky just continued on forward.

They eventually reached a part of the Candycane Forest that he wasn't too familiar with. Up in front of him, he could see what appeared to be a whole ring of candycane trees. They were curved and bending down, creating a circular pattern. In front of them were a patch of candycane bushes, sharpened ends sticking out, as if to threaten anyone who tried to touch them. The sight of them was enough to make Blocky nervous, but Snap kept pulling him along.

Snap released him when they were standing between two of the candycane bushes. He placed a hand against one of the trees and pressed against it. To Blocky's surprise, the tree moved. Slowly, but it still moved, bending itself to one side. He repeated the same process with the one next to it. In seconds, a small opening was created between the two trees.

Blocky stared at this in wonder, his mouth open. He hadn't seen anything quite like this before. ChalkZone was truly full of surprises. He had been in this forest countless times, and he had never seen this section, nor did he ever see a candycane tree behave like that before. He looked over at Snap, his mouth still hanging open.

Realizing what Blocky was thinking, Snap said, "I found this place a little while ago. I figured it'd be perfect for your party!" He grabbed onto Blocky's hand and tugged on him. "Oh just wait until you see what it looks like on the inside!"

Blocky stammered, "Wh-What...?" His voice trailed off when he was pulled all the way into the interior circle. Snap let go. Blocky took in a sharp intake of breath as he looked around slowly.

The interior of the place had multiple, candycane colored rocks, each of them giving off a small light. It created a glow, giving the place some illumination as the candycane trees were so densely packed, the Day Zone sun had a hard time shining through. It bathed him in red and white colors, swirling around almost like a disco ball. There was a small stream of white fluids with red stripes moving through the center, and a few raised platforms. What sunlight could get through created a dapple effect, decorating everything with small, round shadows.

Then, in the center, he took notice of something else. It made him freeze, feeling shocked that he didn't notice this when he first walked in. And as he approached it slowly, he could practically feel Snap's grin spreading from behind him.

There, right before him, was a large group of zoners. Not just zoners, but tables, instruments, games. It was all clustered together. The zoners, some of which he recognized like Lars, Rapsheeba, and Howdy, waved at him, wide grins on their faces. They were all wearing party hats, some of them glowing some party streamers in his presence. A small band was in the background and they had begun to sing a rendition of Happy Birthday.

There was a huge cake on a large table in the center. It was not as large as Snap's cake was, but it was still quite a sight to behold. It wobbled a little as it was thin, with about five layers of frosting. The sight of it was enough to make Blocky's mouth water. He couldn't tell if it was baked by hand or if Rudy or Penny drew it for him. He would be grateful either way.

And there, hanging above the cake, a long streamer, strings attaching it to the trees. It had sparkling lights on it, along the rim, making it easy to make out its details. It was a lavishing green color, pale, close to the color of emerald. Written along the thin, flimsy cloth was a single phrase.

'Happy Birthday Blocky'

The sight of it made him smile. He stared at it for a few seconds. He then looked over at the group of zoners who had shown up for his birthday. He felt his smile tug tighter along his lips. "Th-Thanks, guys. You..didn't have to go through all this trouble for me."

"It was no trouble at all." Rapsheeba said. "We were glad to do this for you!"

"Yeah! You don't need to apologize for anything." Howdy walked up to him. The living puppet looked up at him, meeting eyes with him. His smile was practically contagious-looking. "You deserve a party!"

"So why don't you kick back and relax, pal?" Snap walked up to him. He placed a hand on his shoulder. Blocky looked at him. Snap motioned his arm out towards one of the nearby chairs. "We walked for a while, so if you want to relax for a while, go on ahead." He then motioned to where the games were. "Whenever you're ready to have fun, join me over there!" He smiled broadly at Blocky. "Rudy and Penny cooked us up some fun games to play!"

At the mention of the two creators' names, Blocky asked, "Where are they? Will they be here soon?"

"Not yet." Snap shook his head. "They're still in school right now."

"They'll be here later." Lars spoke up. He raised a claw, pointing it up towards the sky. "I'm sure they will be here before the party is over."

Howdy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I don't think they would miss one of their best friend's birthdays!"

"And even if they are late..."

Blocky turned his head to the sound of pitter pattering on the ground. A silver shape appeared in the corner of his eye. It didn't take him long to see who it was. There was no mistaking that walking tub and the old lady that resided in it.

Bathtub Granny strode up towards the group. With her bathroom brush in her hand, scrubbing her back, she said, "You can bet that they will still find the time to hang out with you. So I wouldn't worry so much." She pointed her brush towards Blocky. "You just worry about having some fun, you hear?"

Blocky nodded his head a couple of times. "Yeah, I understand." He was about to say something else when he felt someone grab him from behind. He flipped himself to see who had grabbed him. "Oh hey, Rapsheeba." He said, smiling softly. "What are you...?"

"Come on! The band is going to play a song for you!" Rapsheeba cut him off before he coud finish his sentence. Her smile covered most of her face, going from ear to ear. "Let's sit down and enjoy it together!"

"Yeah! Come with us!" Snap walked up to Blocky's other side. He grabbed onto his other hand. He smiled broadly, the look of it alone being enough to fill Blocky's heart with positive emotions. "This band is pretty new, but I'm telling ya, they have some of the best music you ever did hear!"

Blocky found himself being dragged forward. His feet stumbled on the ground. His friends were able to hold him up just fine, however, and soon he was taken over towards one of the chairs. His friends released him, allowing him to be able to sit himself down. As he got comfortable and Rapsheeba and Snap joined him, up in front of him, he could see the band getting on the platform, getting ready to perform.

The band, Blocky noticed, consisted largely of cheetahs. Or were they some other species? Spotted cats was what he knew. They wear black suits and looked professional. He guessed that someone with some higher degree of artistic talent than Rudy had, as well as a taste in music, drew them. There were about four members, each one with a different instrument.

One of them walked forward a little, positioning himself in front of his bad members. Strapped around him was a gold trumpet, swinging slightly from side to side with each step. He grabbed onto the mic that was sitting in front of him. He tapped it a few times, getting feedback from the large speakers that surrounded them. The thumping sound encouraged the many zoners to quiet down and turn their attention to them. One by one, they all found a seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The feline zoner called out, raising his hand in the air. "Today is a special celebration!" He motioned his paw towards Blocky. "Cheerio And The Cheetahs would like to dedicate this number to our very own Blocky!"

The rectangular zoner smiled and blushed as there was a round of applause around him. He felt emotions moving through him swiftly. He felt his body shake a little. He had never felt this happy before.

The feline zoner raised his hand in the air, forming a fist. "Let's get this party started!" He swung his arm towards the band members behind him. Pointing at them, he cried out, "Hit it, boys!"

Instantly, Blocky's ears were filled with the drum roll of one of the members. It got his heart to speed up with excitement, and he felt his foot tapping tot he music. Then the drum was joined in by the other instruments. They soon fused together to create a sympony of music, a melody that hung strongly in the air.

He almost felt his heart leap out of his chest when he heard the felines start to sing about him. He was taken aback by it. He looked at Rapsheeba and Snap, who merely smiled back at him. Blocky turned his attention back to the singers. Even though he knew they were singing a song about him, he was still taken aback by the presence of lyrics. He wouldn't be able to write anything about himself. He was never good with words.

But these felines apparently were. He listened to them sing, seemingly coming up with lyrics on the fly. Verse after verse was sung, revealing more and more things about him, what he had done, among other things. And with each line his smile stretched more.

Leaning back in his chair, folding his arms behind his back, Blocky took in a deep breath and sighed softy. He closed his eyes and smiled as he listened to the song. This was one of the best days of his four year life in ChalkZone.

sss

Judging from Rudy's expression, it seemed as though he wanted to curse himself out. Penny tried to tell him that it was going to be fine, but Rudy was still stressed out. He had wanted to be there sooner, but problems had arisen. It wasn't his fault, but he still blamed himself. Penny wished he would just relax and calm down.

There was an incident at school earlier. Some kid had pulled the fire alarm, resulting in everyone being led out of the entire school. When it was quickly learned it was not a drill, which took maybe two seconds to realize that, the teachers, especially Mr. Wilter, scoured everywhere, interrogating everyone until they found the culprit. It turned out to be someone in a grade level one lower than them. She didn't remember the student's name, but they were sent to the principal's office for punishment.

Because of this, they were late getting back. The alarm had been pulled about half an hour before the final bell would ring. And it took about an hour before they figured out who had done it. It was an inconvenience to everyone, students and teachers, all for the stupid actions of one.

But she wasn't too upset. They might be half an hour later than usual, but they were going to be able to get to Blocky's party before it ended. Rudy shouldn't blame himself for the actions of one other child. He wasn't the one who pulled that alarm. He shouldn't feel guilty about being later. Blocky would understand. He always did.

But Rudy was still worried. His expression never changed, save for a few deeper frowns. He looked like he was ready to tear his hair out. As they continued walking forward, Penny reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax, Rudy. It's going to be okay." Penny said with a smile. "You'll see."

"What if he's angry with me, Penny? What if he's sitting there, waiting, and I don't show up, and..." Rudy's voice had something of a panicked edge to them. He stammed for a few more seconds before he finally trailed off, his voice dissipating in the air like vapor. He sighed and he said softly, "I'm just worried, that's all."

"I know you are, Rudy." Penny gave the boy a smile. She pulled him a little closer, the two of them still managing to walk despite how close they were together. "But Blocky will understand. He's not going to hold you by the neck if you're late. So please...try to relax."

Rudy lowered his head slightly. He darted his eyes from side to side. He gritted his teeth nervously. He then let out a soft sigh. "I suppose you're right, Penny." He smiled at his friend. "Thanks."

Penny continued to smile at her friend. "Don't mention it, Rudy." She nudged him forward, prompting him to move faster. "Now let's get going!"

With that, the two children quickened their pace across the grassy, hilly landscape. It didn't take them long before, in the distance, they could see the tell tale signs of the Candycane Forest. There was still some ways to go, but at their pace, they should be there in no time.

They kept up their speed, picking it up a little as they got closer. Though they could have run, they refused. They knew how intense the party was going to be, and they didn't want to waste any of it by running. They would rather save their energy for the fun and games that they were going to have when they arrived. At this rate, Penny knew they would be there in a couple of minutes.

They coud already hear the sounds of instruments playing. Dull at first, steadily getting louder as they approached. Soon they could being to slightly feel it in the ground, a reverberation that swept up their feet. If they didn't know where the party was, this would have been a definite give away.

Soon, they stood just outside the Candycane Forest. Penny and Rudy looked at one another. They gave a single nod to each other before turning their attention to the forest. They entered it.

They walked in a little bit, looking left and right. Penny wondered just how Snap and the zoners marked the place. How were they going to find their way to the party? The music wasn't helpful at this point as it now sounded like it was coming from all directions. A consequence of the music bouncing off the candycanes, she supposed. It didn't help that she didn't come into the Candycane Forest too often, and thus didn't know its structure as well as someone like, say, Blocky. And he wasn't here right now.

That was when she noticed something, as did Rudy. Most of the candycanes around here were single striped, like they would expect with a candycane. But there were a few ones that were double striped. A regular stripe, and then a much smaller one corresponding with it. This wasn't a random thing, either. They appeared to be forming a singular path going in one direction. Looking at each other momentarily, the two children headed down the path.

They followed it through the forest. They made left turns and right turns as the line of double striped candycanes led them to one particular location. They followed it, and as they did, they could feel the music's rumbling get more distinct, and the music definitely was increasing in volume, and not due to the reverberations off the candycane trees all around them.

Soon, they reached a clearing, and in front of them, they could see a circular formation of candycanes in front of them. And all of them were double striped. This realization made them smile at one another. They had finally reached the location of Blocky's party. They didn't hesitate to enter.

Rudy pushed one of the curving candycane trees to the side with surprising ease. The two of them walked past it and entered the large center 'room', if it could be called that. They were immediately greeted with the sights of the party and the sound of music.

There was a band of cheetahs playing some kind of song. Must be one that they wrote as she did not recognize it herself. They looked a little tired and it made her wonder just how long they had been playing. Turning her head, she could see there were some zoners playing games. Some were merely talking with each other, and some appeared to be passed out from exhaustion. Still others were enjoying the cake that she and Rudy had created for Blocky back at the bakery before they had to run off to school earlier today.

And there, sitting in the chair, was the birthday boy himself. Blocky was sitting between Snap and Rapsheeba. He was stuffing his face with cake, bits of it staining his face and chest. He didn't look presentable right then, but so long as he was having fun, that's what mattered.

It didn't take long for Snap to notice them. He grinned broadly at them, raising his hand and waving at them to come over. "Hey Bucko! Buckette!" He motioned for them to come over. "Join us! The party is just getting started!"

"It's been a few hours I'm sure." Rudy said, scratching his head. "How could it just be getting started?"

"Well we didn't really do anything until later. We had to still set things up." Rapsheeba explained as she continued eating her slice of cake

After Howdy, who sat at another part of the table, swallowed his piece, he said, "The party didn't start until...an hour ago at most."

"That is later than we thought it was going to be." Rudy said, his eyes filled with surprise. "Have you guys gotten to the main event yet?"

"You mean Blocky's song?" Snap asked. He nodded his head swiftly, the smile still on his face. "Yeah we did! It was fantastic!" His smile faltered slightly. "A shame you guys couldn't enjoy it as well."

"Oh that's all right." Penny said. It was a little disappointing not being able to hear the song that they had all written for the zoners to sing. They had all worked so hard on it and there were some hurdles to overcome with getting it to sound right. But in the end, it didn't matter if they heard it, just as long as it was enjoyed by the person they made it for. "Did Blocky enjoy it?"

"Yeah I did. It was great!" Blocky, who finally took notice of them after eating his cake, cried. He turned to face them. He looked ecstatic, like a kid on the morning of Christmas. He was smiling so broadly that it looked like his mouth would rip off from his face. "Maybe the band can sing it again for you?"

Rudy shook his head, waving his hand out in front of him. "Don't worry about it. It was your song, not ours."

Blocky tilted his head in uncertainty. "Are you sure? I..."

"Yes, I'm sure." Rudy placed his hand on Blocky's shoulder. "It's your party, Blocky. It was your song. As long as you enjoyed it, that's all that matters to me."

"And me." Penny touched Blocky's other shoulder. "And besides, we can do other things together. The party isn't over yet!"

"There is still plenty of time for fun!" Rudy said. He turned his head, looking at the area with the games. "Wanna play a game, Blocky? You can choose!"

"Oh sure! I'd love that!" Blocky cried.

Penny smiled at this, watching as Blocky tried to think of what game they could play. She was glad that Blocky was able to have fun and enjoy himself. And she was glad that she and Rudy would be able to join him and help Blocky have the time of his life today. He certainly deserved it.

It didn't take Blocky long to figure out a game for them to play. He immediately jumped out of his seat and rushed over, his feet moving himself across the ground as quickly as possible given his rectangle design. She and Rudy looked at one another and, on cue with Snap and the others, followed Blocky over. He proceeded to take out a board game. Penny smiled as she recognized it.

"Who is up for a round of Chalk Chess?" Blocky said with a grin, holding up the board game.

After some enthusiastic cries from Rudy, Penny, and a few zoners, they all settled down in a circle. Everyone was silent as Blocky quickly set up the game. They spent a few moments figuring out how it was going to work, making sure everyone got a turn. Soon, everything was ready and it was time to begin the game.

"Penny, you're first!" Blocky said.

"But it's your birthday." Penny said, confused. "You should go first."

"No. I insist." Blocky nudged the tip of the board against Penny. "I want you to have the first turn."

Penny was surprised by this gesture. She soon smiled. Blocky certainly was a generous zoner. Turning her attention to the board, she reached down for the dice. She remembered how differently Chalk Chess was played, and moves were determined by the roll of the dice. She cupped the pair in her hands, shook them, and then let them fall to the ground.

"That was a good move, Penny!" Blocky said enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Not many can get that high of a number on their first try!" Snap said. He took a look at the dice again, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You got an eleven..." He pointed his rounded hand at Penny. "So you can be either a knight or a bishop."

"I think I'll go with the bishop." Penny gripped her piece. She licked her lips as she tried to figure out the best move to make. She soon moved the pace a few paces to the right. Satisfied with her move, she looked around at the others. "Okay...who is next?"

sss

Rudy was disappointed in having to leave the party earlier than expected. As was Penny. But it wasn't like they had much of a choice. It was getting late and their parents were going to get suspicious if they did not return soon. So he and Penny gave a farewell to their zoner friends and headed off.

Rudy still couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt. Yeah, he knew the thing at school wasn't his fault and that he shouldn't get too upset about it. But he couldn't help it. He still felt that he should have been able to get back sooner. It was Blocky's birthday, a special day, and for him to be late... He felt it was an insult to his friend.

At least Blocky understood. He didn't seem at all upset about them being late and was just happy he was there. He appeared to be having a great time, which Rudy was glad for. The zoners really went out of their way to create a special party for him, with all kinds of songs and food and games. Even some stand up comedy near the end, hosted by Howdy.

He was glad the party was a success. He was glad that Blocky was having a great time on his birthday. So long as Blocky was happy, he was happy. The party still hadn't ended when he and Penny left. They spent a good two hours there, having fun. He hoped that Blocky would continue to have fun for the remainder of the party. He deserved it.

Rudy twirled his fork around the spaghetti his mom made. He pulled it up from the plate and resumed his consumption of it. He wasn't feeling that hungry right now, but he knew that if he didn't eat much, his parents might suspect something. He wasn't in the mood trying to come up with an explaination for them right now. So he just ate what he could without making himself feel too sick.

He looked around the table. Both his parents were positioned in their seats, both dining on their own plate of spaghetti. They had been a little quiet at the moment. He wasn't sure why. He didn't think anything of it and he looked back down on his plate. He was about to take another bite when he heard his mom speak up.

"Rudy."

Looking up at his dad, Rudy said, "Yeah? What is it?"

"We heard about the fire alarm mishap today." His dad said. He looked at Rudy, his eyes furrowed in concern. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

"What?" Rudy shook his head. He was confused as to why his dad would ask that. "Of course not! Why do you ask?"

"We heard from one of the other parents on this street that there was a ruckus." His mom said. He heard a clang as she set her fork down. "The child in question wasn't hurt too badly far as we know, so there's that." She interlocked her fingers on the table. She stared at Rudy for a moment and said, "We were just making sure that you weren't involved in any of these accidents."

Rudy was confused. He didn't remember any of this happening in school. None of the teachers had mentioned it. He wondered how many students were hurt in the confusion, and why none of the teachers told them about this. Or what if they did and he just wasn't paying attention? He wondered if Penny had heard anything.

He wasn't even sure how the accident could have occurred. Everyone was in single file line just as they rehearsed. They still moved pretty fast, though, rushing out of the building as some thought a real fire was going on. Maybe that's how it happened. A student could have tripped up and they got trampled, or perhaps pushed around, against the wall, wherever. He hoped the student was going to be okay.

"I can assure you I'm fine." Rudy smiled the best he could, hoping to reassure his parents. "No injuries or anything on me!"

His dad stared at him for a few seconds. He reached down with his fork and took another bite of food. "Well that's good. You were a little late and we were worried that you were limping home or something."

His mom nodded in agreement. "I know we were jumping to conclusions. We just..."

Rudy raised his hand up, silencing his parents. "It's okay." He said, still smiling at them. "I understand."

Rudy understood why his family was worried. They had every reason to be. If there had been an incident or two at the school during the alarm situation, it would be understandable if they were worried he got hurt. It didn't help that he had not gotten home at the usual time, and he had gone to ChalkZone as soon as he could. So it only made sense for his parents to think that something had happened to him. At least he was able to clear their minds of any similar thoughts that they had beforehand.

Rudy realized, however, that this meant that he had to be a bit more careful when and where he made his trips into ChalkZone. He should have realized his parents would be worried and he should have interacted with them more before heading out into ChalkZone. He could have them understand what happened earlier so they didn't worry. But he had been so worried about being late, he had overlooked that detail. Well, it won't happen again. He'd make sure of that.

He looked back down to his plate of food when his parents looked satisfied with his answer. He resumed eating, finishing off whatever was left of it. A bit of a tough task since he wasn't terribly hungry, but still manageable. The last thing he wanted was his parents to be worried about something else.

As soon as he was done, he got up from the table. He stretched his legs, feeling how sore they were from all the fun that he and his friends had at the party. He did his best to hide his discomfort from his parents, who were both looking at him in curiosity as he removed himself from the table.

"Are you finished already, son?" His dad asked.

Rudy nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to go up to my bedroom now."

His mom motioned towards the stove where the pot filled with spaghetti was located. "Are you sure you don't want more, dear?" His mom asked. "You usually go for seconds."

"Not this time. Sorry." Rudy took his plate and fork and headed towards the sink. "I've had enough."

His parents looked at each other. Rudy realized he goofed up when he saw looks of concerns on their faces. He had to think of something fast to quell any thoughts that they were likely having. And something did come to mind.

"We had some snacks in class." Rudy said quickly. His parents gave him a puzzled look. "I-It was part of our class project." Rudy smiled, doing his best not to look suspicious. "It was a one time thing. He has no plans on doing it again."

He hoped this lie worked. He hoped that his parents would buy it. They usually believed any of his other stories. So perhaps they will believe this one. Then again, he hadn't made a lie like this. Just thinking about it, he realized just how absurd it sounded. Since when did Mr. Wilter ever have any project relating to snacks?

Oh no..if he screwed this up... He could feel his heart start to race in his chest. A bit of sweat began to form on his brow. He did his best to keep smiling, but he was not able to stop the waves of fear rising up inside of him. He could only hope that, somehow, it all worked out in the end. Please let it work...

And his hopes had been answered. He could see his folks' faces relaxing, confusion leaving their eyes and mouths as they returned to a more neutral stance. His cover up story had worked.

"All right then, Rudy. You may leave now." His dad said as he resumed eating.

His mom waved at her son. "If we don't see you until the morning, good night!"

"Yeah. Good night!" Rudy said as he made his way out of the kitchen. He wasn't sure if he would be up in his room the whole time tonight, so it best to say that phrase to his parents now before they tried opening his door and potentially seeing ChalkZone's portal. Now that would be a disaster...

He didn't take more than five seconds, six tops, to make it to the stairs. He was about to start to climb up them when something stopped him in his tracks.

A sound. Coming from the living room. Voices, and a bit of music. He realized that his parents must have left the television on. It was usually turned off at this time. He shrugged his shoulders and tried to make his way up the stairs, but the words started to get his attention. Out of curiosity, he peered into the living room, looking at the TV set.

It was the news. He usually didn't watch it, but from time to time, he would check it out. Part of it was to keep an eye on Terry. Ever since the time she had kidnapped Snap to put him on TV to expose ChalkZone, he had been more cautious around her. It was comforting that no one believed her, but there was always that chance she'd find someone. Vinnie was one such person, who had actually gotten into ChalkZone and tried to take it over. If those two were ever to join up...

He pushed the thought out of his head. Such an alliance between the two had yet to be forged, and even so, there wasn't a lot they could do without the magic chalk. Terry might know that's the gateway into ChalkZone, but she knew not of where to find it. And neither of them know about erasing things into existence, so they wouldn't try creating anything to steal the chalk. He relaxed himself, easing his heart rate, as he realized that ChalkZone was going to be fine.

Seeing nothing of interest on the TV, Rudy turned and began to walk away. It was just the weather and a few local stories. Not much that could keep his attention. However, he didn't get that far up the steps when something familiar caught his interest.

A familiar voice.

"I tellz you, zee plug on zat boy'z machine wazn't zere before. I don't know how he did it, but I will find out!"

Rudy froze for a moment. It was that doctor he had been taken by a couple months back. Doctor Von Doktor. He remembered how his blunder with forgetting to draw a power source nearly resulted in ChalkZone being exposed. The memory still, at times, made him shudder, especially with how determined the doctor was in figuring out how he had accomplished perpetual motion.

The only reason he had even gotten out of the mess was because of Penny. She had been able to sneak into the facility and devised a plan to foil Von's plans. He owed a lot to her that day. If it weren't for her, who knows what would have happened?

Judging from that one line he heard Von say, it was apparent that he hadn't given up. He wasn't sure if he should be surprised or not. He hadn't really thought about Von in all that time. After his humiliation, he didn't think Von would attempt something like that again. Well apparently he had been wrong about that. The man looked as determined as ever.

"Are you sure the boy had created a device that literally ran on no power?" The newswoman, not Terry Bouffant thank goodness, stood next to the old man. She was a bit taller than him and had sleek, back hair that reminded him of Vinnie. "Perhaps it did have a plug and you were so excited, that you just didn't see it."

Von stood a foot away from the newswoman. He glared down at the mic, which was moved closer towards him so he could speak. He looked flustered, as if he had been trying to argue with the woman for a while. He formed a fist, raising it up. Not a threat, but a show of determination.

"Yez I am sure! Doctor Von Doktor iz never wrong!" He pointed a finger up towards the air as he said that. Rudy couldn't help but smile. Von's arrogance never ceased to amuse him. "Zat boy hid a scientific breakthrough, but I promize you, I will find a way to replicate the boy'z zuccezz. Perpetual motion is the way of zee future!"

The newswoman cocked an eyebrow at this. It was clear that she wasn't completely buying into this claim. "What will you do if you found out you were wasting your time?"

Von shot her a glare, looking offended that she dare say such a thing. "What was zat? Do you doubt me?" The woman took a small step back, surprised momentarily. She soon returned the man's frown. "You doubt me, don't you? Everyone doubtz me! Well I will prove all of you wrong! Zoon I will be the one laughing!"

After that dramatic display, Rudy expected the woman to react to it. But when she did, it was deadpan and underwhelming. She merely gave an 'uh huh' before turning her attention back to the camera.

"Well that's all we have for our science section." The newswoman put the papers together and tapped them on the table to get them even. "Now we turn to..."

"No! I didn't get enough time! Zere'z ztill more to talk about!" Von cried. He rushed towards the camera, as if to grab it. "Wait! Please..."

The camera had already shifted. Soon, Rudy was seeing another group of people, and the images in the background suggest they were going to be covering something with farming. Seeing that the doctor was no longer the center of the camera's attention, Rudy turned and headed back towards the stairs.

"That Doctor Von Doktor...I still can't believe he's trying to do that. I hope he doesn't..."

"Oh don't worry about it, Millie. He won't get far. Ever since that...incident... he's been the laughing stock of the scientific community. Just let him tie himself in knots."

Rudy couldn't help but smile at the way his dad said that. His voice really did fit the tone of what happened. He knew his dad was right. There was no way that Von would get too far in whatever he had planned. No scientist in their right minds would invest in anything he had to say, not after the way he was humiliated in front of some of the leading scientists of world. How would they even begin to take him seriously after that?

A small chuckle exited Rudy's throat as he recalled how the news was so quick to change from him to farming. That was a testament to how little he was respected now. How desperate were they to switch to farming of all things? Von had started to plead to get more screen time and he didn't get it. The thought of Von grabbing the camera and shaking it, giving a slew of his arrogant comments, intermixed with a higher pitched, desperate voice, entertained Rudy's mind.

He fondly remembered that incident from months ago. As scary as it was nearly having ChalkZone exposed, Von's attitude was quite amusing. He was too easy to make fun of, even while he was there. It was amusing to mock the way he spoke and the things he said, and most of what he did wasn't even scary. It was just Von being Von. An arrogant scientist who believes that everything he thinks is right. It reminded him of some professional artists he saw once, who so stubbornly clung to the idea of them being the best artist ever that it just became comical.

He and Penny sure gave that doctor a run for his money. They had hit him in the ego and he was not going to forget it. Penny's plan had been genius, switching the machine's out like that. Von's temper, while disturbing on some level, was amusing to watch, and his tantrum was enough to make most scientists disinterested in listening to what he had to say.

Another chuckle left his throat as he quickly descended the staircase. He had a feeling that Von will not be seen on TV again any time soon. He probably had to beg to let them show him on TV, and after what happened, there was little chance he'd get on again. He didn't foresee anyone working with him anytime soon.

The man can continue on his research in his lab all he wanted to. He didn't know anything about the magic chalk or what it was capable of. He probably didn't know anything about a chalk world either. He was going to keep running himself around in circles, trying to figure out perpetual motion. His smile stretched more broadly along his face. Yeah, the man was not going to be of any concern to him.

Soon he reached the top of the stairs and he headed towards the bedroom. Perhaps he should head back into ChalkZone and talk to Penny. The least he could do was tell her. Even if there was no threat, she still deserved to know.

Yeah, that's exactly what he was going to do.

sss

"Why won't it work?!" Von slammed his fist against the device. "Produce zomething, you piece of..."

Suddenly, the contraption before him began to beep loudly. A red light eminated from it, giving it an ominous look. It began to wobble violently from side to side. The platform below it was shaking, and looked as if it was going to break apart any second. Steam rose out of its back, pillowing up into the air.

"Oh no..." Von muttered softly, his eyes bulging. He attempted to turn back and run, but it was too late.

There was a loud explosion that ripped through the sealed room. Von was blown back into the ground from the shere force. He collided into the ground. He rolled across the hard floor as he held onto his ears, the drums pounding in pain. The sounds of metal scraping and twisting filled his ears, and the smell of smoke assaulted his nostrils. He gritted his teeth as he laid there, groaning in pain.

It took a few seconds before everything settled down. He could hear the hiss of the machine dying from power loss. He opened up his eyes cautiously, looking over to see the aftermath of what had happened. Upon seeing the destruction, he climbed up to his feet, mouth agape as he saw what remained.

The machine on the table, looking like a more advanced version of the boy's, now lay in a few pieces, large portions of the metal ripped up and pealed almost lie a banana. Black smoke still drifted out, filling the room in a mist of blackness. A few sparks from the exposed wires could be seen, and their sizzling made his heart skip a beat, realizing that a second explosion could be imminent.

Fear riding in his heart and smoke making his throat scratchy and uncomfortable, the old scientist immediately rushed to one side of the wall. There was a large button there. He pressed it. A loud buzzing sound could be heard as the smoke was starting to be sucked up into the vent. A loud sizzle brought his attention back to the machine. He looked at it fearfully and he rushed towards the door. He immediately got out and he sealed the room behind him.

He watched, his heart beating quickly, as the machine continued to spark, and soon small flames began to bathe it. His eyes bulging, he pressed a button on the wall. The fire alarm. It sent a signal to sprinklers located on the roof. They spewed out droplets of water which eventually stopped the flames and cooled down the machine. The sparks vanished completely.

The man turned off the sprinklers and wiped his brow. a sigh of relief escaping his throat. That was a close one. There was some damage done to the room, but it was still largely in tact and none of the important stuff was ruined. He was lucky this was all that had happened. It could have been so much worse.

So much for that experiment. He thought he had gotten all the right materials, but he was sadly mistaken. He twitched his nose and grumbled softly. If only that child had told him the secret, he wouldn't be in this mess. Such a breakthrough could have benefited society, and, more importantly, made him rich. But the little brat had chosen to be selfish, and he knew he wouldn't get another shot at him. The boy's parents weren't exactly pleased with him in the end, and wouldn't let him near their son again.

But this was only a minor setback. He was one of the smartest scientists in the world. He could easily figure out the solution to this puzzle. He just had to keep trying new materials and new configurations. And by chance, somehow, he would figure out what the boy had done to make that machine of his work with no power source. And when he figured it out...

...the whole town...no the whole world, would bask in his glory. Those who had mocked him would beg his forgiveness and plead to be hired by him. He would be the most famous scientist in the world. His name would be echoed through the ages. No one would forget his name.

Doctor Von Doktor.

He brushed himself off. The dust that clung to his coat was easily smeared against his fingers. He looked them and made a 'blah' sound as he wiped it against his pants. At the moment, he cared not how messy he was. He had more important things to tend to.

He frowned at the machine, scowling in disgust. A shame that this one didn't work out. Oh well. Time to try again. He grabbed the now cooled, broken machine from the table and dropped it off in a corner with remnants of his other failed experimentations. He then looked over at the chalkboard that hung on the wall nearby. On it were smudges detailing his past attempts at building a machine. He walked over and grabbed a piece of chalk.

It was time to go back to the drawing board.


	2. Concerns

When the smartest of you is worried, then you should worry.

sss

Penny was worried. She had seen that news broadcast the other day before she had dinner with her mom. She tried her best to remain calm, reminding herself that the man can't really do anything. He knew nothing of ChalkZone, after all.

Yet..she couldn't help but remain worried. She recalled her past incident with the man. He had been quite determined in figuring out perpetual motion from Rudy, refusing to buy his 'it was an accident' story that she knew he had come up with. Being a scientist, he was going to be smarter than the likes of Vinnie and Terry. So a lie like that wasn't going to fly. He was right when he said that Ruy didn't accidentally create that machine.

That man was going to become a problem if he kept poking his nose around. What if he made a discovery that brought him closer to ChalkZone? What if he found out the machine was made of chalk? Or the items it produced? What if he turned to Terry for more information? There were so many things that could happen, and she held her head, trying to cope with it all.

Maybe she was being paranoid. Maybe she just needed to relax a little. But she couldn't dismiss this. There was just too much at stake. Von might be harmless now, but if he ever got into ChalkZone, she knew the first thing he was going to want to do was experiment on zoners. She couldn't bear the thought of that, and she shuddered at the multiple thoughts racing through her head.

Zoners being strapped down. Electrocuted. Frozen. Burned. Injected with fluids. All sorts of horrific stuff. She would not put it past that man to do any of this. She had to make sure he didn't ever get a chance to get into ChalkZone or nab a zoner.

She wondered how Rudy felt. Surely he must have seen the news as well. Or at least heard of it. His parents could have heard and told him about it before they headed off to bed.

Rudy must be as disturbed as she was. Even if he might think back on how they stopped Von and how he didn't pose much of a threat now given the lack of knoweldge that he had, Rudy must realize how scary this situation still was. He knew how formidable the man could be, and back then, it was just trying to get answers out of him. The man wasn't trying to hurt him or anything. However, if Von increased his efforts and if he was unwilling to give up, how far would he take it? And how much would he learn?

Would he be able to gain access into ChalkZone? The thought chilled her blood.

Holding her plate of food, she looked left and right in the cafeteria. She had seen Rudy out in front of her when lunch was called, so she knew he would have sat down already. But finding him here wasn't too easy. The cafeteria was often packed, considering that there were set schedules; it wasn't like the students could just get up and get lunch whenever they wanted to. So she had to push her way through a couple of students in order to find Rudy.

She scanned the room, looking at the rows of grey tables. The cafeteria wasn't as large as some schools she had seen, but it was still flooding with students. There was still a long long of hungry kids waiting to get their meal, and the grey seats themselves were almost filled up. She kept looking. Sooner or later, she would find Rudy.

And sure enough she did. She found that he was sitting on the furthest table back, in the corner. He was holding a sandwich in his hands, biting into it and chewing. She immediately went over to him. She had to move past a large group of students who had gotten up to take their tray away. As soon as she was able to get past them, she reached the table in no time.

"Hello, Rudy." Penny said as she moved around in the front, noticing an empty seat right in front of her friend. Rudy lifted up his head, but did not speak due to there being food in his mouth. Instead, he nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Did you hear the news?" She asked as she sat down.

Rudy gave her a confused look, tilting his head slightly. He swallowed loudly and said, "News? What news?" He put his sandwich down. "What are you talking about, Penny?"

"The news that was on last night." Penny said. Her eyes were wide with concern. "I saw it not long after I got home."

Rudy still looked confused. He blinked his eyes a few times. Penny realized she probably should have explained it in a bit more detail. But when she attempted to speak, Rudy's face suddenly changed. A smile had appeared, and now it was Penny's turn to be surprised. "Oh, you mean with old Doctor Von Doktor?" He waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, I'm not that worried about that guy."

Penny was confused at this. Rudy wasn't worried? Why not? He knows what the man could do. Wait, no he didn't. He had only gotten a taste of it. The man hardly did anything except speak to him. Neither of them knew what this man was truly capable of behind closed doors.

And even if they had a better idea of what he could do, they still shouldn't let their guards down. The man did nearly find out about ChalkZone thanks to Rudy's blunder. Penny knew that if Von gotten in, there was no telling what he'd do, and the stuff that she had a feeling he'd try, none was so pleasant. Surely Rudy must know about this, right? How could he just dismiss this?

Rudy noticed Penny's confused look. He smiled at her and said, "Von doesn't know anything about ChalkZone, Penny. He can work all he wants to on perpetual motion. But he isn't going to get any closer to finding out about ChalkZone." He took another bite of his sandwich.

Penny narrowed her eyes slightly. She lifted up her own sandwich and chewed off a small part of the corner. After she swallowed, she held her hand out in gesture and said, "And what if he does, Rudy?" The boy swallowed and stared at her. "What if he does figure out about ChalkZone? What if one of his experiments leads to him discovering something?"

Rudy swallowed another bite, nearly finished with his sandwich. "I understand where you're coming from, but I have serious doubts that Von will be able to do anything. He did not even see me use the magic chalk."

"What about that worried statement you made when I came in?" Penny raised an eyebrow.

"What statement?" Asked Rudy.

"The one where you said something about 'it's happening'..." Penny said. Rudy stared at her. She nodded her head. "Yes, Rudy. I heard that."

Penny recalled what happened when she went after Rudy. She had still been angry with him at the time, but that did not negate her want to help him. So she had followed him via ChalkZone. It had been weird using the chalk for the first time. Snap was quite shocked to see just her and not Rudy. After she explained the situation, he agreed to help her, and they headed towards the location of the science facility Rudy had been taken to.

Once she got to the right spot, she drew a portal and started to make her way in. Before she even got in, she heard a worried cry from Rudy, about something happening. She hadn't thought to ask him about that and now she wished she had brought it up earlier. He had sounded so scared and worried. While she knew that Von could have learned about ChalkZone, she wondered if Rudy's outburst there was the result of his fear.

Well, now she was going to find out.

"Can you elaborate on that?" Penny asked.

Rudy looked down at his tray. By this point, most of his sandwich was done. He placed the small bit that remained back on the tray. His expression shifted, his eyes furrowing in concern. It seemed Penny had hit something of a sore spot with him. Her expression softened up. She hadn't meant to upset him.

"Yeah..about that..." Rudy started to say. He sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. His face looked as if a ton of bad memories were coming back to him. "Yeah I was worried at the time. I just...wasn't thinking straight..and..." He placed his hand on the side of his head. "I had a vision of Von finding a way into ChalkZone, and he brought in a bunch of people with hazmat suits inside."

Penny put her hand on her mouth in horror. "Oh Rudy..."

"And when I saw you open up the portal, and your hand coming..." Rudy closed his eyes. "I thought that my nightmare had come true."

Penny reached over and placed her hand on Rudy's shoulder. "I'm so sorry I scared you, Rudy. I didn't mean to."

Rudy smiled at her. "Yeah...I know."

Penny removed her hand from him. She stared at him sympathetically. She probably should have been a little less...spooky when opening the portal. She realized she could have screwed things up big time. She had made the portal too large and she did not make sure that no one was there first. If she had drawn the portal when Dr. Von was still there... She shivered at the thought.

Oh well, at least that nightare was over. She had been able to help Rudy escape the facility and Von was not able to show off Rudy's chalk creation. He never became wise to the idea of a chalk world, and things had been able to shift back to normal.

At least...until now.

There was still the worry of what Von might do now. He was trying to figure out perpetual motion, yes, but what if they had left some kind of evidence behind? Or what if he spoke to Terry and grew wise to how Rudy could have created such a device? What if he somehow came to some kind of conclusion that would cause them to cross paths again? Would they be able to outwit him again?

"Still..." Rudy's voice finally broke the silence that had settled between the two. "I don't think we have much to worry about him now." He gave a small smile at this. "I mean, he doesn't even have me." He pointed a thumb to himself, and then he pointed at Penny. "Or you." He settled his hands on the table. "I might not even be thinking about us right now."

"It's not wise to lower our guard, Rudy. You know that." Penny said, narrowing her eyes. "You know what could happen if we underestimate him." She held up her hand in gesture. "And you know what might...no, what will happen...if he finds out about..."

"Yeah I know." Rudy nodded his head up and down. "I just don't want to get myself too worked up over something that's probably not going to happen." He looked up towards the ceiling for a moment, lost in his thoughts. He looked back at Penny. "I'm not saying Von can't be a threat, Penny. I'm just saying that maybe we shouldn't expend too much energy worrying about him getting into ChalkZone. What are the odds?"

Penny shook her head at this. She was surprised at how Rudy was acting. He of all people should know the risks in not taking something seriously enough. And if he did know how much of a threat Von could be, then why was he acting all dismissive of it? It didn't make any sense to her. If this was him trying to be brave, she wished he'd cut it out. He wasn't fooling anyone.

"What were the odds of Vinnie getting into ChalkZone? What were the odds of you not erasing that portal, which granted him access inside?" Penny glared at the boy in front of her. She held her and up, pointing a finger on one hand against the fingers of her other hand as she began to list off examples. "What were the odds that Terry would pick up the magic chalk instead of a regular one? What were the odds that Snap would be there and she would be able to grab him? What were the odds of you two getting there just in time for Terry to open up the portal?"

Rudy was silent at this. His eyes were wide. Penny knew that she was finally getting through to him. Before the boy could speak, she continued.

"Don't you see, Rudy?" Penny said, her eyes still narrowed. "All those events had odds against them. It wasn't planned. We didn't see any of them coming. They all could have turned out very different." She placed her left hand down while her other grabbed her drink. "Seemingly impossible things happen all the time, Rudy. We shouldn't be entirely dismissive of this. I would think that, as the Guardian of ChalkZone, you would at least be on your guard in case that man does try something."

As Penny drank, she watched Rudy, looking for any signs of him coming up with an answer. So far, he was just quiet. His stunned expression stared out in front of her, at nothing. He didn't look panicked, more so just realizing something that he hadn't before. She was glad that she was able to get him to see something. She remained quiet, allowing him time to come up with a response.

She hoped that they would be able to find a way to keep an eye on things. She could ask some zoners to stay stationed around where the man would draw his work on the chalkboard. Maybe even take pictures so she could analyze them. If she saw the formulas, she could check them out and make sure that none of them correlated with ChalkZone. If any of his notes makes mention of a chalk world, she would sound the alarm, and she and her friends would have to do something to sabotage his work.

Of course, she did know that may not stop him forever. She shuddered at the idea of doing something more extreme. She did not want it to come to that. She and her friends detested violence. However, if Von kept on trying too hard, if he kept getting in the way even more so than Terry did, then they may have no choice but to consider it an option. They wouldn't be able to keep up with him forever. At some point, something had to give.

Hopefully, things wouldn't have to be taken that far. They never had to before. So perhaps luck would remain on their side, and things would be just fine.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that Rudy was looking at her again. He looked like he wanted to say something. She gave a nod of her head and waited.

"I know the risks, Penny. I know that the odds are still there he might figure out something. But as long as he doesn't find out about ChalkZone, it will be fine." Rudy said. He looked at her in the eyes, never turning away. He leaned forward. "I am not ignorant. I am not going to completely dismiss him. I do not think that he is going to be a threat, but I will acknowledge that he could be, given the right circumstance. Let's just not get too worked up and expend too much of our energy worrying. That may do more harm than good. Remember that stupid poison pen letter I wrote? How I got worked up because I thought we weren't invited?"

Penny nodded her head. She remembered that incident all too well. She had never seen Rudy behave that way before. It was quite scary.

"I don't want to make the same mistake, Penny. And since this is Von we are talking about, a miscalculation could be disastrous." Rudy said, making a few gestures with his hand. "If we get too distracted with this, what about Vinnie and Terry? They're currently bigger threats than Von. Skrawl, too. We can't divert attention away from him." He motioned both his hands at his sides. "You never know when he will hatch some other crazy scheme to take over ChalkZone!"

Penny had to admit it, but Rudy did have a point there. They did have several very real threats to ChalkZone. Skrawl was always trying to get it over one way or another, and then there were Terry and Vinnie. Unlike Von, they both knew that ChalkZone existed, and they were both determined to find it and gain access. She agreed with Rudy that it would not be wise to divert too much attention away from them. If they worry too much about what Von might be doing, they may not detect a move from one of those three, and they could catch them by surprise.

"Hmm...you might be right, Rudy." Penny tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "Right now, Skrawl, Terry, and Vinnie are bigger threats, and they all know about ChalkZone." She paused for a moment and slapped herself in the face, realizing how stupid she sounded. "Well of course Skrawl would! He lives there!"

Rudy put his hand towards his mouth and gave a light-hearted chuckled. "Don't worry, I know what you mean."

Penny adjusted her glasses. "Still...I don't think it will be all that wise to completely dismiss Von." She looked over at Rudy, her eyes furrowed in determination. "Let's at least keep our guard up and watch out for any suspicious activity."

"Yeah...good idea." Rudy nodded his head. He rubbed the back of it nervously. "I certainly don't want to make a fool of myself again. I thought Vinnie wouldn't be a threat, and then I.."

"Rudy." Penny said softly, looking at Rudy sympathetically. "There's nothing that can change that now. At least you were able to get Vinnie out."

"Yeah... That's true." Rudy gave a small smile. "I'm sure our luck will continue to follow us."

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah..."

The two children fell silent after that. They resumed eating their lunch. As Penny started to consume her sandwich, her thoughts felt like a hurricine inside her skull. Thoughts left and right shot through her, clouding her mind. She hadn't brought it up to Rudy, but there was something that had still had her worried.

It had been easy getting Vinnie out. He wasn't the brightest person around. All it took was getting him to ride a coaster that flung him out, and then the building collapsed, destroying the portal.

But what about Doctor Von Doktor? How easy would he be to get out? He was a scientist, after all. A person of a higher intellect. He was much smarter than Vinnie. He may not fall for a roller coaster ride that easily. He might see through a lot of their tricks and lies. If they ever had to collide with him to protect ChalkZone...

...how much of a chance did they have..?

sss

The school day went faster than Penny and Rudy had expected. They were glad for that. Both wanted to head into ChalkZone. They had agreed to talk to Snap about the situation with Von. Regardless if there's a great chance of the man figuring out ChalkZone or not, they knew better than to leave their friend out of the equation. Snap might have some good ideas to try just in case the man became more than just a simple nuisance.

It would also provide them a safer place to be discussing this stuff. Both of them know how risky it was of them to talk in the cafeteria and in the classroom. They were lucky that no one spotted them. They both felt foolish for being so careless. They would be sure not to do that again.

The two children walked down the sidewalk. Side by side, they made their way through the neighborhood, adhering to the signs, stopping at lights when they needed to, and continued on their way. They were getting pretty close to Rudy's house. That was where they decided to meet. Penny's mom had given the okay for her to go to Rudy's place. She told her she would pick her up a few hours later. That gave them plenty of time to speak with Snap.

Although Rudy looked pretty calm and certain, his mind was a different story. His head was buzzing about, unable to be calm, the storm of thoughts bringing him a dull headache. Penny's words kept swirling around him, making it impossible for him to ignore.

He tried to tell himself that everything was going to be fine. He tried to tell himself that Von wouldn't be much of a threat. The man was a fruit loop, yes, a smart one at that, but he wasn't smart enough to figure out that the machine he made was based on chalk, despite holding it himself. He told himself time and again that Von had no clues regarding ChalkZone.

Yet...he couldn't completely dismiss what Penny said. He knew that she made a good point. There was a chance that Von could get wise to what they were doing. He could figure this stuff out. And if he did...

He shook his head mentally. No, he couldn't concern himself with that. Everything was going to be fine. Despite what he said to Penny, a part of him still wasn't fully concerned about Von. The man probably would never think to try to contact him again. Why, he was probably sitting in his chair, throwing away another rolled up piece of paper depicting another failed experiment. Maybe he was yelling at himself in frustration as he tried to figure out the thing about perpetual motion. Rudy smirked at the thought. It was pretty amusing watching the man blow up like that.

He casted the thoughts aside. That wasn't what he should be thinking about right now. As easy as it was to make fun of Von, he knew there were far more important things to concern himself with. Von was still a possible threat. A lower threat than Vinnie or Terry, but still a threat nonetheless. It was important to speak to Snap about this.

He looked out in front of him, adjusting his backpack's straps. He took note of the buildings, and how they were becoming increasingly familiar, on a more deep level than the others before. This was his neighborhood all right. His house would be a few blocks down. If he and Penny kept this up, they should get there in about ten minutes.

Soon they rounded the corner, the one that Rudy knew would get them on his home street. It wouldn't be long now. He and Penny were making excellent time. At this rate, they should be able to get into ChalkZone much earlier than they had expected. They could...

Rudy and Penny froze as soon as they made the turn. They nearly stumbled against something green and solid. They took a few steps back, craning their heads up to see someone they had hoped they wouldn't see again for a long time.

Terry Bouffant.

The woman was holding her usual reporting equipment, some of them stuffed in a large bag she was carrying. A mic was held in her hands, but not pointed out at them. Rather, it was resting at her side, as if she was either getting ready to report on something or she had just finished.

She stared down at them in surprise. She didn't seem like she had been expecting them. Her shocked expression didn't last very long, and soon a scowl of contempt came across her face. She took a step towards them, towering over the two children. Rudy and Penny cringed, though neither broke into a run as Terry wouldn't dare try to do anything to them out in the open like this.

"Rudy Tabootie... Penny Sanchez..." Terry glowered at them, her grip on her mic tightening. "What a pleasant surprise..."

"Yeah, you too..." Penny grumbled softly, glaring at the woman with a frown to match. "What are you doing here, Ms. Bouffant?" She moved her hand out in front of her. "I know our neighborhood is just so full of stories..." Rudy could detect the subtle sarcasm. "...but whatever could you be trying to report on now?"

Terry scowled at this. "The grand opening of a new street light..."

Rudy chortled at this. "Wow, you've really gone downhill, Ms. Bouffant!"

Terry, however, found nothing funny about this. She took another step forward. Penny moved back while Rudy remained where he was. He leaned away when Terry pointed the mic close to him. The rounded tip nearly pushed up against his chest. He stared at it and then looked up at Terry. He stifled a shudder as he stared at those hate-filled eyes.

"Listen here, you little brat! It's your fault that I am in this situation! No one will take me seriously anymore because of your antics!" Terry's voice was filled with anger. Her body was shaking as the emotion swept through her. Rudy took a small step back, not wanting to be so close to the woman if she decided to explode. "If you hadn't been so selfish, I would have..."

"Selfish?!" Rudy snapped. He pointed a finger at Terry. The woman just continued to glare at him, not budging from her spot as the boy continued to speak. "You were the one who kept tailing me and Penny for weeks trying to get us to spill the beans on a world that you know nothing about! You are the one who is selfish, Ms. Bouffant! You don't even think of what might happen to all those innocent people if you..."

Rudy was stopped when Terry reached forward and grabbed him by his arm. With a yelp of surprise, he was yanked towards her.

"Rudy!" Penny cried, her eyes wide in shock. "Let him go, Ms. Bouffant!"

Terry did not listen. Rudy grunted in pain as the woman twisted his arm. He felt her lift him up off the ground effortlessly. She put her face close to his. Rudy glared at her, doing his best not to look afraid.

"You have no right to keep that world hidden, Tabootie. You made an incredible discovery and you are wasting it by hording it to yourself and playing the blasted hero!" Terry curled her lip up in disgust. "Then again, what should I expect from a stupid little boy like yourself? You children understand nothing!"

"You're wrong!" Penny called out, causing Terry to turn her head towards her. "Rudy is not hogging the world to himself! He's just making sure it is safe from people like you..." She jabbed an accusing finger at Terry. "..who seek to exploit and harm it!"

Terry growled at this. "Oh really..? Well then, Sanchez..." Terry released Rudy and rounded on Penny. Rudy watched in horror as Terry cornered Penny against the street light. "What about you? If Rudy is the hero, are you his sidekick? Oh wait..." She raised a finger, a look of mock realization on her face. "That's Snap, isn't it? Well then..." Terry leaned towards Penny. "What does that make you? What's left for you? Someone who just stands on the sidelines, watching as Rudy works his magic protecting that precious world of yours?"

Penny said, "Y-You don't know..."

"Oh that's right. I don't know... Because to you, I'm an idiot. You think that I can't pick up on things. Well that's where you're wrong." Terry put a hand on her hip, her frown deepening. "At least Tabootie actually does something for that chalk world you two love to hide so much. You...you're nothing... You are just a worthless little tag along who just waits for Rudy to give you a command and toss you a bone." Penny's eyes widened at this. "Face it, Sanchez..." Terry sneered. "You're worthless."

Rudy's heart twisted at these words. Anger began to swell up in his stomach, the burning sensation moving through his arms. How dare Terry say those things... She had no right to judge Penny like that. He didn't know what got into her lately, but he had enough of listening to this. He marched forward towards them.

Rudy walked in front of Penny, making Terry take a few steps back. The woman stared at the boy in surprise, and then narrowed her eyes again. Rudy glared at her hatefully. He did his best to control his anger, knowing that he would only make things worse if he simply exploded in the woman's face. He took in a deep breath, feeling the burning anger on the edge of his own sigh. Once he felt he had calmed himself enough, he gave his retort.

"How dare you..." Rudy snarled at her. "What right do you have to say that about my friend? You don't have an inkling of what we do in that world you so desperately want to exploit. You haven't seen any of things any of us have accomplished. You have no idea what Penny is capable of. Just because you wear a fancy outfit and have a job and work at a newstation doesn't mean you automatically know everything! You know nothing about Penny, so stop actingl ike you do!"

"Rudy..." He heard Penny say behind him. There was a cautionary tone to her voice. "Let's just go."

"Yeah, Rudy. Go on. Go to that chalk world that you are selfishly keeping from everyone else." Terry taunted, a contempt-filled smile stretching on her face. "Go on, continue to act like you're so damn special, some hero, while your genius friend there wallows on your shadow, wishing she could be half as great as you.."

"At least Penny doesn't make a fool of herself trying to get a studio to greenlight an idea that anyone with half a mind would realize sounded cuckooo..." Rudy sneered at her.

Terry's eyes widened for a second at this. Her eyes soon furrowed, becoming narrowed. She twitched her eye, her lip raised up, baring her teeth at the little boy. Rudy felt his heart begin to race as the woman advanced on him. But he ignored his instincts to run. Terry can't do anything and he would not abandon Penny to her, even in these relatively safe circumstances.

"You little..." Terry growled. She then stopped. Something had caught her attention. The woman turned her head, looking at something. It didn't take long for Rudy and Penny to see what she was staring at.

There was a small family walking by. They appeared to be heading towards their house. A mother, father, and a couple of kids. They had stopped in their tracks and were staring over at them in confusion and uncertainty.

Rudy felt some sense of relief at this. He knew that Terry would defnitely back down now. Regardless of what she thought, she knew better than to continue on with her harrassment with witnesses around. He took a step closer to Penny, a sort of protective posture, done partly out of defending his friend and partly out of triggering concern in the family walking by. This made it even harder for Terry to make a move.

Terry knew she had been bested. She stared at the family, and then she looked back at the children. She glared hatefully at Rudy and Penny, her clenched fist shaking at her side. Rudy could see the frustration practically radiating off her body.

"Okay then...you win this round. But I'm warning you two..." Terry spoke in a low, growly voice. "...sooner or later, I will expose that chalk world. You can't keep it hidden for long. Sooner or later, it will be exposed. Mark my words..."

Rudy and Penny said nothing, frowning at the redhead as she turned and walked down the street. It didn't take her long to disappear down the street. Only after she disappeared completely did the children look at each other in worry.

That had been an unpleasant and unexpected encounter with Terry. She had acted more aggressive than usual. Granted, she didn't try to hurt them, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't try. The idea of Terry going that far frightened them. She was desperate enough to expose ChalkZone and she already resorted to underhanded tricks like kidnapping. To outright hurt them...

They shook the thought out of their heads. They had to focus on getting into ChalkZone to speak to Snap. That was their top priority right now. After giving a quick smile to the family to show them that they were fine, they continued on their way to Rudy's house. They both hoped they wouldn't run into anymore issues or delays.

sss

Joe Tabootie growled as he glared at the man in front of him. He couldn't believe that this man had the gall to show up at his house, making such a request. Did he not learn his lesson the last time they had encountered? What in the world gave him the right to come here and do this?

He could sense Millie beside him. He didn't bother looking, but he knew that she was also just as infuriated as he was. It was unfathomable that this man would try something like this again. It took all his strength not to punch the man in the face for coming here. He knew that wouldn't be the right thing to do and he held back the urge. He could sense his wife was having a hard time controlling herself as well.

The only thing good about this was that Rudy was not around. He didn't know what to tell his son if he came in with this man, of all people, in the house, waiting for him. He would imagine that Rudy would be quite uncomfortable, and he wouldn't blame him. He'd have every right to be nervous and upset. He knew that Rudy was going to be home any time, so he hoped to get this meeting done and over with soon.

But no matter what he tried to tell him, the man would not leave. He remained where he was, feet firmly planted on the ground. When he had knocked on his door, he had let himself in. He refused to march himself back out, and he showed determination of staying here until he got what he wanted.

Millie had suggested using physical force and just pushing him out. But Joe was against the idea, but only because he had a feeling this man would call the authorities and tell them what happened. Even though it would have been the man's fault, he might twist the words to make it look like they did it. Despite his reputation, Joe knew that there might be some people still willing to side with him. And if those people happen to be higher ups...

Of course, they could just call the police themselves. They hadn't yet tried ot use that threat before. They didn't want to resort to that. They hoped they could get the man to leave on their own. But if he continued on staying, then they may be left with no choice.

"Look, I understand you came a long way over here." Joe said, his teeth gritting slightly. "But I must ask you again to leave. You are not welcome here."

"Get out of our house." Millie said, joining in.

The man shook his head. "No. I will not leave." He narrowed his eyes. "Not until I get what I want."

Joe clenched his teeth at this. "We cannot grant you that wish, mister. We are telling you for the last time." He took a step forward, glaring into the man's eyes. "Get out."

The man gave a short, bitter chuckle. "You are really being unfair." He raised his hand up in gesture. "I did not make an unfair..."

"We don't care." Millie hissed, cutting him off. She put her hands on her hips, her glare practically piercing through the man's gaze. "Take your suitcase and show yourself to the door. We don't want to see you around our house again."

Joe nodded in agreement. He glared at the man, who had remained quiet for a few moments. The man didn't appear to budge, nor did it look like he was going to move anytime soon. Joe narrowed his eyes further. Of course the man would remain stubborn. They had said what they could to him, even trying to sound nice. But here, he still remained.

He was quite determined to talk to their son. But there was no way they would let that happen. Sure, this man never harmed their son in the past, but given how he had acted, and as the situation of what happened to them came to full light, the more disgust he felt for the man. He had only wanted to use Rudy, and here he was, trying to do the same thing again.

Not if he and Millie have anything to say about it. Regardless of how stubborn this man was, they would get him out. They just had to be even more stubborn.

"You are really pushing our buttons, mister." Joe pointed an accusatory finger at him. "We told you, we are not going to let you see Rudy. I don't care how much you are willing to pay us. You will not use our boy like he's your property!"

The man blinked in confusion. He then rubbed his hands nervously. "I think you've got it all wrong, Mr. Tabootie. I never intended to do..."

Millie interjected. "Do you think we believe that?"

"Just get out of our house. Now!" Joe barked, his voice taking on a deep growl.

The man took a step back at this. His eyes widened, worry clearly etching on the features behind his glasses. The man locked eyes with him and Millie, not daring to look away. He still didn't leave, and he started to glare back at thim as if they were committing some terrible crime in not giving him access to their son. But there was some falter to him now, and when he took another step back, Joe realized that they probably finally got him to listen.

Before Joe could speak again and try to chase him out, he heard the door opening up. He turned his head, and his eyes widened as he spotted who was standing in the door way.

It was Rudy and his friend, Penny.

Silence fell upon the room. Uneasy, chilling, gripping his heart. He and Millie exchanged nervous looks. Neither of them had wanted Rudy to see this. And now here he was. Joe looked over at the man real quick, noticing that sick smile spreading across his face. Before he could say a word to him, he heard his son speak in a small voice.

"...dad...? Mom...? What's...what's he doing here...?"

The man stared intently at Rudy, his smile shifting into a grin. "Why hello, Rudy... Remember me...?"

Rudy took a step back, his eyes wide in shock. Penny did likewise, looking just as shaken up to see this man as his son did. The man did not approach Rudy, but kept on smiling at him. Rudy took in a few quick breaths, memories flooding his mind.

Rudy managed to whisper softly. "Doctor Von Doktor..."

He was greeted with a broader smile.

sss

Rudy couldn't believe it. He felt his senses go numb. A cold sensation washed through his body. Any belief of there being no danger from this man went away the moment he saw him standing there. Penny's sentence had been cut short when they noticed an extra vehicle in the drive way. They had hoped it was nothing to get worked up about.

But then...this happened...

As soon as they opened up the door, they were treated to this horrible sight. His parents were not harmed, but they were in the middle of discussing something with this man. This horrible man that had nearly found out about ChalkZone, and had tried to drill his mind for information.

Doctor Von Doktor stared down at him with a smug smile. He looked as if he had been waiting here a long time, and there was a bit of triumph in his face. Judging from his parents' expressions, he guessed that they had been trying to make him leave, but with no luck. And the way the man was looking at him...it made him shudder. Was he waiting for him? Did he come here for him? That certainly seems the case.

And he just walked right on in, and had given this man what he wanted. Himself... Rudy gritted his teeth as he and Penny stood their ground. If the man wanted him, he was going to have to try harder. He had no intention on leaving with him, and he couldn't make him.

Rudy attempted to comfort himself by realizing his parents were here and no longer taking Von's crap. And he couldn't very well just take a child with him without the parents' permission. His mom and dad would never allow that. Von would be setting himself up for arrest. He would not take that risk, especially if it delays him from his precious research.

Still, he felt quite uneasy around him. He found it hard to look at the man, but even harder to look away. He gritted his teeth, adopting a somewhat defensive stance, a way of showing the old man that he wasn't going to come quietly. Penny narrowed her eyes, offering a similiar message.

"Don't worry, Rudy." Came his father's voice. It was slightly shaky, as if he was trying to sound calm, but found himself unable to. Rudy could hear the emotion dripping off his voice. "He was just leaving..." His dad glared at Von. "Weren't you?"

Von ignored him completely. His eyes were on Rudy only. The small child swallowed nervously, but puffed up his chest slightly to make himself look tougher. This seemed to amuse Von and he took a step forward. Rudy immediately deflated, and Von chuckled at how quickly he had backed down.

"It'z okay, child. I won't bite." Von said. "I just wanted to azk you a few questionz."

"Absolutely not!" Rudy moved back as his mom moved in front of him, blocking the man's access to him. "Get out!"

"Oh but you aren't even letting me..." Von started to say.

Rudy's dad, finally having enough of this, gripped the man by his shoulder. His hand squeezed his shoulder tightly. He saw Von flinch in pain and whirl his head over towards his dad. The staring contest lasted a few seconds before Von jerked himself free and take a step back.

"I will appreciate it if you didn't touch me again." Von said, his voice uncharacteristically dark. "I just got zis suit washed."

"And we would appreciate it if you leave now." Rudy's dad said, his frown deepening. "If you continue on staying here, then you will leave me no choice but to call the authorities."

His mom nodded her head. "We didn't want to do it, but if you don't get your ass out of here in the next twenty seconds, then we will get the police involved."

His dad folded his arms against his chest. "Now we wouldn't want to have that, now would we...?" He tilted his head slightly. "Especially after that incident where you were dragged off when you had totally lost it."

At this, the scientist's eyes widened. It seemed that, after however long the man was here, his parents had finally gotten a hook on him. Rudy, standing with Penny, watched as the old man's previous arrogance melted away slightly at the threat of a phone call. This became even more apparent when his dad added one more thing.

"If they reacted that way over something like that, I can just imagine how they would react if they found out you harrassed a child..."

Von stared at his dad in horror at this. He took a step back. He looked from both his mom and dad, and then back at Rudy. For a moment, Rudy could see a flash of anger and disappointment. He then looked back at his dad. His facial features relaxed as he gave a curt nod.

"Very well zen..." Von spoke in a barely controlled voice. "I'll be on my way. Zorry to dizturb you." Von began to head towards the door.

"And don't think about coming back here." Rudy's mom called after him.

"We're finished here." Rudy's father chimed in, his voice stiff and stern.

Von froze at this. He stopped right next to Rudy and Penny. Rudy's mom watched him warily, making sure he didn't try anything. Von looked down at Rudy with a sideways glance, and a smile slowly creeped onto his face. He looked into his mother's eyes before he said, "Oh no... We have barely...begun..."

Rudy shuddered as the man chuckled, his eyes looking directly at him now. He cringed back with Penny beside his mother. Penny glared at him, a hand formed into a fist. Rudy did his best to look brave, but Von could clearly see right through his attempt at a front.

"Get out of our house." His mom growled.

"Az you wish..." Von said. And with that, he was gone.


	3. Invitations

Be mindful of the past, but be wary of the future.

sss

"Rudy...are you okay..?" Penny said to her friend in a quiet voice. When Rudy didn't answer, she pressed on. "You've been awfully quiet for a while..."

Rudy looked over at her. His eyes were wide, his pupils shrunk. He gave a shudder and looked away, not saying a word. Penny furrowed her eyes with concern. She reached towards her friend, but paused. She curled her fingers inward and yanked her arm back. She let out a soft sigh and stared at her friend sympathetically.

Rudy had been a bit shaken up since the incident with Von. Despite him being certain that Von won't be a threat, he was taken aback by his sudden presence in his house. And the way he had looked at him, spoked at him... She could just imagine how wrecked that made him feel.

Von wanted him for something. That much was clear. Chances are it had to do with the perpetual motion. But unlike last time, when he had a legal warrant and permission from Rudy's parents, this time, it sounded almost like he was willing to commit a crime to get what he wanted. The thought sent shudders through her body. If Von was willing to go that far, what would he do?

It didn't seem likely at first that he would. After all, he had been so blatant in his words that his statement alone could be used as justification to have him arrested. Von should know better than that. He should know what would happen if he were caught harrassing a child.

But then again..he wasn't always the brightest person. He was so single mindedly focused that he made the easiest of mistakes. He probably would take that risk if it meant achieving his goals. And just because he took a risky route doesn't mean that he wouldn't be careful...

Penny turned her attention back to Rudy. He was sitting on the window sill. His head face towards the window itself and he stared outward. It didn't look like he was looking at anything in particular. His eyes were almost unfocused, and he had an anxious aura around his body.

She wished she knew how to cheer him up. His parents had already tried, but not with much luck. After the man left, Rudy asked what happened. When his parents explained the situation, it only made Rudy more nervous. Despite his parents' best attempts, they weren't able to get their son to calm down. Rudy was scared, no matter how hard he tried to hide it from them. And why wouldn't he be? Von had specifically targeted him and made it clear that he was going to come back.

Rudy had eventually gone up the stairs. Penny followed suit. She didn't want to leave him alone, not while he was in that state. She hoped that she would be able to figure out something to help her friend relax.

A part of Penny was a little glad that Rudy was going to take Von more seriously. That's what they should have been doing ever since they found out about his continued research in perpetual motion. It was only a matter of time before Von tried coming after him again. But at the same time, she didn't want Rudy to get hismelf all worked up. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on much if he spent all his time worrying about Von.

Penny looked left and right, standing not far from her friend. She looked down at him, a look of sympathy etched on her features. She hated seeing Rudy this way, all scared and nervous. She wanted to do something to help him, but what could she say? She had no idea if Von would stay back or not.

But she wouldn't leave him. No, now would be a horrible time for that. Rudy needed her right now. He needed the company. Someone to stay with him and keep him calm, telling him everything is going to be okay.

And that's just what she was going to do.

Taking in another deep breath, Penny moved a little closer to her friend, closing what tiny bit of gap still remained between the two. She leaned against her friend, pushing her body next to his. Her chest and stomach was pressed against his back as she slung her arms around him. She held on, pulling him close. Rudy shivered once, startled by the sudden gesture. He quickly relaxed, allowing Penny to hold him close.

"It's okay, Rudy. Everything will be fine. You'll see." Penny whispered softly to him. She rested her chin on the top of his head. "Please don't be too scared. Von won't come after you. I promise."

Rudy was quiet for a few moments. Then he said, "How do you know?" His voice was quiet. It was almost accusatory, but that might have been Penny's imagination. "He might just be biding his time, waiting, and then he..." His voice trailed off, his eyes widening slightly as a tinge of horror seemed to hit him.

"I doubt that he would do that, Rudy. He wouldn't want to get caught." Penny pointed out.

"Yeah, and that means he could just be waiting until he has a chance to..."

Penny cut him off. "Even then, it's too risky. Plus..." She raised a finger up as she illustrated her next point. "There's your parents. You know they wouldn't let Von come anywhere near you. You'll be fine."

Rudy didn't look convinced, however. In the reflection on the window, she could see Rudy gritting his teeth. His eyes moved slowly from side to side, as if he were trying to search for something. Perhaps Von? It was likely. It had only been an hour since Von left, and it was likely that he was hiding somewhere nearby, just waiting to strike.

But Penny knew it would be useless getting too worked up over that. They couldn't let himselves be ruled by fear. For all she knew, that's the effect Von wanted when he made that statement. Nothing more than an empty threat considering it would be too hard getting Rudy, or her, without someone noticing. He might be crazy, but he wasn't that crazy.

"Look Rudy...why don't we go into ChalkZone now? We still need to speak to Snap about what we are going to do regarding Von." Penny suggested. "Plus, you and I both know that he needs to know about this."

"Yeah...I know..." Rudy said, nodding stiffly. "I know.." He went quiet after that, making no attempt to answer Penny's question.

Penny sighed, pulling her friend even closer to her, pressing her head against his. She could practically feel his heart beating, an abnormal pace, a sign of the worry that gripped him. It was confusing, startling for Penny to see Rudy in this state. A far cry from how he was earlier.

At the cafeteria, he had shown great certainty that Von would not be any sort of threat. He didn't think much of the man trying to do something. He had just dismissed him, and hardly gave the man a second thought.

But now that Von had shown up... Rudy's outlook had changed. He now knew that the man would indeed come after him again. Considering how swiftly and suddenly he had been able to take the entire family, one must shudder at the consideration of what would happen if he were to try now. Would he succeed? Even if he didn't, just how far would he be able to go?

But right now, they shouldn't worry about that. They should be focusing on coming up with solutions, not dwelling on the past that they could not change. She hoped that Rudy would break out of this trance soon and return to the confident boy he had been earlier. He hoped that Von's appearance hadn't shaken up Rudy for long.

"Come on, Rudy." Penny said as she leaned beside Rudy. She took his arm and pulled gently. "Let's go see Snap now."

Rudy offered no resistance as Penny got him off the window sill and guided him towards the large chalkboard in his room. Rudy practically leaned on her, the shock of the earlier events zapping him of some of his strength. She could almost feel him slipping down, forcing her to hold onto him tighter so he wouldn't hit his face on the ground.

She pushed against him gently as she steadied him. She encouraged him silently to use his own strength to hold himself up. Luckily, Rudy wasn't too far gone in his emotions, and he was able to right himself quickly. She motioned towards the chalk board.

Slowly, Rudy took out his piece of chalk. He looked at the board. He gazed back at Penny, as if searching for help. She gave him a nod, gesturing him to proceed. After a moment's hesitation, Rudy leaned forward and began to draw the portal, granting them access into ChalkZone.

Penny hoped that Snap would be able to help them come up with a plan. And she hoped that Rudy felt better soon. If Von really isn't going to give up, they needed to be ready. And being distracted by fear would only leave them open to a move...

sss

Rudy did his best to push back his fear. He didn't want to let himself be ruled by it. He knew that wouldn't do him any good. Yet he found it hard to completely forget the worry that was struck into his heart a short time ago.

He found it unbelievable that he had let himself get into his state. He knew that Von wouldn't be much of a threat to him. It wasn't like he could make a move against him, like his parents and Penny said. It was too big of a risk. He knew his parents would keep him safe, and it wasn't like the school was going to let a random person come and take one of the students.

Yet he couldn't completely push aside his fear. The mere fact the man had shown up in his house uninvited was scary enough. Even though it wasn't like he just waltz in like he owned the place, his presence there alone was enough to unnerve him.

And the way he looked at him, too... He felt a cold shiver along his spine at that thought. He just wanted to curl up in a ball when he had seen the man stare at him with that expression. His eyes seemed to twinkle, spewing out a hidden, unheard message. There was some unspoken promise in there, and it didn't help that looking at the man's eyes then was like looking into the abyss.

He was glad that he listened to Penny's idea of coming into ChalkZone. He was still aware of the possible danger, and that it really wasn't over yet. He was aware that one slip up was all it would take for the man to find out about ChalkZone, and he knew that Von would want want to test them for all kinds of things. Painful tests that he would rather not have any zoner endure. It was just way too cruel.

But just being in here helped him feel more relaxed. It helped him realize that he was safe, that nothing bad had happened yet. It helped him wash away that anxiety through his spine, leaving his body like a cold yet hot vapor. It reminded him of happier times, of when he is exploring in ChalkZone with his friends, having a great time.

And most of all, it reminded him of hope. There was still a chance to make sure that ChalkZone stayed safe. The man didn't even know for certain of the place's existence, far as he knew, so there was much less of a threat of him coming in here, trying to take it over or exploit it.

However, they couldn't dismiss this probable threat. And that's just what he and his friends weren't going to do. Swallowing his fear, doing his best to look brave, Rudy proceeded with the discussion of what to do about Von. The results of this meeting would determine what they were going to do regarding Von. He hoped that they would be able to come up with a sensible solution.

"Whoa..."

That had been Snap. Rudy looked out in front of him. Standing not far away was Snap. He and Penny had just delivered the news to him. As they had expected, he did not take it well. He looked a bit shaken by what they told regarding Von.

"I don't believe it.. Him..of all people..?" Snap's eyes widened as he saw Rudy and Penny nod their heads. He gritted his teeth, lowering his gaze slightly. "That's exactly what we need..another nutjob trying to get into this place." He shook his head slowly.

Rudy couldn't blame Snap for how he felt. From what he had been told, Von wasn't exactly the best person to be around. He was another possible creepazoid that they will have to watch out for. It was tough enough with Terry and Vinnie. Now there was this guy. To an extent, he was worse than Terry or Vinnie and the reason was...

"Do you have any plans on how you are going to outwit a genius, Rudy?" Came Snap's question. It was blatant, short, and to the point. It was not accusatory, but rather it opened his eyes to the reality of the situation, and made him realize how difficult this really was going to be.

"I'm...I'm not sure..." Rudy said in a low whisper, his eyes widened slightly. "I really don't know.."

"Come on, there has to be something..." Penny said. "We've never given up before. Why start now?"

Rudy stared at his female friend. He admired her determination and spirit. He wished he could be as certain as Penny was about the situation. She wasn't willing to give up, and neither was he. Yet, he still felt uncertain about what they were going to do.

Going after the man wasn't an option. It would be too difficult to pull off. And too dangerous as well. They were better off thinking of a new strategy. But so far, none of the new thoughts they had made enough sense to even be brought up. As he looked around, seeing his friends' expressions, and the reflexion of his own in Snap's mirror, it became increasingly clear that none of them had been able to think of a sensible solution.

Rudy feel his gut start to twist in frustration as more time passed with no one speaking up. Were they really at this amount of loss of what to do? Did they really have no plans on how to deal with Von? It certainly seemed that way. He looked at his friends, and none of them looked close to being able to think of any kind of answer.

He let out a sigh, leaning himself back, tilting his head up. His mind went deep into thought. There had to be some kind of angle he hadn't thought of. A pathway they could choose that would benefit them. Von had shown enough that he wasn't going to be just sitting around, twiddling his fingers. They needed to figure out something soon, before he had a chance to make his move.

But...what could they do...? The man hadn't even done anything that major yet. Sure he showed up at his house and had tried to get to him. And when he left, it sounded as if he was willing to do whatever it took to get to him. It was clear that he was not going to give up. Yet...he hadn't done anything to him outside of what could be interpreted as a threat, and that might be seen as a stretch to the authorities.

Without knowing what the man was up to, outside of perpetual motion, they had little to go on to figure out how to deal with him. He didn't even know about ChalkZone, so trying to figure out a defense here was going to be a waste of time. Plus he did not want to panic the zoners over something that might not happen. Von was not yet a threat to ChalkZone, and he hoped it would stay that way.

He could feel his mind go numb, almost shut down, as the frustration began to take its toll. A wave of cold and hot energy swept through him, concentrating in his hands and fingertips, as he tried to figure out what they were going to do.

He exhaled slowly, loud enough to get his friends' attention. He could feel Snap and Penny's stares on him. He knew they were looking to him, hoping that he had figured out a plan. He glanced at them. They looked as frustrated as he had. He sucked on his lip and turned away. He gave another sweep of his mind, hoping to find something, anything... But in the end, he found nothing, and he glanced over at his friends.

"I...I can't think of anything.. I'm sorry." Rudy lowered his head. "I'm at a loss of what we can do. There just..." He raised his hands up at his side. "..just not enough that we could use to help devise a plan."

Penny frowned at this. "Well I'm sure we can think of something. We just..."

Rudy stared over at Penny. "We are probably better off just not doing anything for now." He paused for a moment. He couldn't believe the amount of disappointment he felt flow from his own mouth as he spoke those words. He usually was able to think of something, and the fact that, for the moment, he could not, it was an uncomfortable feeling. "...and just wait and see what happens. Cautiously of course."

Penny shook her head. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea to put this off, Rudy." She held up her hand in gesture. "Keep in mind of what Von could do. He's a scientist, Rudy. Yeah, he might be a bit of a nut, and he isn't well respected anymore. But the mere fact that he's a scientist, and not just some business man like Vinnie Raton or a newsreporter like Terry Bouffant, this means that he isn't going to be as easily tricked. If he were ever to find out about ChalkZone..."

"I know, Penny..." Rudy cut her off. "I know..."

Rudy was well aware of what Von could do. Being a scientist, he may try to figure out the inner mechanics of the magic chalk and learn how it works. He might even be able to replicate it, and find a way into ChalkZone without the need of magic chalk. The thought sent a cold chill down his spine. The very idea of something like that being created...

"Let's not forget what he might do to zoners..." Came Snap's grim, small voice.

Rudy's eyes widened at this. He exchanged a horrified glance with Penny. Another detail that they were all too familiar with. They only ever got a taste of zoner treatment when Terry stuffed Snap into her bag and when Vinnie showed interest in forcing zoners to be slaves in his amusement park. But they all knew, deep down, that only scratched the surface.

They all knew that scientists would be very interested in ChalkZone's mechanics, and the zoners themselves would be such an oddity to them. They would want to study them, learn about them. And while that in of itself wasn't bad, they were aware that it would likely involve the zoners being killed...or even tortured through various experimentations. Science was sometimes harsh when it came to learning.

And this harshness could very well be increased tenfold by the fact that zoners were often one of a kind, not to mention zoners usually don't die and could live forever provided they got enough to eat and drink. So there would be no corpses for the scientists to study; they'd have to make their own.

The three of them couldn't let that happen. Regardless of whatever good could come out of it, they wouldn't feel right letting the zoners suffer at the hands of scientists. Especially not at Von's. Sure, they understood most scientists wouldn't be doing it to be malicious, but they had little trust in Von. His quest to become famous, as well as his personality, may lead him to abuse his knowledge and any zoner that may end up trapped in his clutches.

Rudy shuddered at the horrific thoughts that entered his mind. There was so much that man could do to a zoner, and since a zoner wasn't human, he may not be so inclined to exercise restraint. An average scientist might be merciful enough to render a zoner brain dead before performing experiments on it. But Von, as well as some scientists, may not be so thoughtful.

"I hope he doesn't get a chance to..." Snap's voice trailed off. He looked at his friends, his expression alone finishing what he was going to say. It took Rudy and Penny only seconds to figure out what he was implying.

"Don't worry, Snap. He won't..." Penny said, her voice laced in determination.

"Does this mean you figured out what you are going to do?" Snap asked hopefully. "Because I can't think of anything. Well..." He rubbed his chin. "Except what you two normally do. Keep an eye on things, watch out for any suspicious actions or people..."

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah, that's what we'll do." She looked over at Rudy. "That...seems to be the best we can do..."

Rudy noticed a slight falter in Penny's voice. She seemed disappointed that they weren't able to come up with any better plans. The idea of sitting and waiting didn't sound particularly exciting or efficient, but at the moment, it was all they could do. The more the three thought about it, the more they realized this to be the case.

As much as Rudy didn't want to, as much as he wanted to figure out something better, he realized that this was likely their best option. Wait and see, and hope for the best. But being careful to be on their guard in case something does happen.

"Yeah...I agree." Rudy said. He looked at Penny sympathetically. "I'm sorry we couldn't..."

"It's all right. I should have realized sooner that we would just be wasting time." Penny said. Though she smiled, Rudy could detect a bit of sadness behind it. "There isn't anything we can do now, since Doctor Von Doktor hasn't done enough for us to work off of. So..." She stood up from the couch, straightening her back. She glared softly at Snap and Rudy. "..let's just give him time to do something so we can better counter him."

Rudy and Snap nodded in agreement at this. They both knew it was best they could do for now. They just had to keep their guard up and prepare for any move the man may make. Even if he didn't do anything, they could not simply dismiss him and the threat he could pose for ChalkZone. It just wasn't worth the risk.

Rudy and his friends could only hope that their alarm raised on Von was going to be short lived.

sss

"That was some party!" Blocky exclaimed, a wide grin on his face.

Rapsheeba nodded at this. "Yeah, it sure was."

Blocky twiddled his fingers together, excitemen racing through his body. Rapsheeba could see it practically dripping from his face. Though the party had ended the other day, Blocky was still reeling from excitement. She hoped he would settle down soon before he ended up giving himself a heart attack, despite how little sense that made.

"I can't wait until next year!" The rectangular zoner cried. He made no attempts on taming down the happiness that was still swelling inside of him. "I'll bet it'll be even bigger, better...!"

"Blocky, please settle down." Rapsheeba said cautiously. She looked left and right. "Don't disturb these people, please."

Rapsheeba and Blocky weren't out in the open, or in a park or anything. They were enjoying a meal together in a packed restaurant. Blocky's excitement had already gotten them a few stares from some other customers. And some of the workers were distracted from doing what they should be because of Blocky's high pitchd voice. She didn't want it to escalate any further than that.

"Oh..I'm sorry.." Blocky said as his body went lax. "I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry about it." Rapsheeba waved a dismissive hand. "I ain't mad at you. I just don't want to you to get too exciteable. Just relax and let's enjoy this dinner. I know it's not much of a birthday gift, but..."

"Are you kidding me?!" Blocky cried excitedly. He then stopped himself when he realized he was speaking up too loudly. He covered his mouth, looking around sheepishly. He cleared his throat and spoke again, this time, taking care to be quieter. "Are you kidding? I love this! I've always wanted to come to this restaurant. This is a great gift!"

Rapsheeba smiled at this. "Well I glad you appreciate it, Blocky." She furrowed her eyes a little. "I still wished I had remembered to get you a present before the party..."

Blocky grinned at her. "No worries!" Noticing Rapsheeba's expression, he gave her a sympathetic look. "Although...if you do feel that bad, you could make up for it during the holidays in the winter."

Rapsheeba looked at him with a confused expression. "The holidays in the winter?"

"Yeah! You know..." Blocky held out his hands, waving them around as he tried to explain. "With the singing, and the gifts, and the decorations and..."

"Oh...! That one!" Rapsheeba nodded her head. "Okay, that does sound like a plan. However..." She put a hand on her hip and her smile broadened. "You have to give me something extra special." Her tone was somewhat playful. "You won't forget that, will you?"

Blocky shook his head. "Nope! I promise!"

Rapsheeba smiled at this. She knew Blocky would fulfill his promise. He always does. And she wouldn't really get angry at him if he didn't get her anything. Just him showing up for the party or concert or whatever she decided to do was good enough. Blocky knew this, too.

She was glad that Blocky enjoyed the party that was set up for him the other day. It had been a lot of hard work, especially finding a particular location. Not to mention finding a band to play, getting all the food, among other things. But it had all been worth it in the end. They were able to set things up faster than they thought, and they found a lovely space in the Candycane Forest that was large enough to house everyone involved.

Blocky's reaction had just been what they were hoping for, and then some. He was enthusiastic about everything in the party, and so happy to be there. He had been taken aback by the mount of work that went into the party. But he never once tried to hold himself back or try to be modest. He had enjoyed himself, playing games, laughing, even singing. It was exactly how they all had hoped the party would go. In the end, they all knew it had been a success.

But though Blocky was happy with his gifts, and he was happy with what she was giving him right now, she wished she could think of something else she could do for him. She felt obligued to do more for her friend. Perhaps she was overthinking it. Perhaps she might be overdoing it. But she couldn't help it. Blocky was such a nice person, and he was one of her closest friends. He deserved it. She started to search her mind, trying to think of something else she could give him.

Something more than a simple meal. Something more than a mere box of chocolates. A gift that meant something. A gift that he would not likely forget anytime soon, nor would anyone else. Something that she could be more proud of.

That's when it hit her. The perfect gift for her friend. It was almost like an avalanche of inspiration struck in her in the face. She knew exactly what she could get for her friend. It would be perfect.

"Hey Blocky?" Rapsheeba waited as Blocky turned to look at her. "You enjoy my parades, right?"

At this, Blocky cocked an eyebrow. "Of course I do! What makes you think that I don't?"

"Oh no, it's not that." Rapsheeba waved her hand in front of her. "I was just think that..."

"Your food, sir and ma'am."

Rapsheeba and Blocky went quiet as a voice cut them off from their conversation. They looked over and saw an insectoid zoner standing there, holding a couple trays in his three clawed hands. Seeing the food on the trays, they knew that their orders had just come in. They leaned back to give the waiter some room. The insect zoner wasted no time in setting the plates down carefully.

"Enjoy your meal." The insectoid zoner said as he started to turn and make his way to the next table. He moved too fast for them to properly thank him.

Rapsheeba looked down at their food to make sure they got the right meals. A quick sweep over eyes confirmed that their orders were correct. She immediately picked up her fork to begin eating.

After a few moments of dining in, Blocky said, "So...what was that you were talking about before?"

Rapsheeba swallowed her piece of food as she stared at Blocky. For a few seconds, she wasn't sure what he was talking about. This only lasted a second before she said, "Oh! Thanks for reminding me!" Rapsheeba took another bite of food before she set her fork down and leaned back against her chair. "Well there is an upcoming parade coming up soon in ChalkZone City. A big one that I'm organizing myself."

"Oh yeah?" Blocky asked. "I think I heard about it from a zoner passing by. I didn't know you were organizing it, though."

Rapsheeba nodded her head. "I am. It's something I worked really hard on. It's going to be bigger than any other parade I have ever been in charge of." She waved her hands outward to emphasize her point. Blocky's eyes widened in awe. "It's going to be spectacular!"

"I'll bet!" Blocky concurred, nodding his head. "You always hold the best parades!"

Rapsheeba blushed a little at this. "Thank you."

Blocky smiled for a few seconds. Then a look of curiosity came over his face. "So...why were you asking? Were you going to give me a great seat or something?" He spluttered at this. "I realize how stupid that sounded and..."

"It's quite all right." Rapsheeba said. Although the idea of giving Blocky a great seat to one of her concerts sounded like a splendid idea, she had something much better in mind. "How would you like to be in the parade itself?"

Blocky's eyes widened at this. "Really...?" Rapsheeba smiled and nodded her head. Blocky's eyes brightened and a smile stretched along his face. More excitement dripped from his voice as he gave his reply. "That sounds wonderful! I would love that!"

"I had a feeling you would like it." Rapsheeba said.

"Love it? I don't just love it. I adore it!" Blocky sounded more excited than a kid in a candy store. He loved her parades so much already, and the idea of actually being in the parade itself increased his excitement even more. "I can't believe it. I'm going to be in a parade!"

Blocky froze at this, realizing his voice was too high again. He and Rapsheeba looked left and right. Several zoners were looking at them now. They carried expressions of confusion and perplexion. Some looked as if they were whispering to another zoner about the rectangle's behavior. A few looked angry or annoyed that Blocky's outburst was distracting them from their own conversations or work.

Blocky gave a few quick chuckles, muttering some apologies to the zoners. He shrank himself down, embarrassment creeping along his face. He looked down towards the table, sheepishly eating a few pieces of food. The tension of zoners staring at them lasted for a little while before the zoners, one by one, looked away, resuming what they were doing before.

After clearing his throat a bit, Blocky spoke again, trying to sound calmer. "I would love that, Rapsheeba. But I would understand if you aren't able to put me in. Just watching the parade would be good enough for me. I wouldn't want you to waste your time on..."

"It's not a waste, Blocky. You're my friend. I'm doing this because I care about you." Rapsheeba said with a smile on her face. "If I didn't consider you a great friend, I wouldn't be doing this. I'm giving you this offer because you are my friend and I want to do this. So please, don't think you are forcing me into this or anything. I'm doing this on my own free will."

Rapsheeba was not surprised that Blocky was a bit concerned about her offer. He wasn't the kind of guy to try to inflate his ego or anything like that, so it would be natural that he wouldn't want to take her gift offer if he felt that she was only making the offer because she thought she had to. That was how much of a nice guy Blocky was.

There was no reason for him to feel guilty about accepting the gift. She hoped he would come to realize that soon. She had a feeling he would, considering he had initially been taken aback by the amount of work that went into creating his party, but soon had come to enjoy it and had a really good time. The parade would be no different.

Yeah, maybe she was overdoing it a little. After all, getting him a nice place to watch the parade from would be easier. It would take a lot of convincing the rest of the marching parade to let an extra person in. This wasn't something they did all that much. Considering she was the leader, though, it would still be plausible, and she was willing to go the extra mile for a friend. Blocky was no exception.

Realizing she forgot a small detail, she added, "Oh and you are going to be in the front of the line."

Blocky nearly spat out his food at this. He coughed a few times Rapsheeba looked at him sympathetically, uttering a soft apology. She hadn't meant to make him choke on his food like that. He looked at her, his eyes wide in shock. "The f-f-front..?" He whispered softly. The shaking in his body told Rapsheeba how much he was fighting not to explode in excitement. "Are you sure?"

Rapsheeba nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn't have it any other way." She reached over and touched him on the shoulder, or rather, the best she could considering his design. "I would be proud to march alongside you in the parade."

Blocky stared at Raspheeba for several moments. He then smiled. "Thank you..." He said softly. "You too." He reached over with one of his hands, and soon Rapsheeba could feel his hand on her shoulder. He then pulled back and asked, "When is the parade?"

"It will be coming up soon." Rapsheeba said. She thought for a moment, trying to remember what day she had it scheduled for. "A couple days. I'll come find you the day before. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great." Blocky smiled. "I'll see you at the parade then!"

"I look forward to it." Rapsheeba smiled back at him before she resumed eating.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor stood in front of his table, various empty tubes sitting on it. He gripped the table with his hands tightly, a growing burning energy rising up inside of him. He felt his blood start to overheat as he failed to fight back his emotions.

His mind raged as he thought about the events that had happened to him as of late. Only a few months ago, he had been a distinguished scientist. He had been respected, on some level, and taken seriously enough that even the more famous scientists would stop by and see something that he had created or found out.

But now he was a laughing stock. Often, he would see his name in some story on the internet making fun of him, and he had found more than enough uncomfortable pictures on art sites to fill many tens of comic books. His name had been drug through the mud more than once, and it showed no signs of slowing down. Most of his fellow scientists turn their back to him now, not wanting to associate with a 'madman' who thought that a mere toy with a plug had replicated perpetual motion.

He had tried to defend himself. He had tried to look into other areas of science. He tried to buld up his credentials again. He tried to show everyone that he wasn't some crazy nut job. But he failed. None of his efforts had a long lasting effect. He knew he was not going to live this down. No one was going to allow him to.

So he had only one option that he could see. He had to go back to the one topic that had everyone turn against him in the first place. The subject that made him the source of ridicule.

He had to prove perpetual motion. Only then could he get his dignity back.

This meant that he had to turn to Rudy. That boy was the key to figuring all of this out. Rudy had been resistant to his interrogation technics before. But maybe he had to look at things from a new angle. Maybe if he thought of a new strategy, he could get the boy to spill the beans on how he accomplished such a tactic.

The emotions already rising inside of him increased at the mere thought of Rudy. His attempts at getting information earlier had failed thanks to his parents' interruption. But it wasn't them he was mad at. It was Rudy himself.

He was the one who caused all of this. He was the one who had created that wonderful machine, which could have made him famous, only to take it away and replace it with a replica with a plug. That must have been what happened. Yes, there was no other way it could have happened. The boy replaced it, all just to humiliate him in front of the scientists.

It was because of that little brat that he had lost any amount of respect he had garnered over the years. It was his fault that even the news stations were wary about putting him on for any length of time. He remembered, with bitterness in his mouth, how the television folks had switched too quickly from him. He barely had a few minutes time, despite being told he would be on for much longer.

Rudy... The very name made the old man's blood boil. That name became so hated in his mind, that just merely thinking about it was enough to set off a chain reaction in his mind. If he didn't have to worry about the law, he would slap that child up so bad, he would feel it for a week.

Recalling all the humiliation that Rudy had caused him made him form a fist with his hand. He shook it as the negative emotion surged through him. His eyes locked onto the empty vials, his angered mind envisioning Rudy's face on it, he suddenly lashed out, striking the objects with his fist. The vials were knocked across the table. A few of them rolled off, smashing on the ground. The sound of breaking glass filled his eyes, and he did not flinch.

It took him a few moments to calm himself down. His buzzing mind slowly settled into a more tranquil state of mind. He exhaled slowly, breathing out as much of the negative energy as he could. He looked down at the shattered glass, and, after a couple seconds, shook his head.

He was being immature about this. He couldn't let his hatred for Rudy cloud his judgment. He couldn't waste time on getting revenge on him. That would get him nowhere, and is more likely to result in him getting into more trouble.

No, instead, he should focus on what really mattered right now. He needed to keep his attention on unlocking the secrets of perpetual motion. As much as he hated Rudy, he would get a lot more out of talking to the boy than trying to threaten him or even hurt him. He knew he slipped up when he gave that thinly disguised threat to Rudy earlier. He would need to be more careful next time and focus his attention on perpetual motion.

There was another reason that he knew he shouldn't tangle with Rudy. One that he made sure to remember whenever he thought about him.

The boy had been able to figure out perpetual motion. He was able to piece together some puzzle, some formula, that enabled him to create a machine that had no power source. That would have taken no less than a stroke of genius. And not only did the boy figure out perpetual motion, but he treated it like a toy, making a little plaything with it, and bobbleheads. If he could dismiss this discovery as an 'accident', then what other genius lay within the boy? Von knew better than to mess with a child of that kind of intellect. He would need to tread lightly with him.

He turned his gaze towards the other table in the room. There was an object on there. It was very much like the one that had exploded. He had went back to the drawing board and created a new one, this one sturdier and hopefully far less...explodey than the last one. He walked up to it, his eyes moving up and down as he investigated its design.

A part of him was still flabbergasted that the boy achieved perpetual motion with this design. It seemed so ineffecient...yet somehow it worked. Somehow, the boy managed to make it function. Yet his attempts to replicate it had always failed. The boy had some kind of secret... An interior portion perhaps. Something that he could not see. If only he had gotten a look inside that machine, he...

He shook his head. He felt himself start to get angry and frustrated again. He couldn't allow that. He would figure it out sooner or later. He just needed to about this the right way. He had to approach the problem from the correct angle. It would take a lot of trial and error, but he'd figure it out eventually. Even if that little brat refused to help him, he would figure out his secret. And then no one would dare make fun of him again...

He approached the machine, taking a small step forward. He reached towards it, folding his fingers against his palm while extending out his pointer. He pressed it against the button, and hoped for the best. He watched the machine intently, waiting, watching, crossing his fingers that something would happen.

...and it just remained still as stone. No churning of the wheels. No rattling of inward gears. No bobble heads of a weird blue kid coming out. Just...nothing. Nada. Zilch. It took him only a second to know that his experiment had failed. Again.

He growled softly, fighting back the urge to scream in frustration. This had been the twentieth time he had failed. Twenty times trying to get this experiment right. Or maybe it had been more. He had lost track, a testament to how many times he had tried to replicate the boy's results. This machine might look just like the one the boy had made. But it was clear it was far less than stellar. He picked it up and threw it away in disgust.

He had to figure out how the boy accomplished this. He had to figure out how he managed to discover this ability, something that had eluded scientists for so long. It would revolutionize the way machines were built. It would change everything. How...how could a little child like Rudy outsmart the best of scientists? How could he outsmart him, of all people?

Then something entered his mind. Something, or rather, someone he hadn't thought of for a while.

Terry Bouffant.

He remembered when that woman had come over to interrogate him. Well she called it an interview, but to him, it was an interrogation. He hadn't been happy with her sudden intrusion, and how forceful her questioning had been. It felt as though she was boxing him into a corner, and she seemed rather...obsessed.

He recalled that she had been trying to prove the existence of a chalk world. He had heard, from an off hand source, that she had used him as one of her witnesses in her case for this chalk world. The idea made his blood boil. Just what he needed. More reasons for people to mock him. His name was ruined enough; he didn't need that crazy woman distorting it further.

And a world made of chalk...? How ludicrous. No creature could survive being made entirely of chalk. It just wasn't possible. The mere act of standing in the rain would be enough to cause their bodies to break down. Why would nature devise such a poor construct? No world could last that long being made of chalk, let alone a single species. Terry was just spewing out nonsense. Yet she got less ridicule compared to him. She gets more time on television than he does, and he sees far less jokes about her than of himself.

It just wasn't fair. Terry was absolutely insane, bragging on and on about that stupid chalk world that everyone knows isn't real, while he had been shown a genuine scientific discovery, and made the blunder of not realizing the machines were switched out, and yet he is the one who is being ripped apart in the media, while Terry is given a much tamer response. He chalked it up, no pun intended, to her being a woman, and young. To them, he was a more acceptable target. And the thought burned his mind.

A thought crossed his mind. He thought back to what Terry had said to him, and what he had heard she was talking about. Apparently in this world of chalk, the laws of physics would be...quite different. Namely, they could be distorted to benefit the drawing itself, resulting in seemingly impossible creations functioning as they had been intended to.

If he understood this statement right, this meant that something like a giant dragon with tiny wings could fly, or a crawling baby could outrun a full grown human, and that was just scratching the surface. The possibilities were practically endless. If this were the case, then maybe it was possible for...

He shook his head. What was he thinking? He was getting himself caught up in that stupid chalk conspiracy that Ms. Bouffant came up with. His reputation did not need him to get involved with something like that. He was already a big enough laughing stock. The last thing he needed was to sound as crazy as Ms. Bouffant did. That wacked out news reporter must have been smoking crack when she thought of this whole 'expose the chalk world' nonsense. He was not going to get involved with that.

He turned his attention back to the broken machine on the ground. He had to admit, a drawing version would answer the question of perpetual motion, but he knew that wasn't the case. The boy did not make that machine out of chalk. He had felt it himself. It did not feel like chalk, therefore it wasn't chalk. It was real. The boy had made it with his own bare hands. He had discovered perpetual motion and he had gotten it to work.

He would figure out the boy's secret sooner or later. It was just a matter of time.


	4. Attempts

To comprehend is to understand.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor made his way down the corridors of his facility. He tried to ignore how dusty and dirty some areas were getting. He hadn't been able to upkeep it as much as he did when he had more people working with him. The place was stigmatized by his name being present and hardly anyone showed interest. Even just paying the bills on the building's electricity was becoming difficult.

Despite that, he was able to keep the building up and running. He was able to keep it at least decently clean, and he was able to stave off the electric bill, paying enough to be satisfying for the electric company. This prolonged his time that he could use to experiemtn and try to make a scientific breakthrough.

However, this wasn't going to last for long. He could only do this for so long before it would start catching up to him. Parts of the building were going to, eventually, need repair or somebody to look at them. The electric company would eventually shut down his power. He was going to, at some point, have to cough up some dough. And while he wasn't poor, he wasn't rich either. The amount of money he had gotten shrank since that incident, which drove him even more to figure out perpetual motion.

He knew that if he could figure it out, he would have enough money that he no longer needed to worry about this building. He wouldn't need to sit at home, thinking for practically hours trying to come up with a plan, or worrying about what might come. He would be able to sit back and relax, and not have a worry in the world.

But who was he kidding? He hadn't been able to succeed in his plans for months. He never had a stroke of luck or anything go his way. All that he was treated to was, time and time again, being shown how much of a fool he was. All his efforts were tossed back at his face and kept reminding him of all he had lost because of this quest to find perpetual motion.

There had even been times when he started to doubt himself. Perhaps the boy really didn't discover perpetual motion. Maybe there had been a plug there and he was too excited to even notice it. Maybe he really was such an idiot like everyone said, and he wasn't as smart as he thought. The doubts sometimes rained down on him, making his shoulders and back feel heavy. The idea of his credentials being worthless was not a comfortable feeling. And like what happened several times before, he could feel his ego deflate a little.

He shook his head. No, he couldn't let himself fall into doubt like that. He couldn't bring himself to believe that he was an idiot. That's exactly what they would want him to think. He was not going to let them win. No, he was Doctor Von Doktor, and he was never wrong...

He just had to figure out the boy's angle. He had to learn what he had done to get perpetual motion working. He told himself this over and over again. He had to remind himself of what joy awaits once he learned the boy's little secret. It was this that kept him going. It was this that gave him the strength to keep trying, despite all the failures time and time again.

The boy's machine was the key to all of this. If only he still had it, he could look inside of it and figure out how it worked. But it was gone. The little brats had took it away from him, replacing it with a worthless piece of junk. Now he would never...

...or would he?

Von paused in the middle of the hallway. His eyes widened slightly as a realization struck him. Could it be that he could...? Of course, why didn't he think of it before? He should have thought of this a long time ago. He had been so focused on recreating the machine that he hadn't thought to...

He raised his head up and looked left and right. He looked at the signs that were plastered on the walls of his building. He used them to guide himself down to another part of the building. Left and right he went, and then down a flight of stairs. He made a right turn and headed down the hallway until he reached a two way intersection. He turned left here.

On this hallway, when he looked down, he could see a door that was slightly opened. He could smell a bit of dust. This was an area of the building that was going to need cleaning soon. He would take care of that later, and he moved towards the open door. He soon reached it and pulled it open further. He moved his body around and looked inside.

The room looked similar to the one he kept Rudy in before. This one was a tad larger, however, and was mostly empty. No table or chairs. Just a single cabinet and a dirty chalkboard. He had used this room for conferences in the past, but had since moved to a different, slightly smaller room after he had lost a few members.

He slowly approached the cabinet. It was tall and had glass windows on its doors. He could see inside of it. It was mostly dirty, but he could see the distorted image of one item that was in there. He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a small key. He put it in the lock, which was located in the middle of the cabinet, and turned it. He opened it up and he could see, unhindered what was inside.

It was the boy's invention. Or rather, the copy of it. He had never tossed it out, despite all portions of his brain telling him to. The mere sight of it was enough to get his blood heated up. He had to force himself to calm down, and keep himself from losing his temper again.

He had sealed this item down here not because of efficiency. There were better places to put it. Instead, he did it out of the desire to not see the item anymore. A part of him couldn't just throw it away, no matter how much he wanted to. So he kept it around, but sealed off so he wouldn't have to look at it. Just seeing it reminded him of his failure, and how that boy had made a clown out of him.

But perhaps, the item could finally be of some use to him. It was identical to the one the boy made, minus the fact that this one had a plug. Perhaps his machines weren't as identical as he thought. Perhaps this machine could help show him some ideas of what Rudy's design was really like.

He could take this machine, open it up, look inside of it. He could examine it and see what made it tick. It wouldn't reveal much answers for him, considering this stupid thing wasn't capable of perpetual motion. But it would still serve a purpose to him. Yes, this machine could finally be of some use.

He reached inside and grabbed onto it. He pulled it out and cradled it in his arms. He looked down at it. It was amazing how much this looked like the boy's actual machine, right down to the fine detail, and even the way it felt. He had found no difference. The only thing that separated this machine from Rudy's was the small opening in the back. The case where the plug came out and activated the machine. The opening that he, himself, had failed to notice when he tried to show the scientists.

Now it was time to take a closer look at this thing. Now was the time for him to see the inside of it and figure out what the boy may have done to achieve perpetual motion. It would be difficult, and he knew this stupid thing wasn't going to open many doors for him. But it would help him a little, and hopefully bring him ever closer to discovering the truth. The boy's secret will not stay secret for long. He would see to that.

sss

"Wait...you guys ran into Ms. Bouffant?" Snap asked, his eyes wide. When he saw his friends nod, he could feel his heart twist. "What happened? Did she try anything?"

Rudy shook his head. "Not really."

"Well she did harrass us, but she didn't hurt us." Penny chimed in, correcting Rudy. "She was out in the open, as we were, so it wasn't like she could do much."

"Yeah..." Rudy nodded. He turned his gaze down. "It was rather uncomfortable seeing her again. And her words..." He looked left and right nervously. "I have a feeling we may be running into her again sometime in the future."

"Well keep an eye out." Snap pointed his rounded hand at his friends. "You know what she did the last time." The two children nodded. There was no way they would forget that event. He spread his hands outward. "Who knows what she might do next time?"

Snap's mind filled with thoughts of what had happened the last time they encountered Terry. From what he was told, Terry had commonly shown up at the strange situations that came about as a result of ChalkZone. She hadn't really pieced together anything and at first, she just seemed likea harmless reporter.

That all changed, so quickly, when Rudy came over one day and told him that he could not be in ChalkZone for a while. It was then that Snap learned that Terry had, out of the blue, obtained an obsession with discovering the chalk world. She had pieced the puzzles together and had figured out there was a chalk world out there somewhere. This realization had chilled them all to the bone. None of them had told her about this. She figured it out on her own, and she was doing whatever she could to expose it.

They didn't even have time to figure out what they were going to do. Terry had shown up not long after Rudy fully explained what she was doing. Really bad luck timing right there. Snap had made the mistake of speaking at the wrong time, and Terry had found him. He tried to get away from her, but he was stopped, and he was folded into her bag. It was quite an uncomfortable, painful situation for him, and he was trapped in the dark as Terry took him to the news station.

At first, Snap thought everything was going to be okay because the people there only saw him as a clown. He could simply perform and there'd be no risk of ChalkZone being exposed. Then he rubbed it in Terry's face, which he regretted quickly when he found that she had the magic chalk. Despite his efforts, she had discovered the world and locked him back into ChalkZone so she could expose it.

He immediately ran to find Rudy and luckily he did. He told him everything and the two of them immediately went to stop her. When they returned where he came in from, the chalkboard was moved, so they had to find the newstation. They had gotten there just in time and managed to set up a plan to make her relinquish the chalk. Terry had been stopped and humiliated in front of a large audience, and anyone who happened to see the broadcast. Her name was ruined and she was forced to work on the small time news.

They had all hoped that would be the end of it, and that they wouldn't have to worry about her again. She hadn't tried anything since then. She didn't even try interviewing Rudy and Penny again since the incident. Part of it was likely just because she hadn't found anyone who would be interested enough to show anything related to the chalk world.

But now that she showed up again, and based on what she said to Rudy and Penny, Snap knew this was far from over. Terry was very angry, and they had no idea just how vengeful she might be. She could be one of those who would do what it took to get back at those who she felt wronged her. And given just how smart she was, if she could figure out about ChalkZone on her own, there was the chance that she could figure out a plan that was foolproof, something they would not be able to counter. She might succeed in exposing ChalkZone, and she had motivation and drive to do so.

Out of all the villains they had to take care of, Terry was one of the scariest. The fact that she could very well succeed, that she could strike at any time, that she had good reason to get back at them, did little to comfort them.

"Don't worry, Snap. We will not let our guard down." Rudy said. His eyes narrowed in determination. He formed a fist with his right hand and he slammed it into his left palm. "You can count on us. We will make sure she stays far away from ChalkZone."

"That's the spirit!" Snap said with a smile. "I'm sure if we work hard enough, Ms. Bouffant will never find a way into this place!"

"We should never let our guard down, however." Penny said, making the point that Snap and Rudy already knew. "Until we are certain that she will never try getting in again, we will have to continue treating her like a threat. She is stubborn as a mule and I don't see her giving up completely any time." She paused for a moment. She contorted her face slightly in concern. "Plus...there is the fact that she knows some things about us. Like where we go to school, and that stunt you two pulled..."

"Yeah I know..." Rudy said quietly. His expression showed he felt a bit of regret for doing that. He knew, they all knew, that act would give Terry plenty of reasons to seek revenge against them. "I'm worried about that, too." He bit his lip as he appeared to think of what Terry might do. He then forced himself to smile a little. "But at least she wouldn't dare try anything soon. She's still a laughing stock and no one would take her seriously. Plus she has no one to help her. She only has herself and I doubt she would get lucky enough to get another piece of magic chalk, which is the only way into ChalkZone."

Snap nodded his head in agreement. He knew how serious the situation was, and he was concerned. At the same time, however, he knew that the odds were stacked in their favor, as it would be difficult for Terry to make another move. "Besides, Ms Bouffant wouldn't dare try to steal the magic chalk either. She wouldn't want that on her head as well."

"She could still try. She might wait until the right moment, and do what she can to get what she wanted without anyone noticing or leaving behind any clues." Rudy paused before he continued. He saw the look in Snap's eyes. He appeared to get the message quickly and he shook his head. "But you're right. It's too big of a risk."

"After what happened with the newstation," Penny said. "I don't think she would want to do anything else to screw herself over."

"Yeah..you're right." Rudy admitted, giving a small smile. Penny returned it.

As did Snap. He was glad that Rudy realized that Terry may not be able to do much. This didn't mean they would lower their guard. That would be foolish. She was more of a threat than Von was at the moment. She was determined to expose ChalkZone and they all knew she wouldn't give up until she succeeded.

But he also knew, as well as them, that they could not let their fears get the better of them. There were limits to what Terry could do. They simply needed to keep their guard up and watch out for any suspicious activity from her. And unlike Von, they had a better idea of what to do around Terry, to prevent her from finding her way into ChalkZone.

But there was one thing that worried them. One thing that could destroy their defenses and take them by surprise. It was something they all had discussed before, and dreaded.

And what was if Vinnie got involved with her...

By himself, Vinnie wasn't that much of a threat. He knew nothing of the magic chalk, and, unlike Terry, he hadn't hurt any of the zoners. At worse, he was just a mere nuisance. Yet, he was still a threat. Despite him not trying to harm any of the zoners, he still wanted to enslave them, which was just as bad. He wanted to take away their freedoms in order to amuse the public and make himself rich.

Him being combined with Terry would be a horrifying combination. Terry may be small time now, but she still had access to a newstation. This would allow Vinnie to get a leg up on spreading the word. In a very short amount of time, many people would know about ChalkZone and want a way in.

That would be a nightmare that Snap wasn't sure if he or his friends could counter. Rudy and Penny had a hard enough time making sure Terry and Vinnie didn't get access into ChalkZone. But how would they deal with a ton of people harrassing them? What would their parents think when they find out? Would they force the truth out of them? The thought made Snap shudder.

Penny noticed the worried look on Snap's face. She took a step closer, her eyes locking onto his. For a few seconds, they just stared at each other, neither saying a word. Snap looked to his side and he saw that Rudy also looked at him worriedly. He looked back at Penny, waiting for her to speak.

"Is something wrong, Snap?" Penny asked.

"Yeah..." Rudy took a step forward. "You seem...troubled. Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Snap didn't hesitate to reply. "It's nothing that we already haven't discussed." He explained to them. "I was just thinking about...that possible team up..."

At this, Rudy and Penny furrowed their eyes with concern. Snap didn't need to elaborate for them to know exactly what he was talking about.

"We're worried about that, too, Snap. I mean, Vinnie might not know how to get into ChalkZone, but if Terry told him how and if they were to team up..." Rudy's voice trailed off. His eyes widened as the many possibilities surged through his head. "And he treated the zoners like they were his property..."

Snap recalled with bitterness that incident when Vinnie got into ChalkZone. He didn't hurt the zoners, but he did still act like he owned the place, and he treated the zoners like they were nothing more than amusement attractions to be used. If Biclops's eye vision was of any evidence, Vinnie had planned to keep him chained to a raft and take people down the Amazing River, likely for no pay either. Needless to say, he was glad that Vinnie didn't get very far with his plans.

"Yeah, but I don't think Terry is very likely to join up with him." Penny held up her hand in gesture. Rudy and Snap looked over at her. "I mean, Vinnie is kind of nuts. Terry would probably want someone smarter than him to work with. Someone she could trust to get the job done."

"That's true." Rudy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. A small, amuse smile spread across his face. "Vinnie's barking would probably scare her away." This prompted a quick chuckle from everyone. When it died down, Rudy narrowed his eyes and said, "We still can't dismiss that possibility. Those two are the only humans in Plainsville that know about ChalkZone, and if they were to team up..."

The three fell silent. Images of what could be flooded their heads. Taking care of one creepazoid at a time was hard enough. But when there was more than one to deal with...

Snap shivered as he remembered what happened the last time they had to deal with two enemies at the same time. Not too long ago, Skrawl and Craniac 4 had joined forces to stop Rudy for good. They were going to destroy the Chalk Mine, and they very nearly succeeded. They almost had Rudy at their mercy, and the poor kid nearly died at one point when his robotic counterpart slammed him against the wall of the cave. It horrified the little zoner to think just how close they came to losing everything.

That was why they still needed to take a possible team up between Terry and Vinnie seriously. As the saying goes, two heads were better than one. Terry and Vinnie might be able to come up with a well thought out plan that they would not have been able to do on their own. And they were humans, which means, if they got into ChalkZone...

...then they could use the magic chalk..

Snap nearly fell out of the portal he was leaning against as that realization fully struck him. Rudy had a hard enough time getting rid of Reggie when he was taken over by the red chalk. What chance did Rudy have against two adult creators? Who were using white chalk and likely would know that its magical properties wouldn't work in the Real World, thus making it difficult for him to use the same trick he used on Reggie agaisnt them?

At least the odds were still with them that Terry would never consider joining forces with Vinnie. It just seemed so unlikely. A possibility, sure, but still unlikely. Although Snap would prefer not to face either of them, he hoped that, in the event they do, they would be alone, and not with each other. One adult creator would be enough for them to worry about.

Just then, something interrupted them. A shout came from the lower level of the house, and they all instantly recognized who it was.

"Rudy!" Mrs. Tabootie called in her usual opera-styled voice. The three kids looked over towards the door. "Come on down! It's dinner time!"

"Dinner...?" Rudy whispered softly, perplexed. "Oh yeah... It has been a while..." He cleared his throat, looking back at the door. "Um...I'll be there in a little bit, mom!"

"Okay, but please hurry up! Your soup is going to get cold!"

"Time sure can fly, am I right, Bucko?" Snap commented as he realized it really had been quite some time. He hadn't even noticed how late it was getting. Originally they had only planned on being here for a short time to wrap things up, but it ended up being longer than that. "So...what time will you guys be in tomorrow?"

Rudy thought for a moment. "I'll try to stop by in the morning, if I wake up early enough."

"If you had an alarm clock, it could help." Penny pointed out.

Rudy stared at her. "I...don't do well with alarm clocks..."

"Why not?" Snap asked.

"I would rather not talk about it right now." Rudy got up to his feet, stretching his legs. He looked back towards the door, biting his lip. "Well I better get going before my mom calls again." He looked over his shoulder, back at them. "The last thing we need is for her to walk in and I would have to explain my dimensional friend leaning on a warp hole over there." He gestured towards Snap.

Snap grabbed onto the edges with his hands, leaning closer. "Yeah..I don't think there's any way we could cover this up. So have a..." He leaned in too far and he ended up falling out of the portal. He landed with a loud thud and a cry of pain on the ground. "Ow..." He rubbed his head.

"Rudy, dear? Are you okay...?" Came his mom's tentative voice.

"Oh no...she must have heard that.." Rudy whispered, his eyes widened.

Snap and Penny looked on in shock at this. Snap felt a wave of guilt strike him. He should have been more careful. He should have tried to be quieter. Now because of him, Mrs. Tabootie was coming up the steps fast. They could hear her footsteps getting closer. It wouldn't take her long to reach the room.

Rudy cast a glance to his friends. "You two! Get back into ChalkZone!"

"But, Rudy..." Penny started to say.

As if reading her mind, Rudy reached into his pocket and tossed her his piece of magic chalk. Penny caught it. "Head back to your place via ChalkZone. I'll talk to you two tomorrow, okay?"

Snap and Penny nodded. As Rudy rushed out of the room to stop his mother from coming in, Penny climbed in through the portal. Snap helped her balance on the narrow steps drawn to reach up there. The girl turned herself around and used Rudy's eraser to get rid of the portal.

Penny pulled her hand back after releasing the eraser in the Real World. She grabbed her wrist and wriggled her fingers as she inspected it, as if she thought she injured it. "Now I know what Rudy felt like when he said he didn't know if his hand was going to make it back with him."

Snap recalled that statement, though vaguely. If he remembered right, that was from when Penny first started thinking of navigating ChalkZone to get to Real World places. A tactic they had since more or less perfected.

"Well you were working pretty fast there." Snap noted as he and Penny descended the steps slowly. "But it wasn't like you had a choice. Rudy's mom could have come in and..." He looked all around. "How could we cover this up?"

"Exactly. It was a good thing that we were right by the portal when it happened. Easier for us to make our getaway." Penny thrust her hand around a little. "Still not a comfortable feeling nearly losing your hand... If Rudy and I aren't careful, we could easily slice our wrists off..."

"Yeowch..." Snap winced. The thought of that haunted him for several seconds. He got a very vivid picture of that in his head. "Maybe we need a better method to erase the portals?"

"It would be easier doing it inside of ChalkZone.." Penny gestured with her hand. "But I don't think that is such a good idea." She pressed her hand on her chin. "We would need something that would erase the portals but was safe enough to keep in ChalkZone."

Snap flinched. "That's..uh...going to be pretty hard, considering everything in here is made of chalk." He slapped a hand against his chest. "Including me!"

"I know, Snap." Penny nodded her head once. "So for now, that's the best we can do. It would be too dangerous to bring an eraser of all things into ChalkZone. That's as bad as Real World water..." She visibly shivered at that. "I still remember what happened to Howdy..."

Snap's eyes bulged at that. He felt his heart nearly turn into ice. He had pushed that horrible memory into the back of his head. Penny's reminder caused the memories to flood back to him. The cold icy feeling filled him up, moving along his arms and legs, making it hard for him to walk.

That day was such an awful day, and it started out so good, too. Rudy had drawn a living puppet, Howdy, to entertain the folks at the talent show and to outcompete Reggie. However, the bully had released his dog, Dumpster, and the canine had chased Howdy through the school. Of course, Dumpster was a sweetheart and didn't harm Howdy...that is, until Howdy tried to get back into ChalkZone...

Snap shivered at the memory of that dog licking Howdy to death. He was erased slowly right in front of them. His screams still echoed in his ears, as did those desperate words he spoke as he tried to make sense of what was going on. The dog didn't stop...just kept licking...until Howdy gave a pained shiver and collapsed. Then he was no more.

Well until he and his friends realized that since he was created in ChalkZone, he had one free erase. So all he did was reappear in ChalkZone. Still, the incident was burned into his retina, serving as a reminder of just how painful and horrifying being erased was. Understandably, Howdy never wanted to set foot back into the Real World again.

"Yeah..." Snap said in agreement, finally finding his voice. "But..at least he is fine now." He smiled the best he could as he continued to walk alongside Penny. "He's found his place here and he's having a good time. That big mutt isn't going to come and drool all over him again."

Penny smiled at this, comforted by this fact. Unless the dog finds a way into ChalkZone, it was unlikely that Howdy was going to meet a similiar fate. "I'm glad everything worked out for him."

Snap nodded his head in agreement. He was about to speak up again when he noticed that they had already reached where Penny lived. He stopped walking and gazed at Penny as she moved out in front of him. She got out the magic chalk and began to draw a set of steps to reach a high enough level so she could draw a portal.

She was soon at the height that she needed. She got out her magic chalk again and draw a portal, opening a gateway into her bedroom in the Real World. She started to climb out. As she had one leg in, her hands gripping the edge of the portal, she looked over at Snap.

"We'll see you tomorrow sometime, okay?" She said.

Snap nodded. "Okay then." He waved at his friend. "Goodbye, Buckette!"

"Goodbye, Snap!" Penny called back. She erased the portal, leaving Snap alone.

sss

Von glared softly at the boy's device, which he had set in front of him. He had went back up to his initial room from before, where he had done past experiments. There was still a bit of a burning smell from his disastrous attempt, which had exploded and nearly caught the room on fire. He shivered at the memory, but soon focused himself again as he stared at the object.

Luckily, this time, nothing exploded. There was no mishap, no nothing. But..that was just it. There was...nothing. Absolutely nada. The little machine did not yield anything to him. No hidden secrets. Just things he had already known.

The machine was taken apart. He had taken a screw driver and carefully undid all of the screws that held it in place. Once they were removed, he placed the screws down and pulled the plates apart, exposing the interior. He was able to see all the wheels that would turn, the gears that would grind, everything. He even saw the wiring and such that was powered by the plug. He had studied the infernal contraption for a long time, trying to understand what secrets the boy could have used.

He went over it carefully, looking at every possible detail. He worked images in his calculating brain, mentally rearranging everything to see how it could work. He tried to figure out what parts could be changed that would allow for perpetual motion. He tried to think of any additional things that could help with that. He tried as hard as he could to figure this thing out.

But nothing worked. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how long he thought about it, it just wouldn't work. Frustration filled his every pore, and he did his best not to slam his fist in frustration. He didn't want to break more things like he had earlier. This worthless device might be of some use to him still. If he could only figure out how it could function without a noticeable power source...

And if only that little brat was more cooperative. It was his fault that he was in this situation. He was the one who created that beautiful device yet stole it away from him. He was the one who humiliated him in front of the scientists. If he had been more helpful and far less greedy, then everything would have worked out so much better. It was all Rudy's fault that this was happening to him. If he weren't so focused on this, he would..

...no. He shook his head. He reminded himself of what kind of trouble he'd get into if he went after Rudy. He could not force the boy to speak. Even if he tried to pretend to be someone else, it still would not work. The boy was quite adamant in saying that he discovered perpetual motion by accident and therefore, could not replicate it.

Von knew the boy was lying. There was no way he could have figured this out on his own. He had to have had some idea of what he was doing. Perhaps he had some help, too. He remembered there was a little girl there with him. That Penny Sanchez girl. Maybe she played a part in all of this?

His eyes widened in realization. Yes...that had to be it. The little girl was in on this the whole time. She had helped Rudy figure out perpetual motion. She had helped him mastermind his humiliation. She had helped him escape his room so he could steal back the machine.

His mind reeled at this realization. Of course..why didn't he see it before? He should have realized that Penny was Rudy's partner in crime. He should have realized that Rudy couldn't have figured this out on his own. He had help. He had a partner in crime.

And he had ignored her...

Well no more. He would not dismiss that little girl brat anymore. He will not allow her to get a leg up on him again. She, nor Rudy, would ever make a fool out of him again. He was Doctor Von Doktor, after all. Nobody makes a fool out of him more than once. Nobody...

He knew what he had to do. He knew that he could no longer go to just Rudy for information. The boy may not have been the proper target after all. If he truly did have help, and he was starting to believe he did, then he wasn't the one who masterminded the perpetual motion. He helped, sure, and much of the machine may have been of his design, but it was that girl who pulled the strings. She was the one who applied the right stuff in order to make it work.

So in order to understand how they got perpetual motion, it was not Rudy he needed to talk to. It was Penny. She was the one he needed to interrogate. He would need to go to her, preferrably when she was away from her mother, and talk to her, get her to spill the beans.

He froze. How was he going to do that? It was quite unlikely that Penny would be alone for long. Her mother worked at home from what he recalled. So he would almost never find a time when she was gone, unless he was lucky enough to catch her shopping or something. And he guessed that Penny would usually be at home, at Rudy's, or at school, and neither of them would serve as a good place to talk to her.

He folded his arms against his chest, narrowing his eyes as he tried to figure out what he could do. There had to be a way to achieve what he wanted. There had to be something he could do to get to Penny without running the risk of getting arrested. He wasn't very well going to resort to kidnapping. Penny could tell of what happened.

No, he needed to get her alone, somehow. He needed to find her in a spot where she was the only one there. He could approach her then, talk to her, and then leave. She couldn't cry foul if he didn't technically hurt her or drag her anywhere. And he wouldn't threaten her either. He would just try to enjoy a nice friendly chat with her.

But first, he would need to figure out where she goes. He needed a nice, quiet, safe way to do it. He initially thought about following her, but that would be too obvious. He could get himself arrested for stalking. He needed something else. Something that would be harder to detect. Something that he could easily take care of after he got what he wanted.

His eyes brightened. He knew what he could do. And it would be so easy to pull off, too. With his brilliant mind and years of experience, he knew of a way to get what he wanted, and there would be no way the two little brats could figure it out.

But before he could do it, he was going to need a bit of time preparing. He had to do a run through of his inventory to see if he had the parts required to succeed. Then he would need to devise a plan on how to complete the mission without being noticed. Something that he could do in broad daylight and no one would be the wiser.

He turned his attention over to one of his cabinets. Unlike the other one, this one was stuffed with all kinds of devices and parts. He looked at it only for a moment before a smile spread across his face. There was no doubt about it. He had what he needed. Now he just needed to get the parts out and start to build it. Something custom, that he could control remotely. He'd be hard pressed it get an already manufactured one without people looking at him strangely, but if he built one himself... Yes, no one would easily suspect him.

He walked towards the cabinet. He opened it up, spreading out the doors, revealing its contents. He smiled as his eyes moved up and down, examining what he had available. He reached over to grab the materials he needed. Before he could grab anything, however, he froze. A sudden thought crossed his mind.

Would it be better if he tried to get help with this? After all, the boy got some help with his machine and accomplished greatness. Two minds were better than one. The boy had his little girlfriend to help him out. Perhaps he should take a page from him and find a partner.

But...who would he be able to find who'd want to help him? Who would want to join him for anything? His reputation was a mess. Most people wouldn't want anything to do with him, lest they get dragged down as well. No one who still respected themselves would want to risk working with him. And with what he needed to do, they would likely have him arrested on the spot.

He needed someone who would have reason to want to help him. Someone who would have no qualms with going...a risky path. Someone who had a low reputation themselves. And perhaps, someone who had also been wronged by those two kids, giving them more motivation to want to help him.

His eyes twinkled. There was one person who fit that bill that he knew of. One person who might be willing to help them, who had been humiliated, just like he had. Someone who would have no reason to help the two children.

Terry Bouffant. Yes...she was the one.

He frowned. But would that be a good idea? He hardly knew the woman. For all he knew, she could play him for a sap until the time came, and then leave him high and dry. And she did obsess over that chalk world... Perhaps he should rethink recruiting her.

He turned his attention back to the cabinet. He narrowed his eyes. He had some work to get done. If he hurried, he could lay the foundation of the plan before too much time passed.

sss

It didn't take Rudy long to finish up his dinner. The soup his mother made was quite good. Better than the previous ones she made. Not that she was a bad cook or anything. She just happened to outdo herself this time around.

Now that he was finished, he could head back up the steps and into his bedroom. He thought about going back into ChalkZone. He knew Snap would be surprised to see him as he said he wouldn't be back in until tomorrow morning. It would be nice to go in and talk to his friend more before he headed off to bed.

He soon decided against it. He was going to be in ChalkZone tomorrow morning, or at least, he'd try. An idea he had was to go to bed much earlier so he'd wake up earlier. His parents would be surprised if he went to bed early, but it was doubtful they would suspect anything suspicious. Even if they did, they wouldn't connect it to some strange, alternate universe.

He didn't want to waste anymore time. The sooner he got to bed, the sooner he would wake up. He could get a bit of extra time to talk to Snap before he had to go to school. Putting his spoon down, he slowly rose up from his seat.

"Where are you going?" He heard his dad say.

"To bed." Rudy said. His parents looked at him in confusion. Rudy smiled at them. "I decided to head to bed a couple hours earlier tonight."

His mom and dad exchanged nervous looks. They didn't seem to understand this decision, which is what he had expected. It was such a strange act, he wouldn't be surprised if they thought he was sick. So he decided to put their minds at ease.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Rudy waved his hand out in front of him. "I just want to get some extra sleep tonight."

Biting his lip, his father said, "Is there..some kind of test or something?"

Rudy froze for a moment. He tried to think of how to answer that. On the one hand, he knew that his parents could just talk to Mr. Wilter and find out he was lying. Then his parents would get suspicious and they would keep talking to him until he would tell them what was really going on. But on the other hand, this did provide an easy lie for him to mold. Something that he could tell his parents that would be believable.

He took it.

Rudy nodded his head. "Yeah. We have a big quiz tomorrow and I wanted to have a good night's rest so I don't...you know...mess up...?" He rubbed his hands together as he struggled to find the words to say. "I just...want to do good...on this test, you know...?"

His parents remained silent for a few seconds. They looked at each other. Their expressions told Rudy everything. He felt his heart twist as he bit his lip. It seemed his plan had backfired, and how his parents were going to ask him more in depth questions.

But when his mother spoke, it wasn't the response that he had expected. In fact, it was something...completely out of the blue.

"Well, we'll make sure to tell your aunt then...just in case she might be wondering why you're up so early." His mother said.

Rudy took a step back at this, giving his mom a shocked look. "What...?" He noticed his parents glancing at each other again and back at him. Their looks told him that there was something he should know, and yet he did not. He licked his lips nervously. "What's going on...? Why would Aunt Tilly need to know...?"

His mother looked over at his father. "I thought you were going to tell him!"

His dad shot a soft glare at his wife. "I thought you told him!"

His mother placed her palm against her face and shook her head. She looked as if she was ready to continue arguing, but she shrugged it off. She looked over at Rudy, their eyes locking onto each other. "Your father and I are going on a trip, Rudy."

"A business one!" His dad interjected, raising a finger towards the air. "We cannot afford to miss it!"

Rudy looked at his dad, and then at his mom. She nodded her head, confirming it. "Your father is going to a meeting down in Florida."

Rudy scratched his head. "But...you don't work with him. Why do you have to go, too?"

His mom frowned at her husband. "Because it would seem your father registered me without asking me first."

His dad shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you would have wanted to come."

"Hmph." His mother folded her arms, giving her husband a sideways glare. "You still should have asked first, dear." She looked back down at Rudy. "Anyway, we will be gone for a couple of days. I called my sister, your Aunt Tilly, and she has agreed to watch you while we're gone."

Rudy felt his legs wobble at this. Some strength had left him so fast, it wasn't even funny. It took all his willpower to remain standing up. He looked down at the ground as his mind tried to process this new information. This...this changed everything.

When he and his friends made plans, they did not take into account any other family members other than his parents. He was not aware that his parents were going to be away for a few days. He had no idea that his aunt was coming over. He hadn't taken her into account. How could he have? He and his friends didn't know anything about this until now.

A bit of anger gripped him. He couldn't believe that his parents didn't say a word about this, or give any clue. Judging from his parents' reactions, this was not a last minute thing. They may have had this planned for days, weeks maybe. And this whole time, they never said a word to him.

But what was upsetting him the most is that, since Aunt Tilly was coming over, he knew what this was going to mean.

His cousin, Sophie, was going to come as well.

Just great. Just perfect. That was exactly what they needed. An unknown and wild factor to come into play. It wasn't that he hated his cousin. He loved her very much. But, being two year old, she was prone to getting herself into places she shouldn't be. She was such a curious little girl that she would rummage through whatever she could.

This meant that there was a very real chance that she could end up in ChalkZone. His mind chilled when he remembered the last time she had gotten into ChalkZone. She had nearly gotten herself hurt. He still felt guilty about that incident, and he had strived to never let it happen again.

Now it seemed his luck just might have run out. It was one thing to keep her busy for a few hours. But a couple of days? That would prove to be a difficult task. When his parents went on their honeymoon, he had to bar himself out of ChalkZone entirely. This time, due to the possible threat of Von, not to mention Terry, that may not be an option again.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you sooner, dear." His mom's voice cut him out of his thoughts. "I guess this is such short notice for you, huh..?"

Rudy numbly nodded his head. He didn't bother looking at his parents in the eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Rudy. We won't be gone long." His dad touched his shoulder. Rudy didn't budge. "You'll have a great time with your aunt and cousin."

"And we promise..next time, we'll give you a more advanced warning." His mother said. There was a slight accusing tone, and he knew that was directed at his father. "We love you, Rudy."

Rudy didn't answer right away. He felt his parents hugging him. He didn't look at their faces. He guessed that they were holding expressions of regret. Never before had they done something like this and only tell him at the last minute. Even on their honeymoon, Rudy had at least known about it for a while, only assuming he was going with.

"I...I understand..." Rudy finally said. His voice was quiet and unenthusiastic. "I...love you too..."

Rudy could not rest. He could not get his mind to relax. He definitely needed to get into ChalkZone tonight. He needed to tell Snap of the new situation that has developed. Sophie was coming over. He had no idea if his cousin remembered ChalkZone or not, but he knew one thing.

He had to increase security around the chalkboard and his magic chalk to ensure she didn't get into ChalkZone again.


	5. Visits

The things people can hide behind a most modest handshake.

sss

The next day, Rudy helped his parents carry the luggage to their car. He didn't make a big deal of them leaving like he did for their honeymoon. He felt pretty stupid looking back on that. It had been their special day and he had only thought of himself. This time, he won't make that mistake. He was still upset that they waited so long to tell him, but oh well. Not much can be done about that at the moment.

It didn't take too long to carry in the smaller luggage to the car for them. He didn't dare try anything too heavy. He didn't want to pull a muscle or anything. That would be quite awful if that happened, especially if it was to his right arm. He felt a cold shudder when he remembered the incident with Jacko.

He shook that out of his mind quickly so he could focus on getting the luggage in. He was carrying the last one, using his arms and hands to steady it to his chest. He wobbled a little, but for the most part, this piece of luggage was easy to carry. He went over to the open door where he could see his mother waiting. As soon as he got close enough, the large woman grabbed onto it and placed it in the car.

"Thank you, Rudy." His mom said as she placed the luggage in the car. She shut the door and gently patted him on the head. "We'll be back before you know it."

Rudy just smiled at his mom. His previous anger at them waiting so long was gone. He couldn't stay mad at his parents for long. They were his parents, after all. He couldn't blame them for making one mistake, and they did promise to not do it again.

Out of the peripheral vision of his eye, he could see some faint color and movement. He lifted up his head and he could see it was his father. The skrawny man had went around to the other side of the car. He opened up the door and climbed into the driver's seat.

"Come on, Millie! We don't have much time!" His dad cried, a sense of urgency in his voice. "The plane will take off without us if we're late!"

"We have plenty of time!" His mother called back. She paused for a moment. "But you're right. Better we are early than late." She looked down at Rudy. She pulled him into a hug. "Now you be a good boy and listen to Aunt Tilly while we are gone, okay?"

"I will. Don't worry." Rudy hugged his mother. After a few seconds, he let go and took a few steps back.

Standing next to him was his aunt. She was holding onto Sophie, cradling the little girl in her arms. As usual, Sophie looked really happy to see him. She was reaching out towards him with her hands and called out his name over and over.

After a few moments of trying to control the struggling girl, Aunt Tilly turned herself around and handed the small child to Rudy. The young boy was surprised by this, but he still took Sophie into his arms. Sophie wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug, especially for someone her size. Rudy held his cousin against himself as she looked up at his mother and aunt as they conversed.

"Are you sure you have everything? The schedule? Enough clothes to last you a few days?" His mother had her palm facing up, pressing a finger against each digit as she listed off everything that she could think of. "It's all good?"

"Oh don't worry about it! Everything will be fine! I did this before, remember?" Aunt Tilly reassured his mother.

"You are absolutely sure?" His mother had a worried tone to her voice.

"Now, now, Millie. Your sister has everything under control." His dad called out from the care. "Now come along!" He motioned with his hand. "We are going to be late if we don't get a move on!"

"Your husband is right. I've got everything under control." Aunt Tilly put her hand around Rudy and pulled him close. Rudy rested his head against her side as he felt her rub his shoulders gently. "Now you two have fun on your little trip!"

His mother frowned at this. "Well I don't know if being dragged to this business meeting is fun..." She shook her head and smiled back at her sister. "But I'll try to make the most of it. Take care, everyone!"

"Bye!" Rudy and his aunt cried in unison.

His mother smiled at this, and then she went over to the car. She opened up the passenger's door and climbed in, the door shutting immediately behind her. The smoke from the engine began to pillow out as the car was pulled back out of the drive way. Rudy and his aunt waved to them as they moved out onto the street. Then, seconds later, the vehicle sped forward, and his parents were out of sight.

Rudy watched them as they left. He hoped they would have a good time in Florida. Even though it was a business trip, he'd feel it would be a pretty wasted trip if they didn't enjoy themselves somehow.

"Now, let's go on inside, okay?"

Rudy felt his aunt gently push him to turn him around and began to guide him back to the house. Her hand was still on his shoulder, refusing to let go of him. Rudy didn't try to jerk free despite the fact that he felt slightly undignified to have his aunt guide him back in the house.

It didn't take them long to get back inside the house. His aunt let go of him as soon as they were in through the doors. He watched as she walked out in front of him and made her way into the kitchen. She began to rummage through the cupboards to see what they had available. Rudy looked down at Sophie and gently set her down. With a squeal, the little girl ran away from him, likely to wherever her toys were being kept.

"Hey, Rudy?" His aunt called out.

Rudy immediately walked into the kitchen. He could see his aunt was holding a couple boxes of what appeared to be noodles. She was looking at each one, her face furrowed a bit. "Yes, Aunt Tilly?"

The woman turned to him. "Which noodles would you like me to use?" She held the boxes up so he could see them. "I'm going to make some chicken alfredo for dinner later today."

"Why ask me now?" Rudy was confused. "It's pretty early to be asking me that if this is for dinner."

"Might as well ask now before you have to leave for school." Aunt Tilly took a few steps towards him. She held the boxes even closer and she repeated her question, her voice a tad more firm this time. "Which one would you like?"

Rudy looked from one box to the other. One of them were ring noodles with little patterns in them. The other was the usual fettucini noodles often used in alfredo. Rudy was never all that fond of them, so he pointed to the ring noddles instead. "I'd like this one."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Aunt Tilly turned and walked back towards the cabinet. She placed the boxes back in and then headed towards the freezer. "I'm going to thaw out some chicken now so it's ready for later." She gave a smile to Rudy. "That way, when you get home, the alfredo should already be done."

Rudy nodded his head to show that he understood what his aunt said. He then turned his head to where the steps were. He looked back at his aunt and said, "I'm going upstairs to get ready."

"Okay then! Make sure to let me know when you're leaving! And say goodbye to Sophie, too! She gets a little antsy when you disappear without telling her." His aunt said.

"Don't worry. I will!" Rudy said as he began to make his way up the steps.

As he ascended the staircase, he started to think about what he was going to do. He still had time to visit Snap. He was already in ChalkZone late last night. He had gone in to speak to Snap. He had told him of the new situation, with Sophie now being in the house. He wasn't able to stay long as he wanted to try to wake up early. So all he was able to do was lay the run down with Snap. The zoner agreed that he was going to need to be more careful when entering ChalkZone for the next few days. Rudy hoped that things won't get too rough.

He did have some extra time to talk to Snap and Penny this morning. Not just because he woke up early, or that his folks left quite early in the morning, not long after he woke up, but also because there was a two hour delay at school today. Something about a power outage. That gave him a lot more time to talk to his friends.

He just hoped that he would be able to get into ChalkZone without too much trouble. With Sophie around, she could easily climb in through the portal. He could just erase it and it would be fine. But then if the girl noticed he was gone, she might run around the house, calling out for him. Then his aunt would realize something was wrong and... He had to be careful not to let the situation escalate like that.

It didn't take him too long to reach the top of the stairs. He glanced back down to see if his aunt was going to try calling his name again for anything. When she was silent, he moved towards his room. The fact that it was opened up did not concern him; he didn't always shut the door.

But it was a different story when he walked into the room.

"Soph..?!" Rudy cried in surprise.

To his surprise, Sophie hadn't stayed downstairs like he thought. She had gone up here into his bedroom. He was shocked. She was not the quietest girl around and he should have heard her climbing up here. Yet he didn't. Was he really that focused on his aunt that he didn't pay attention to the pitter patter of a small, excited child going up to his room?

Sophie was standing in front of the large chalkboard. She had a piece of chalk in her small hand. He tensed up, a cold wave rushing through his body. He soon breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was just a regular piece of chalk that she had. She pressed it against the chalkboard and started to scribble on it.

"Hey, what are you drawing there?" Rudy asked as he approached her slowly. Sophie just giggled and continued to draw squiggly lines all over the place. "Another masterpiece, I presume?"

Sophie just giggled at her cousin. She gave him a big, wide grin before turning back to the chalkboard. The familiar squeak of the chalk against the black surface filled Rudy's ears as the little girl made a few quick jerks of her arm. He covered one of his ears, flinching at the uncomfortable sound. He watched as the little girl made a series of multiple squiggles, creating no discernable pattern.

When she was done, she lowered her chalk at her side and looked up at Rudy expectantly. Knowing what she wanted, Rudy leaned forward and examined her handiwork. It was nothing more outstanding than what she usually did. Just a series of scribbles. He refrained himself from stating the obvious and just smiled back at her.

"That looks great, Sophie!" Rudy patted his cousin on the head. "You're a natural little artist, aren't you?"

Sophie giggled and spread her arms out. "Rudy! Rudy!" She squealed.

Rudy smiled at this. A part of him couldn't believe that he let himself get jealous over the attention Sophie's little scribbles got her. She might not be much of an artist yet, but she loved to draw just as much as him. In the future, if she kept it up, she would get much better.

"Watch! Draw more!" Sophie called out as she took the eraser and wiped the chalkboard clean. Rudy chuckled as he imagined Snap being rained on by random scribbles. "I draw more!"

As much as Rudy would have loved to see more of his cousin's cute little art, he knew he didn't have time for that. He wanted to talk to Snap and Penny as soon as possible. He didn't know when Penny was going to arrive in ChalkZone, but he knew Snap was waiting for him. He didn't want to keep his friend waiting for long.

"Hey Soph? I'd love to see more of your pictures, but I...I need to get ready for school, and I can't have you in here." Rudy said. He walked over to his cousin and grabbed onto her. He positioned her towards the door and then began to push her lightly towards it. "So why don't you head downstairs and..."

"No! Draw!" Sophie slipped away from Rudy, causing him to nearly trip over his own feet. She rushed back to the chalkboard and smacked her hand against the dark surface. "Draw!"

Rudy looked over at his cousin. "Don't you want to draw downstairs? I have a nice notebook down there and a pen you can use."

Sophie shook her head. "No! Draw here! Chalk!"

Rudy tried again. "Please Sophie. I need to get ready and I'd rather you not be in here. Since we're...you know...not the same gender..?" Sophie still refused to move, shaking her head furiously. "Come on, Sophie..." He held up his hands in desperation. "Twenty minutes. That's all I'm asking for. Twenty minutes. Can't you wait that long?"

Sophie moved her head from side to side rapidly. "No no no!" She turned her attention back to the chalkboard and began to draw again.

Rudy slapped himself in his forehead as he looked on. He let out a deep sigh of frustration. This was going to be harder than he thought. He needed a way to get his cousin out of the room so he could speak to Snap. Sophie was not going ton another ChalkZone adventure if he had anything to say about it.

There had to be someway to get his cousin to leave. There had to be something he could do to get her out of the room for a short time. He hoped he could figure something out soon. The longer he waited, the less time he was going to have to speak to Snap on the issue. A part of him wished Penny was here. She might be able to get the little girl out of the room and entertain her for a little while as he spoke with Snap. But that would leave the problem of getting Penny into ChalkZone without Sophie following her.

He hoped Penny was having an easier time getting into ChalkZone than he was at the moment. Considering her mom wasn't going on some trip and Penny didn't have a little cousin to worry about, he couldn't imagine her having that much difficulty. He was almost jealous.

sss

Penny rushed back and forth, trying to get ready as quickly as she could. She couldn't believe that she had overslept. She must have forgotten to set her alarm last night. Of all the days... She just hoped that she wouldn't be keeping Rudy waiting for long. He was probably in ChalkZone now, chatting with Snap, waiting for her. She would feel so horrible if she kept them waiting for too long.

She quickly changed her pants and she pulled a shirt over her head. She had to pull on it a little tighter as it had gotten caught. She winced as the cloth scraped against her skin for a moment, and then she straightened her shirt out against her chest. She propped on her shoes, tying them, and then headed towards the chalkboard. She pulled out her magic chalk, preparing to create a portal.

She froze when she heard her mom calling out to her. "Penita! Aren't you hungry?"

Penny flinched at this. She had forgotten to eat breakfast. She hadn't even left her room yet. She was too busy trying to get ready to see Rudy and Snap. She realized she couldn't leave. Not yet. Otherwise, her mom was going to get suspicious.

Sucking on her lip, Penny's mind raced as she tried to think of a response. "I...I'll be down in a bit!"

"Okay, but don't wait too long!" She heard her mother shout. "Just because you have a two hour delay doesn't mean you can diddle dally!"

"I know! I'll be done! I promise!" Penny called back.

She recalled her mother telling her about the two hour delay. That was actually how she was woken up. Her mom came in and shook her awake. She told her that she was lucky that she had a two hour delay, otherwise she was going to be late for school. Penny had been horrified when she realized her mom was right, and she immediately jolted out of bed.

She was indeed lucky. Extremely lucky, that there was a delay. Not that much was going to happen from her being late other than getting a note from Mr. Wilter. But she would have gotten in trouble from her mom, as she did usually help with the morning chores, and she would have felt awful if she kept her friends waiting for too long.

Well at least she was up now. She could now make up for it by getting into ChalkZone as soon as possible. There was still time left. If she hurried, she could get to where her friends where and they could have at least half an hour to speak. Granted, that wasn't much, but it was at least far better than nothing. She wondered if they would have any better luck. She recalled they did decide it was better to wait and see if Von becomes a threat, but now there was a new issue regarding Terry. A short meeting would be better than to not meet at all in that case.

Penny was still a little shaken up from the sudden run-in with Terry. She could practically feel that vile woman's hatred radiating off her body. It was easy to joke about her when she was out of sight, but when she was right up there with them... Penny had felt her heart turn to ice, pounding against her chest. Despite the fact that she knew Terry could not do anything to them out in the open, it was still terrifying to be that close to her.

Terry had every reason to hate them. They, well mostly Rudy, had humiliated her on television. She had been mocked and ridiculed ever since she had tried to expose ChalkZone. She had motivation and interest to trying to get even with them, to get back at them. The only thing holding her back was the justice system.

Penny had no idea how far Terry would go. She had no idea what to expect from her. For now, she hoped that they wouldn't have another run-in like that. Same with Vinnie. These were two adults she hoped they never have to see again.

To everyone else, they might just be jokes. But they were still very real threats to her and Rudy, and to ChalkZone. They both have the ability to tear down ChalkZone's defense, and end the long-lived peace that world had. Unlike a situation with Skrawl, if Vinnie or Terry succeeded in exposing that world, it was all over. Even if she and Rudy could find out a way to ensure that they don't get any magic chalk, they would be harrassed by other people, maybe even their own parents, and they'd try to force them to give them a way into ChalkZone. Or the scientists could devise a way to get in without need of the magic chalk, a thought that chilled her blood.

Her mind froze at the thought of scientists. She almost forgot; there was someone else who could become a potential threat. She wondered what Von was doing right now. She hoped that he was leaving Rudy alone. She hoped that Rudy's parents had called the authorities to ensure Von doesn't bother them again.

Penny hated the way the man spoke, not just to Rudy, but in general. He clearly wanted something. Information on perpetual motion. Rudy had done what he could to convince him it was an accident, but this was a scientist they were talking about. He wouldn't be able to easily trick him. He could see right through whatever she and Rudy try to tell him. Dealing with him was going to be a lot harder.

But she tried her best to remain confident. Perhaps things would turn out the way they wanted them to. Maybe everything would be all right. Von couldn't really go through with any threat against them, not unless he wanted to be arrested. And far as she knew, he still knew of no chalk world.

Yeah, everything was fine. She had to relax. They already had eyes and ears on Von. They had already agreed to discuss about him if he ever made another move. They would not allow Von to so much as sneeze without them knowing.

Penny decided she had wasted enough time. Picking up her magic chalk again, knowing that her mom was going to get suspicious of she took too long, she began to draw a portal on her chalkboard. The light shined brightly as the circle was slowly being formed. As she drew, she hoped that Rudy and Snap wouldn't be too upset with her taking so long.

"What are you doing here?!"

Penny nearly dropped her magic chalk at this exclaimation. She whipped her head around, staring at where her door was. She felt her heart increasing its beating. She stared at the door long and hard, her breathing becoming shaky. Just what was going on?

"Get out of here now!"

Penny's eyes widened. That was her mother. She sounded...well not distressed, but really angry. Who was she yelling at? Why didn't she hear the doorbell ringing? Who had come over to visit them at this time? And why did her mother sound so angry at them? Was it just another door to door salesman or was it someone else?

Penny sucked on her lip, licking it nervously. She took in a few slow breaths to try to slow down her breathing. Now wasn't the time to get panicky. She looked back at the chalkboard and used her eraser to destroy the small bit that had been drawn. She then turned her attention to the door.

Slowly, she began to make her way towards it. She took her time, each step causing her heart to twist. She could still feel her heart pounding a little, a sense of dread still clinging onto her no matter how hard she tried to dismiss it. She had no idea what to expect when she opened up the door and called out to her mom. Although every rational part of her body was telling her there was no real danger, there was still a part of her that remained terrified.

Soon she reached the door. She hesitated, taking in a couple quick breaths. She then managed to recompose herself, exhaling slowly. It was probably just some annoying salesman like she thought, or something else mundane. Nothing to get upset over. She opened up the door and stepped out.

She walked down the upper hallway. She locked her eyes onto the railing, where the stairs were. She approached them slowly and quietly. She listened intently to what was being said, hoping to figure out what was going on without giving herself away.

"I want you to get out of here! Get out of my sight!" Her mother called out. Penny could see a shadow on the wall, and could tell her mother was pointing at someone. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but...!"

"Wait! Pleaze, let me explain! It'z not what you zink!" A familiar voice responded. Penny froze, realizing instantly who it was. "I juzt wish to.."

"No! You're not coming anywhere near my daughter! I know what you did with Rudy! I'm not letting you do the same thing to Penny!" Her mom scolded him, her voice deepeningi n anger.

Penny nearly wobbled forward when she realized that Von was in her house. She did her best to control her breathing, trying whatever she could to not panic. She stared down the steps, looking at the shadows as the two adults argued. A cold feeling swept through her body as the full realization of what was going on struck her like a freight train.

Von was back, and this time, he was coming after her. She couldn't help but shiver at the thought. What...what made the doctor come after her this time? Had he realized that she was involved with what happened to his precious machine? Did he realize that she had been a helping hand to Rudy this whole time? Why else would he stop by and try to see her? He hadn't made a hint before that he wanted to get to her, so this meeting was out of the blue. Something happened to change his mind. But what?

At the moment, Penny found it hard to concentrate on that. Her mind wouldn't stop reeling as uncomfortable thoughts shifted through her head. Just what did Von want her for? Was he going to try to interrogate her? Was he going to try to get her to spill the beans on perpetual motion?

Penny kept listening in on the conversation. Her mother got increasingly angry at Von's persistance. She was almost surprised that her mom didn't attempt to push him out of the house. On the other hand, Von was quite adamant and didn't give up very easily. His pleas with his mother became more and more desperate. All she could really make out was he wanted to speak to her, yet he never stated why. His mom would always cut him off, and try to get him to leave.

Penny was glad that her mother wasn't falling for anything Von was saying. Rudy's parents likely told her mom about what happened when Von paid them a rather pleasant visit earlier. Her mom was not going to take any of his crap.

But unfortunately, neither was Von.

"Look, I underztand your anger, mizz." Von said. "I am not alwayz a...likeable guy I admit. But I will not have you turning me away that eazily. I came here to do one thing, and I intend on..."

Penny winced as she heard a thud. Her mother must have pushed Von back. She heard the man's feet clamoring to keep his balance. Penny could hear him call out, "No! Wait! Pleaze! All I want to do iz..."

Penny cringed, lowering her head, when she saw her mother coming into view. She had a grip on Von. She wasn't being particularly rough with him, but she was still pushing him back towards the door. Von struggled against her grasp, trying to make her leg go. She noticed that he was holding back. He knew that if he were too aggressive, he could get himself arrested.

Her mother kept moving the man closer to the door. It wasn't until he was right in front of him that she released him. The man kept trying to plead with her, make her let him stay so he could do...whatever it is he came here to do. But thankfully, her mother was having none of it. She pointed a finger at the door behind him.

"Get out!" Her mother barked at him. "Before I call the cops!"

Von's eyes widened at this. "No..pleaze! You don't underztand!" He held out his hands, desperation clinging to his very voice. "I didn't come here to ztart trouble! I juzt want to zee your daughter real quick and..."

Her mother cut him off. "No! You hear me? The answer is no!" With flattened hands, she crossed them out in front of her in a swiping motion. A way to emphasize her words. "Leave my premises now, Doctor Von Doktor! Or you will hear from my lawyer..."

Penny widened her eyes at this. Her mom almost never said something like that, especially in that tone of voice. Von must have really pushed her buttons to make her mom this angry. Then again, it was Von. She bet it didn't take much for him to push her mom over the edge. She remained quiet as Von stared at her mother in shock, reluctant to simply turn around and walk away.

But Von was smart enough to know that he couldn't simply say. He must have known he was pushing his luck. He did nearly get himself into hot water with Rudy. He could have easily slipped up there. And the same thing could happen here. He knew better than to keep trying.

Von didn't say a word at first. He merely cleaned himself up, giving a calm expression to her mother. He made a 'hmph' sound before turning around and opening up the door. He held it open for a few seconds, and then he looked over his shoulder. "I am zorry for dizturbing you, ma'am." The door was slammed shut as he left.

The girl flinched at this. She didn't detect much genuinity in the man's voice. He must have just said sorry because that's what her mother would have wanted to hear. He was just trying to settle her down so she wouldn't call the cops on him. She saw the look in his eyes. Though he didn't see her, she did get a quick enough look to see that glint in those man's eyes, indicating he hadn't yet given up. He'd be back.

But for now, she could breathe a sigh of relief. At least he was gone for now. Whatever he had tried to do, it was clear that he did not succeed, thanks to her mother. She was grateful that her mother was able to stop him. Good thing she stayed up in her room. Who knows what would have happened if she had been the one to answer the door...

"Penita? Is that you?"

Penny nearly staggered at the sudden call from her mother. She moved closer to the railing and peered down. She could see her mom looking up at her from the bottom step. There was a look of shock and a bit of regret in her eyes.

"Yeah, mom. I got hungry and I..." Penny's voice trailed off. Her eyes shifted nervously towards the door. "What...what happened...?"

"You saw that?" Her mother asked in a regretful tone. Penny nodded her head. "I'm...sorry you had to see that." Her mother held up her hand in gesture as she explained. "Doctor Von Doktor came and he wanted to speak to you. I, of course, wouldn't allow it, especially after how he had treated your little friend."

"Yeah I heard." Penny said softly. She moved closer to the steps. She grabbed onto the railing. "I'm just glad he's gone."

Her mother nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, me too. Let us hope we don't have to deal with him again."

Penny wished she could share her mother's certainty about that. While she also hoped she wouldn't have to deal with Von again, a part of her realized that this was likely not going to be the case. She would see him again soon. And no matter how long it took to run into him again, it would always be too soon for her.

She made her way down the steps. She did her best to push thoughts of Von aside for now. She didn't want to waste her time thinking about him. She had to focus on what was important right now. It was too late to head into ChalkZone at this very moment, so she would have to settle with writing a quick note apologizing to Rudy and Snap about not making it. And to also inform them about her near-encounter with Von. They needed to know about that. This was something they were going to need to discuss in the next meeting, whenever that will be.

Penny followed her mother into the kitchen. The little girl went over to her chair and pulled it out. She sat down in the chair and nudged herself towards the table. She looked over at where her mom was. She could see that her mom was busy making pancakes. The aroma filled the air, teasing her nostrils, making her mouth water.

"How many would you like?" Her mother asked.

"Two please." Penny held up two fingers, a smile spread across her face.

"Coming right up dear!" As her mom went to work mixing in the batter and preparing to cook the food on the skillet, she asked, "Hey, do you mind doing a couple of chores after you eat? Before you leave for school?"

"Sure, no problem! What would you like me to do?" Penny asked.

Her mother looked at her over her shoulder. "Oh not too much. Just check and make sure the dogs have ther food, as well as the other animals. It shouldn't take too long."

"All right, I'll take care of that." Penny said with a smile. "You can count on me!"

Her mother gave a light-hearted chuckle. "Yeah, I know, Penita."

sss

Penny wiped her brow as she finished up with taking care of the last animal. There was quite a number to take care of and most of them didn't even get their food in for today. She guessed her mother was distracted by Von. The man likely wouldn't allow her to continue her work.

Oh well, at least it was finished now. She set down the bag of dog foot, leaning it against the side of the wall. She turned her attention to the dogs, the last animals she had fed. They were wagging their tails excitedly as they chowed down on their food. She smiled at this. It always made her feel better after working with the animals. For a moment, she had forgotten about what happened earlier.

She felt something nudge behind her. She turned her head and saw it was one of the horses they were taking care of. She giggled softly and held onto the horse's head, gently rubbing her hand on the top of its long snout.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sniffles." She had to stifle a laught at that name. The things people named their pets. Some of the names had left her wondering. It would be like she got a pet amphibian of some kind and decided to name it Pencil. "No more food for you." She gently pushed the horse's head away. "You need to wait until lunch for you to have more. I'm sorry."

Penny walked away, listening to the horse whinney in desperation. She would have loved to feed the horse more, but her mom had a strict rations thing going on. It was highly expensive to feed all of these animals, so there was a strict schedule on when everyone was fed. Penny was to follow this to the T, never deviating from it. Her mom would know if an animal got too much food.

She walked out of the barn. She put her hands on her hips and looked all around her, making sure that she didn't forget any of the animals. She always doublechecked at the end like this, just like her mother taught her. She never knew when she would miss something.

And sure enough, she had. Looking over, she could see a small chicken coup her mother had. She had forgotten her mother agreed to take a look at these farmer's chickens. Something about them not laying eggs like they should. She immediately went over to feed them, grabbing onto a small bag of feed and bringing it over.

The chickens looked up from their small enclosure as Penny placed the bag not far from where they were. She used a measuring cup to get the exact amount of feed. She reached over and placed it on the ground in front of them, away from the fence that kept them sealed in.

"Here you go. I'm sorry I forgot about you." Penny said as she watched the chickens start to feed. Now she had finally fed the last animal. Now she had to...

Suddenly, without warning, Penny felt something grab her. She made out the sounds of the dogs starting to bark, as well as other animals becoming restless. She tried to call out for help, but something covered her mouth. She was yanked backwards, dragged away from the barn and towards the back. She was pressed up against something warm and solid.

Penny could hear her mother calling out to her. Eyes widening, Penny began to struggle against her captor. She jerked her body from side to side, her heart pounding against her chest. She was tempted to bite, but her captor felt larger than her. She feared the response if she tried such a thing.

She let out a muffled yelp when she felt something sharp prick her skin. The back of her neck felt like something was crawling. Her struggles increased, panicking, her mind racing with thoughts. Just what was this person doing to her? She tried kicking out her legs, tried hitting against her captor despite her previous fear. But she failed to get even a grunt from whoever was holding her. Her frantic eyes darted from side to side. She hoped and prayed someone would see this.

Her heart sank when she realized this was not going to be the case. The trees and fence, as well as the barn itself, blocked anyone from seeing what was happening. She couldn't even scream; her mouth was covered. No one could hear her. This realization filled her veins with ice.

Penny's brown eyes bulged open when she felt something sharp pricking her again. This time, it was against her throat, right on the side. She flinched as the pain momentarily increased, and there was something cold being pushed into her. Her struggles increased with vigor, her loud, desperate whimpers continuing to be muffled by the hand on her face.

Slowly, her body began to grow weak and unsteady. Her cries for help grew quieter. Her mother's voice became distorted until she could hardly make out what she was saying anymore. Penny realized, in horror, that she had been drugged. She barely had time to fully register this before the darkness began to consume her.

No, she couldn't go to sleep. She had to fight back. She had to stay awake. She tried to wriggle out of the person's arms, tried to get away so she could call for help. But nothing she did worked. She soon found herself slipping, with only her captor being the reason she didn't fall totally on the ground. Her eyes began to flutter, and she realized she was losing the fight.

With tears flowing down her face, with the knowledge that she may not ever see this place again, or her mom, Penny let out a weak, sorrowful whimper. Then she closed her eyes, and everything became nothing but dark silence.

sss

"Penny...?"

The girl jerked a little at that voice. It sounded so echoey..so far away...

"Penny, please get up!"

The voice became more urgent. Penny looked around desperately. All she could see was darkness. Nothing but blackness everywhere. Fear began to develop in the pit of her stomach. What was going on?

She couldn't even remember how she had gotten here. She could imagine a few images in her head, but they where hazy and confusing. She was not able to piece anything together. All she knew was something happened, and now she could not see anything. She couldn't help but let out a frightened whimper at this realization.

"Come on...you have to wake up..." The voice.. It sounded so familiar... As it became clearer, Penny realized who it was. Her mother. "Please open your eyes..."

Penny struggled to open her eyes. She commanded every muscle in her head to pull the lids open so she could see. At first, her body would not obey her. It revolted against her in favor of remaining shut. She continued to fight back, and slowly, very slowly, she managed to open her eyes. Just a crack, but still open.

Immediately, she was showered by bright, intense light. She let out a yelp of pain, jerking her head back. She registered she was on something soft and almost wet. She let out a few more groans she forced herself to open her eyes again. She blinked several times as she slowly adjusted to the light raining down on her. In front of her, she could see something fuzzy. Two blurry shapes, both looking down at her.

As soon as her mother's shape came into view, Penny let out a weak stammer, "M-Mama...?"

Though she couldn't fully see the expression, her mother let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness you're all right!" Penny stiffened when she felt her mother's arms wrap around her suddenly. "I was so worried!"

Penny didn't answer. She stared blankly ahead. Suddenly her mind had become muggy as she fully realized just how tired she really was. The heaviness of sleep weighed down on her, and she could feel her eyes start to close. It was a struggle just keeping them open.

As her vision cleared, she let out a groan and looked around. The colors around her had finally started to make sense, and she could make out the shapes and structures all around her.

She soon realized that she was outside. She was laying on the grass, supported upright only by her mother's arms. She was behind the red barn, the wooden fence right in front of her. The bright light she had detected was the sunlight. Considering how it was partially filtered by the leaves of the trees, that spoke volumes of just how sensitive she had been to the light for a short time. Just how long was she out?

Penny reached up and touched her head with her hand. She let out a soft groan, rubbing her forehead gently. Her mother moved away from her, still gripping her daughter gently. Penny could see just how terrified her mother looked with the way she was looking at her. Penny felt her heart twist when she realized she had worried her mother sick.

Penny tried to think of what had happened. There had to be a reason she was on the ground like this, a reason why her mother was so worried. But she was not able to think of anything. Her mind was a blank. Even with the few hazy memories that she had, like something about feeding the animals, she could not piece together what had occurred.

"Are you feeling alright?"

This voice made Penny stiffen her body, her eyes widening. This voice..it wasn't her mother's. It wasn't Rudy's parents, or Rudy himself. It belonged to someone she would rather not see.

She lifted her head and turned it. There, standing not far from them, was Von. The old scientist looked almost worried, staring down at her through those small glasses of his. He kept his distance, not daring to take a step forward. This did little to comfort Penny and she found herself letting out a frightened whimper as she squirmed in her mother's arms.

"Penita, was is it..?" Her mother whispered to her. Penny didn't need to say a word for her mother to understand what had gotten her riled up. "Oh him?" There was a tinge of bitterness in her voice. "Don't worry about him. He's the one who helped you and alerted me to what happened."

Penny spluttered at this. "Wh-What...?"

Her mother nodded her head. "That's right. I heard the animals making noise and I went to check it out, and Von here was with you. He was trying to..make you breathe again..." Her mother's face contorted into sadness for a few seconds. "If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be here."

Penny stared at her mother in astonishment. A part of her wanted to think that this was all some sort of elaborate hoax. But then, her mother wasn't the type to lie to her. She wouldn't have covered up any of the details. She would have been honest. And Von... as much of a jerkass that he was, he wouldn't have just left her to die. He wasn't that cruel.

She looked over at Von. Licking her lips nervously, she managed to choke out, "Thank you..."

Von smiled at her. It was uncomfortable to look at, then again, any smile from anyone she didn't like felt this way. He gave her a quick wave and said, "Don't mention it, kid."

Regardless of his friendly demeanor, Penny could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong. She didn't know if Von was involved or not, but something just didn't feel right about this whole thing.

But then, maybe she was just being paranoid. It was quite possible. Maybe she just got so worked up over the situation with Von and Terry that she had triggered an attack somehow. She couldn't entirely dismiss that possibility, even if it did sound absurd. Or maybe she tripped up during her feeding of the animals and got hurt that way. This possiblity became more likely when she felt some soreness in her neck. She rubbed it, winced, and pulled away.

Yeah, her neck had been injured. That did make the story seem more likely. She might have tripped on something and hit her neck, which momentarily stopped her from breathing. Bruised trachae or something. It was likely this made less sense than she thought, but she was too shaken up and confused and tired to really care.

Penny slowly climbed up to her feet. Her legs wobbled a little as she tried to keep her balance. Her mother helped her, letting her lean against her for support. Penny smiled gratefully at her mother, glad that she was around to help her. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like waking up alone like this...

...and to him...

Penny looked warily over at Von. Despite the fact that he helped her, and her mother confirmed it, she still did not feel comfortable in his presence. There was just something...off about him. She hoped he was going to leave soon.

Her wish was granted.

"Don't think this changes anything, Doctor..." Her mother said in a controlled voice. The anger from the man's audacity earlier was still evident in her voice. "I am grateful you helped my daughter, but you still are not going to interrogate her based on some fairy tale..." She narrowed her eyes at the man. "Do I make myself clear?"

The old man blinked at her. There was a bit of mild surprise in his eyes. Nonetheless, Von smiled and nodded his head. "Oh don't worry." He placed a hand against his chest. "I underztand completely." He looked down at Penny. "May I at least..apologize to her?"

Her mother narrowed her eyes in suspicion. After a few seconds, it was clear she decided there was no harm in that. She gave a quick nod. "Go ahead... But make it quick. It's almost time for school and I need to contact the principal about what happened."

"Underztood." Von approached Penny slowly. The little girl looked at him cautiously. She didn't attempt to stop the man from speaking. "Look, little girl. I'm...zorry about the way I acted. It wazn't right of me." He held out his hand towards her. "What do you zay? Shall we put ziz mess behind uz?"

Penny stared at the hand suspiciously. She then looked up at the man. Silence surrounded them as neither of them attempted to speak. The man did not look like he was losing his patience; just calmly holding out his hand, waiting for her to take it. Penny debated whether or not she should take it. She had no idea if the man had any tricks up his sleeve.

But the hand was empty. She saw nothing in it. She did not see any hidden weapons, nor did she see a reason for Von to try something so tricky. Her mother was here as well, so it was unlikely he could pull off any stunt, even if he tried. This didn't relax her all the way, but it did help her to calm down a little.

She reached over and grabbed the man by his hand. She did her best not to shudder when she felt the fingers wrap around her hand and squeezed it. The two shook their hands up and down a couple of times before Von released her. Penny pulled her hand back.

"I'm glad that iz taken care of." Von said with a smile. "I do apologize for dizturbing you two. I will be on my way." With that, the man turned and walked away.

Penny stared as the man left. When he disappeared completely, she placed a hand against her head. She suddenly became aware of a pounding headache spreading through her skull. It made her wish that she knew exactly what happened. She had so little information..it frightened her. And it happened on a whim, with no warning...

"Penita..." Her mother said as Penny leaned against her, her legs growing weak. "Do you want me to tell the principal you won't be coming today?"

Penny let out a soft groan. With her hand still on her head, she thought about what her mother said. The idea of staying home did sound good. She wasn't sure if she could really function in school this way. On the other hand, she still wanted to meet up with her friends, and she still had a chance during recess, even though it would be shorter due to the delay.

"No.. I'm.. I'm fine..." Penny said. She walked away from her mother and began to make her way towards the house.

"No, you're not fine." She heard her mother's worried and stern voice say. "You need some rest. Go upstairs and lay down. I'm going to call Principal Stringent and tell her that you won't be coming today."

Penny whirled her head to her mother. "But mom..."

Suddenly, a burst of dizziness struck her. She realized she had turned her head too quickly too fast. She grabbed onto it as she nearly dropped down to her knees. She heard her mom call out her name and the pounding of feet. She was soon aware of someone grabbing onto her and balancing her. She looked up to see her mother.

"See?" Her mother said. "You're not fine. Come on...let me help you up..."

Penny had no choice but to allow her mother take her up to the house. As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew her mother was right. She was going to have no choice but to lay down. She could not function in school like this, let alone be of any help to her friends. It was going to have to wait.

sss

Terry watched the scene from far away, behind the shield of a tree. She kept her back pressed against the bark, ignoring how cold and ragged it was. She kept her head mostly covered behind the trunk, with only enough of her eye exposed to see what was going on.

Her mind reeled from what she had witnessed. She was too far away to hear much of anything, and some of it, she had missed. But she still had seen enough to realize that something was wrong. She had a hard time believing what she saw, and she struggled to try to make sense of it. Just what was going on here? And just what was that scientist up to...?

She recognized the old man. Dr. Von Doktor had been one of the many eye witness accounts she had used to try to spin her tale about the chalk world. She thought he would be one of the several clinchers she found. Unfortunately, Von, like other witnesses, Mr. Wilter and Vinnie, had been dismissed as a nutjob. The memory about how that guy treated her, calling her theory 'bull dandruff', still twisted her stomach in anger.

At the moment, however, her anger was replaced by confusion. She noticed the man there, standing with Penny and her mother. It was merely with this fact that she knew something was up. If there was one thing she and Von had in common, it was their mutual dislike...no...hatred of Penny, as well as Rudy. At least, that's how she saw it. She could see no reason why Von wouldn't be upset with those two children after what he said they did. Even in their interview, he had sounded angry.

So what would possess him to go to Penny's place? And why did he shake her hand? Terry wished she had gotten closer to see what all the fuss was about. She knew it was none of her business, but as a reporter, it was her job to be nosey and look for information, no matter what it took. It was nothing personal...usually.

When Von left, she watched him carefully, her eyes locked onto his face. He didn't appear to notice her. He walked away nonchalantly, giving no indication he had any kind of scheme in mind. He hardly seemed upset from what Terry saw as a hostile interaction with Mrs. Sanchez. It was as if the bitch hadn't bothered him. But why...?

Terry stopped her thought before she could finish it. She stared at Von's face as he passed by. Suddenly he stopped. He looked left and right. Terry's eyes widened as she pressed herself against the tree trunk. Had he noticed her?

Thankfully, Von's stay there was only shortlived. He merely shrugged his shoulders, dismissing whatever thought he may have had. He continued his walk down. Terry peered from behind the tree and watched him.

That look on the man's face.. She had only seen it momentarily, but it was enough for her to realize something right away.

The man was up to something...

Terry's mind buzzed with thoughts at this revelation. Von had some kind of plan going on. He was there for a reason. He had went to Penny because it must further his goals somehow. But what kind of plan could he possibly have? What reason would he get to want to go after Penny? The only thing she could think of was...

Her eyes twinkeld. Ah..so that's what it was... How interesting. A smile tugged along the woman's face. Perhaps she should see the doctor again sometime.


	6. Tactics

Not always will things go your way. So best prepare.

sss

Penny couldn't rest. She found it impossible to do so. After what happened with Von...how could she relax? Her mom told her everything was going to be okay, and that Von didn't have any capability of doing anything. But that didn't leave her feeling very satisfied. In fact, it only increased her anxiety.

Who knows what Von was going to do now? The fact that he came over to her place to speak to her... something just didn't feel right about that. Von had no way of believing that she was involved with the experiment. He might know that she helped Rudy escape, but that was of little use to Von at the moment. Not like he could risk capturing Rudy without risking himself going to jail.

So the only possible reason she could think of that he'd come after her was...was if he thought that she helped make the perpetual motion device works...

Her heart froze at that thought. The very idea was rather chilling. It was hard enough dealing with Von going after Rudy. But now herself...? She imagined that he wanted to get her to speak about the perpetual motion thing, or try to get her to tell him how to make Rudy speak. Anyone could tell that she and Rudy were really good friends. And anyone who was intelligent enough would take full advantage of that. This was something she and her friends would have to prepare for.

At the moment, though, she could do nothing. Her mother told her to stay in bed for a while. She was not going to school; her mother had called the principal and it turned out they decided to close the school down. Whatever they were doing, wiring or something, it was taking longer than they thought, and the principal just decided to shut the school down. Rather unorthodox, but it at least gave Penny some more time. All day in fact.

She looked over at the chalkboard. Despite what her mother said, she couldn't just lay down. She had to get up and head into ChalkZone. Rudy was likely getting ready to leave back into the Real World, no doubt oblivious to the school being shut down. Snap was waiting for her as well. She couldn't lay here; she had to contact them.

But standing up was rather problematic. She couldn't get very far without having to stop herself and lean against something. The swirling headache still had a stronghold on her mind, making her grit her teeth. The pain in her neck was also present. This made it hard for her to turn it without wincing.

She still wondered just what had happened to her out there. She was grateful that Von helped her. That was one thing she could say about him. At least he wasn't as heartless as he could be. That didn't mean she trusted him enough to speak to him, however, and she was still going to be on full alert around him. In the meantime, her mind focused on this pain, and what could have triggered it.

She still went with the theory that she merely tripped over something and hit her throat hard enough to make it very difficult to breathe. She had heard of such injuries before, and they can be pretty dangerous. Difficult to pull off, but not impossible.

There was such a small window of opportunity with such a thing as well... It had been a good thing Von was there to help out, however he did. He might not be a medical doctor, but he was still smart enough to know what to do. She narrowed her eyes and cursed herself when she realized she didn't ask Von what the person who attacked her looked like. There was the possibility he had seen what happened, even drive away the attacker. Yes, he had to have seen who it was that had snuck into her yard and ambushed her.

Penny cursed to herself, unable to believe that she forgot such a thing. Oh well, there was nothing she could do about it now. She would ask Von later about what happened. Maybe leave him a message over the phone or something. She would be careful not to get too buddy buddy with him, however, as she did not want to send the wrong signals. She needed the man to know that she will not help him in regards to the perpetual motion.

Penny kept her eyes locked on the chalkboard, taking in a deep breath and sighing. She was still unsure of what she was going to do. Simply walking over there was going to be difficult. She would stumble too much and her mother would catch wind of what happened. She might even remove the chalkboard so that she wouldn't try to walk to it again, or stay in the room and make sure she rests.

Nah...she wouldn't do that. She had too many chores to do. But she could ask one of the neighbors to come in and watch her for her. Penny was likely not going to be able to get the neighbor to leave, especially if it was the few that she knew would be stern and stubborn.

She grumbled to herself. She couldn't believe that this happened to day...of all days. She and Rudy could have had a lot more time in figuring out a strategy, but instead she was stuck at home in bed all because she was too stupid to make sure she wasn't being approached. She should have looked around harder. She should have been more prepared. She should have...done something. Anything different... She...

She realized she was being hard on herself. She had no way of knowing what was going on. She couldn't have been able to prepare for anything. She had done chores with the animals alone before. Just the basics, like feeding the dogs. She never had anything like this happen. So how could she have known that today would have been different?

Still.. She could have been a bit more alert, or struggled harder, or something. She still felt as though she could have done more to prevent her getting knocked out by...by whatever was injected to her. A drug of some kind. She flinched as she rubbed her neck. The pain still hadn't gone away from that.

If she could just put a name and face, or at least just a face, to her attacker, she could inform her mother and they could report this in better detail. Her mother was likely calling the police right now, or is going to, and let them know what happened to her. The neighborhood certainly needed to know what was going on. Penny certainly wouldn't want any of the other neighborhood kids to be harmed in this mess.

Before Penny could think too much further into her situation and how to get out of it, she heard a knock on her door. She lifted up her head and turned over to see her mother coming into the room.

"Hey..." Her mother said in a gentle voice. There was a soft smile on her face. She walked in slowly, as if she were afraid of scaring or upsetting her. "How are you feeling?"

Penny watched as her mother approached her slowly. The door wasn't shut, and it remained partway open. She noticed her mother was holding some kind of small tray in her hands. It looked a little strange, unlike any tray she had seen before. On top of it was some kind of soup. Penny cocked an eyebrow at this.

"You made me soup? Mom, you didn't have to..."

"I wanted to. I know it's not necessary, but I want to you to eat this soup." Her mother set the tray on her lap carefully. Penny felt the warmth of the soup touch her legs immediately. "This will help get your strength back." Penny looked at the tray closely, giving it a couple of sniffs. "I also mixed in some medicine." Penny looked up at her mom at this. "Some strong painkillers and antinflammatories. It'll help with your neck and headaches."

Penny wasn't sure what to say. She was stunned that her mother took the time to bring her any food this quickly at all. If she were sick, that would be one thing. But all Penny really needed was rest. Her mother didn't have to go through all this trouble just for her. The realization that she did made her mouth tick into a smile. She could count her mother for a lot of things, and this just further cemented that fact.

Penny smiled at her mother and said, "Thank you."

Her mother smiled back and nodded her head. "No problem." She reached over and stroked Penny on the head. "You just eat your soup and relax. Take all the time you need to." She leaned forward and gently kissed Penny on her forehead. She pulled back. She caressed Penny's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too, mom..." Penny said in a soft voice.

Her mother smiled at this before reluctantly moving away from her and heading towards the door. She paused for a moment, looking back into the room, her hand on the door. Then, after waving goodbye to her, she shut the door behind her, sealing Penny in her room.

Penny continued to smile towards the door for a few moments. She then slowly softened her expression and her smile faded a way completely. She turned her attention towards the soup that was in her lap. She licked her lips slowly. Despite having eaten breakfast, she was getting a little hungry. Perhaps she could eat at least some of this soup.

The fact that there was medicine intermixed with it didn't other her. This was a tactic her mother did in the past to get her to eat her medicine. It usually worked out very well, though it often depended on the medicine at hand. In some situations, it wasn't going to make much of a difference in covering up the bitter taste. And for medicine without a bad flavor, it was pointless to try at all.

Penny picked up her spoon and began to eat the soup. She winced as the hot fluid hit her tongue. She pulled back, her eyes bulging. She managed to swallow the bite, but she had to open up her tongue and pant to cool it down. Man, this soup was boiling hot. More so than she thought it was. She looked down and she noticed the steam rising from it. She felt like an idiot for not noticing this earlier.

As she leaned back to let the soup cool, she noticed something unusual about the tray. She already could tell something was up with it before. But now that she was holding it in her hands, she could tell something was definitely up with it. It did not feel like any tray she had used. It wasn't made of metal, but more wood than anything, and the bottom portion of it was unusually cold compared to the rest of the tray, and it felt different, too.

At first, Penny tried to ignore it. She attempted to shrug it off by saying it was just a new type of tray her mother got for some reason. She soon resumed eating the soup once it had cooled down enough. She pushed thoughts of the tray in the back of her mind as the liquid food dribbled down her throat.

However, attempts to block it out of her mind were futile and only lasted a short time. The confusion over the tray returned with a vengeance and her mind was soon bombarded with thoughts regarding it. She couldn't push them away no matter how hard she tried. She clutched her head, her fingertips pressing against her scalp. The confusion began to eat away at her stomach, making it impossible for her to concentrate on eating her food.

She tried to shift the thoughts away. She tried to stear them towards something more important, such as the situation going on with Terry and Von, or getting into ChalkZone. But nothing she did or tried would work, and her mind was dominated by the thoughts of this tray. Her intelligent mind just had to make sense of it, and, unable to control it, all attention of her brain was diverted towards this unusual tray.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she grabbed onto the tray and lifted it up. She lowered her head so she could peer underneath it. It took a little while to see well enough, but soon, she could make out what was underneath. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

It was a black surface. Much like a... a chalkboard...

This realization made Penny widen her eyes. Her mother had used a chalkboard as a tray? She...she never did anything like that before. She couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath, wondering what would make her mother do such a thing. She recognized this chalkboard as a portable one her mother got. She usually used it herself, but she sometimes allowed Penny to use it. What would possess her to reduce it to a mere holding tray for food?

Then she felt something next to the bowl of soup. She hadn't noticed it before. She didn't know how she didn't see it earlier. She stared at it, seeing the strange object laying there by the bowl. She reached over with her hand and grabbed onto it. She picked it up and pulled it towards her.

A piece of chalk...? Why would her mother give her a piece of chalk..? Penny kept staring at it, and the chalkboard. Her swirling headache only got worse as she tried to figure out what her mother was trying to do with this.

It took her several moments to realize what it most likely was. She felt silly that it took her this long to reach this conclusion.

It was quite obvious that her mother just wanted her to have a bit of fun. After what happened to her, it was clear her mother wanted to find someway for her to relax. And drawing and figuring out equations were one way that she relaxed. Her mother must have wanted to give her something to do instead of being cooped up in bed, waiting for the effects of the knockout fluid to leave her.

Penny couldn't help but smile. Her mother may not have known it, but she really came through for her today. She needed a way to contact Rudy and this was the perfect way to do so. And she didn't even have to get out of bed for it.

Penny hurried up and finished her soup. Though she wasn't hungry, though she got pretty full before the bowl was finished, she still ate. She didn't stop until she consumed the entire bowl. She flinched as some of the warm liquid began to dribble down her neck. She grabbed her blanket and pulled it close to her. Folding one end into a small triangular shape, she quickly wiped the soup from her neck.

Soon the bowl was almost empty. She put her spoon down and lifted the bowl to her face. She drank the rest of it. Once she was finished swallowing it, she set the bowl down on the bed, the spool placed in it. She flipped the chalkboard over so that the black surface faced her. She stared at it for a few seconds, her mind running throught thoughts as she tried to figure out how she was going to say to her friends.

Once she figured out something, she grabbed onto her magic chalk and began to write.

sss

"Come on, Sophie..." Rudy said softly. He leaned against the leg of his bed, staring at his little cousin. Though he was tired of trying, he said, "Isn't there anything you want to do...? That doesn't involve that chalkboard?"

Sophie shook her head, a wide grin on her face. "Nope!"

Rudy let out a sigh. "I figured..."

Rudy wasn't sure what he was going to do. He needed to get into ChalkZone to meet up with Penny and Snap. They were waiting for him, he knew. Standing there outside the portal, tapping their feet, looking at the time...

He felt a sense of guilt for making them wait so long. It wasn't what he intended to do. He hated that it's taking him so long. He was lucky that school ended up being cancelled anyway. That gave him extra time, but there was little he could do at the moment. He had to get Sophie out of here, but nothing he tried worked. Nothing could tear her away from that chalkboard.

He normally wouldn't mind this. But today wasn't a good day for it. The fact that she isn't just visiting for a few hours, instead staying for a couple of days, did not sit well with him. He didn't want to have to wait until late at night to head into ChalkZone. That just wasn't an option. Plus, Sophie could sometimes stay up really late if she wanted to. That gave him even less time.

He knew that sooner or later, she would get tired of the chalkboard and do something else. Unfortunately, that could take a long time. Sophie loved to draw and scribble, and his chalkboard was the perfect place to do that. She could reuse it over and over again without fail. It probably won't be until sometime in the afternoon that she would finally stop.

Okay, maybe earlier than that. He couldn't imagine even Sophie staying focused and excited about drawing for that long in a single day. Still, it was going to be too long for his taste, and the longer he stayed here, the more his friends were going to wonder where he was. They were probably worried sick. If Sophie would just leave, even just for a moment, then he could send a message to them and try to meet up with them later. It wouldn't take long at all. All he'd have to do was wait for Sophie to go to the bathroom or something, and he could scribble the message while she was away.

Unfortunately for him, Sophie had a bladder made of titanium. She could hold it in for a very long time without problems. No matter how much she drank, no matter how much liquid she put down her throat, she did not make a break for it to the bathroom for hours. Unless he figured out something, he was going to be here for a long, long time.

Rudy looked over at where his cousin was, his eyes trailing over what she was drawing. This was her...tenth batch? Or maybe twelfth? He no longer remembered. He lost count. All he was aware of was his cousin was still here, still drawing more scribbles, all of which looked the same as anything else she drew. This added to his confusion as to how many times she erased. Nothing seemed to change. He didn't say a word to Sophie about it, though. After all, she was a beginner artist who still had a lot to learn.

Rudy wondered how much time had passed since he last made a stronger attempt at getting Sophie away from the chalkboard. At least an hour. He noticed the light of the sun had shifted to a new location. Yeah...an hour seemed to be accurate.

He sighed. How was he going to get into ChalkZone at this rate? He couldn't keep his friends waiting for long. If he could at least write a message, it'd all be good. But Sophie wouldn't leave the board, no matter what he said. She was flat out determined to stay put there, continuing to scribble until the end of time.

A part of him was just tempted to go in anyway. He had wasted enough time waiting for her to stop. He needed to get into ChalkZone to speak to his friends, or at least write a note to them. But on the other hand, he realized just charging into ChalkZone now might not be a good idea. Sophie was surely going to want to come with, and even if he was quick about it, she would jump through the portal faster than he could react. Then he was going to have to search for her in ChalkZone and go through all that trouble again just to get her out.

Sophie had been surprisingly difficult to catch when she had gotten into ChalkZone. It was amazing...but horrifying at the same time. Sophie was lucky that she didn't run into any of the nastier residents. Sure, most zoners were pretty docile and wouldn't dream of hurting Sophie. But not all of them were so complacent. Especially Skrawl...

Rudy shivered, feeling a wave of coldness move through his body. He couldn't begin to imagine what he'd go through of Skrawl had gotten a hold of Sophie. She might be really young, but she was still a creator. Skrawl might teach her and get her to draw some pretty crude things that would still be dangerous enough to take over ChalkZone with. Even Sophie's regular scribbles could be bad enough in the wrong hands. They were so tight and strong... Skrawl could take any zoner hostage that he wanted to. Including himself...

Rudy decided to try again. This was the...he lost how many times he had tried to talk to Sophie. But still, he had to try. He didn't have much of a choice, now did he? He had to contact his friends, and fast. The guilt was rising up inside of him. He didn't want to worry them any longer. Oh what he wouldn't give for a cellphone, but his parents won't get him one until he was older. So there was only one thing he thought he could do.

The boy got up to his feet. He felt his muscles ache from how long he had been sitting down. He stretched his body. Relief swept through him, especially after hearing some cracks in his back and other places. He then made his way over to where Sophie was.

"Hey Soph...?"

Sophie stopped what she was doing and looked over at Rudy. She continued to smile broadly at him. She waved her hands towards the chalkboard, pressing them against the surface, smudging her scribbles a little. "See? See what I did? Rudy! Rudy! Did you see?"

Rudy smiled. He nodded his head once. "Yeah..I did." He paused, turning his eyes from one side to the other. "Umm... Can I have a turn...?"

Sophie shook her head in an almost furious fashion. If it weren't for the smile on her face, he would have thought she was angry at him. "No! Still draw!"

"Aww...but Soph..." Rudy's expression contorted into sadness. "Please...? Just one thing...?" He held out his hand. "I promise I will give it right back to you. Just..." He moved his hand closer. "It won't take long. I promise. Just a little..."

Sophie cringed away from him when he got too close. She held the chalk against herself and shook her head. She muttered a loud 'nuh uh'. Knowing that he couldn't just take it from her without there being issues, and knowing he wouldn't do that himself anyway, Rudy took a step back.

As his cousin resumed drawing, he sighed and tried to think of a new strategy. Whatever he had tried failed. Sophie just wouldn't let him use the chalkboard. She was currently just thinking of herself, which is normal for someone her age. Usually she would be more selfless if she realized how said she was making a person, but this time, that wasn't going to work. She was just too excited.

So a new strategy was required. Something that he hadn't tried yet. Something that would be more effective.

He knew what he could do. He didn't want to. He hated having to do this. He didn't like dragging his aunt into these situations. And he knew that she didn't enjoy it either. She often practiced yoga and other forms of medication to keep her calm in part due to the disagreements he and Sophie can have sometimes. He didn't want to 'inspire' her to take longer meditations.

Bringing in his aunt was the last thing he wanted to do, but if Sophie didn't leave and let him use the chalkboard, then it was the only option he had left. He still wanted to make sure this option was run and dry first before he went down to get his aunt, however. Sucking in a breath, he took a step foward, his eyes locking onto Sophie's drawing form.

"Are you sure I can't draw anything, Sophie?" Rudy asked carefully. He didn't want to sound like he was trying to force her into giving him the chalk. He wanted to be sure that she did so only on her own terms at this point. "Please?"

Predictably, Sophie shook her head. "No!"

Rudy let out a sigh, lowering his body forward a little. He shook his head. "Then you leave me with no choice, Sophie..." At this, his cousin looked over in his direction. "If you don't let me use the chalkboard, I'm going to tell your mother."

Rudy hated how low and immature he sounded with that. He hated seeing the shocked look in his cousin's eyes. He hated being the bad guy. But he was getting desperate, and Sophie was taking way too long with the chalkboard.

Sophie shook her head. "No! Please! Not mama!"

Rudy gave a wry smile. "Oh I'm sure mama won't be happy if she found out you weren't sharing with me." Rudy felt his heart twist as he saw his little cousin's expression. She must really be hurting inside. He never spoke to her this way before. He reminded himself that he would make it up to her soon. "So..now can I draw?"

Sophie didn't respond. She looked from the piece of chalk in her hands, and then back at Rudy. She bit her lip and took a step back. She still seemed reluctant in spite of what he said.

Rudy gave a nonchalant shrug. "Is that a no? Isn't that too bad..." Rudy turned his back to his little cousin. "Well, let's see what mommy thinks about this." He began to walk towards the door slowly. He deliberately took his time, giving his cousin plenty of time to respond. Luckily, it didn't take long.

"No, Rudy! No get mama!" Sophie cried in desperation. Rudy stopped and looked over his shoulder. He did his best not to react to Sophie's saddening expression. "I let you draw! Just no tell mama!"

Rudy smiled as he saw his cousin hold the chalk out in front of her, waiting for him to take it. He let out a sigh of relief, glad that he was able to convince his cousin to give him a chance at the chalkboard. He walked towards her slowly, not wanting to startle her anymore than he probably had. When he reached his cousin, he took the chalk from her carefully, holding it tightly in his hand.

He looked at Sophie, and his expression softened up. She looked so sad and so scared... Rudy felt filthy for resorting to using his own aunt as a threat to get what he wanted. He briefly wondered what had come over him. He had to make it better. He had to set things right with her before she thought that he hated her or anything.

Rudy reached out and put his hand on Sophie's shoulder. "Sophie...I'm..."

But she wouldn't let him finish. With a frightened squeal, she struck his hand away from her and backed away, her body shaking. Rudy had never seen his cousin overreact like this...but then again...her cousin never saw her act like this before either.

"Soph..." Rudy said softly. But it was too late.

Sophie turned around and ran away. He could hear her calling out for her mother over and over again. Soon, the calls vanished as Sophie disappeared down the steps, looking for her mother. Silence fell upon the room, but Rudy knew this was going to be short lived.

Rudy felt his stomach twist in guilt. Just what had he done...? He never should have went through with that plan. He shouldn't have scared his little cousin like that. Now Sophie was going to think that he hated her and his aunt was going to be so angry with him. He clutched his hand tightly, digging his fingernails into his scalp. He clenched his teeth, grinding them. He was such an idiot.

It didn't take long for his aunt to realize what had happened. He could hear his aunt call to her little daughter worriedly. He could hear her ask what was wrong with her. Rudy flinched, knowing exactly what was going to happen in a matter of seconds.

"Rudy Tabootie!"

Rudy froze at that, his body stiffening. Sophie had just old her mother what he had done to her. Rudy felt his blood turn to ice, hearing just how angry his aunt sounded. He rarely ever heard her this mad at him, or at anyone or anything in general. It took effort to get her into this state. His mother was easier to anger and that was saying something.

His aunt's angered voice interrupted him from his thoughts. "Come down here this instant, Rudy Tabootie!"

Rudy shuddered. His aunt must really be angry if she referred to him by first and last name more than once. He took in a shaky breath, swallowing nervously. He looked back at the chalkboard. He had to get this done real quick. It wouldn't take long.

He got out his chalk and headed towards the board. He pressed the chalk against the board, pausing only to figure out what to write. A message that was quick enough to write in seconds, but detailed enough that his friends understood what his plans were. Before he could write, however, he realized that he had the wrong chalk.

The magic chalk..he couldn't use this. He would end up creating portals, either small or larger, or of different shapes, when writing the message. He was about to pull his hand away when he heard the pounding of footsteps approaching fast behind him and then someone grabbing him by his arm. He let out a cry of surprise.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, young man!" Aunt Tilly hissed at thim as she began to pull him back.

"I-I didn't..." Rudy started to say as he was ripped away from the chalkboard. He nearly lost his grip with the magic chalk. "Please, I..."

"You can explain all you want to when we get into the kitchen!" Aunt Tilly growled. "I hope you have a good explanation for what you did to my daughter!"

Rudy couldn't say anymore. He could only gulp as he looked up at his aunt. He shivered when he saw just how anger-filled her eyes were. He knew, just from that, how much he had screwed things up.

His aunt dragged him towards the door, nearly making him trip over his own feet. He held tightly onto the magic chalk, stuffing it into his pocket. He tried to look back towards the chalkboard, but his aunt yanked him out of the room too fast. He soon found himself being pulled down the stairs at such incredible speed. He tried pulling back, tried to beg his aunt to let him go. But she didn't listen, only tightening her grip further. Rudy winced when he felt her nails dig into his skin.

Soon they were in the kitchen. Aunt Tilly pulled him over towards one of the chairs. She stopped in front of it. She used her free hand to pull the chair out towards them. She then thrust Rudy against the chair. Rudy winced as he felt his aunt's nails scrape against his arm. He looked down, and his eyes widened in shock as he saw there was a tad bit of blood on his arm from his aunt holding him too tightly. He looked up at her in shock, but all she did was glare back down at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his cousin. He didn't dare look at her. He already knew what she was going to look like. Sad, frightened, maybe even crying. He felt so horrible. Poor Sophie. Why did he have to be so stupid...?

Rudy looked up at his aunt. He flinched at how angry she looked. She glared daggers down at him. It made him wonder just what his cousin had said to her about what he did. He clenched his teeth nervously, turning his head to one side in submission. He watched as she folded her arms agaisnt her chest and spoke.

"What have you done...?"

sss

Come on... Where could they be..? They said they were going to be here right around now. So what was taking them so long? Did they forget about their meeting? Did they get so busy with something that they just forgot to check in with him?

He shook the thought out of his head. There was no way they would just forget like that. It just wasn't like them. He had known them for years, and they never did anything like that before. If they couldn't come, they always told him in some shape or form. It was just not their style.

So for them to not be here yet... He had a feeling that something was wrong. Something was stopping them from coming. His racing mind was unable to prevent him from thinking about all kinds of things that could have happened, such as them getting caught by someone else, or them getting kidnapped, or something else popping up that they didn't know about. As much as he wanted tot hink it was nothing serious, he just...couldn't help but wonder.

But in the end, he knew he was overthinking it. Rudy and Penny had everything under control usually. They always found the time to see him, even in the mornings of school. Not a lot of time during those moments, but it's enough to see him and give a quick rundown.

Snap had been waiting by Rudy's portal for quite some time. Nothing happened. Usually, Rudy would stop by and at least say hi to him. He had been late before, so Snap didn't think anything of it when he didn't show up. But when that became a couple hours...

What was going on with Rudy and Penny? He hadn't seen any sign of Penny in ChalkZone, and Rudy obviously wasn't here, or he would have seen him by now. He didn't have a watch with him, but being a zoner, he had an internal clock of sorts, and usually knew what time it was without the need of such a thing. A trait common on zoners since the sun does not rise and fall like it does in the Real World. He knew, just from intuition, that school for his friends had already started. He knew that he was going to have to wait for lunch in order to see his friends.

...provided they even show up. What if they wouldn't show up again? What if whatever happened to them would occur again? What if they were in danger? Snap put his hand on his chest, feeling his heart start to race. He managed to calm himself down, but the sense of dread was still there. He couldn't help it. Usually, he was more rational about these things, but today was a bit different.

There were currently two probable threats. Von, and, much more likely, Terry. Von is a lower threat since he knew nothing of ChalkZone and only wanted to know more about perpetual motion that he was so certain Rudy had discovered. Terry, on the other hand... she was a whole different story.

Snap still remembered how that woman had kidnapped her and tried to put him on television so people would know about zoners and of ChalkZone. He had to admit, despite being considered crazy and missing some key details, Terry's plan was pretty solid. He may not have ever admitted it, but it was only through shere luck that the producers thought he was just a clown. Anyone who thought more deeply about it, like Terry obviously had, would have realized he wasn't human and... he shuddered to think of what the consequences could have been...

Snap knew just how dangerous Von would get if such information leaked out. Terry was bad enough, but it wasn't her he knew they should fear more, but other people as they became aware of ChalkZone.

Von? If he found out, he would take a zoner and tear them apart to see how they tick... That was how some scientists could be. Biologists and all that, wanting to know how zoners are alive despite not being made of carbon or being, on their terms, organic. It was going to be like that nightmare he had...only real.

He remembered vividly when he had that terrifying nightmare of being turned into a living cookie. It had messed him up real good, and even after telling his friends about it, he still felt at unease involving the subject. Being placed on a table, being inspected by his own friends, almost getting eaten...

And if Von were to find out about zoners, that could become a reality. Well..not the whole 'getting turned into a cookie and eaten' thing, since to humans, anything in ChalkZone would taste like, well duh, chalk. But he would strap zoners down to a table and proceed to examine them, and a lot of that could be very painful, to the point where it might as well be called torture.

Snap heard someone calling out his name. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder. In the distance, over one of the hills, he could make out a shape coming towards him. The voice sounded familiar, and was clearly male. But the voice was so faint and the person so far away that he couldn't tell who it was at first.

Then his name was shouted again, and the Day Zone sun shined more directly on him, illuminating him from the shadow of one of the clouds that was overhead. Snap's eyes widened.

"Blocky?" Snap asked in a soft voice. He did his best to hide his worry as he saw his friend scrambling towards him. "What is it?"

"Snap! Thank goodness I found you!" Blocky soon got up to him. He stopped a few feet in front of Snap. He placed his hands against himself as he bent over. He opened his mouth and panted a few times. He then looked back up. Snap could see no fear in his eyes, but tiredness. He relaxed at this. "I found this note! It's from Penny!"

Despite the fact that it was probably nothing too bad, Snap couldn't help but feel a pang in his chest. The letter hadn't even been opened, so Blocky not being fearful did not mean that something wasn't wrong. Wanting to know what the note said, Snap reached out and grabbed onto it. He quickly opened it up and looked at what it said.

'Hey Snap! Sorry I couldn't come. I was knocked out earlier. I'm not sure what happened. But don't worry. I'm fine! Dr. Von Doktor helped me out. Yeah I know what you might think of that. I'm unsure of what to make of it myself. Anyway, school has been cancelled. I will try to meet you in ChalkZone later. I have to rest while the knock out injection given to me wears off completely. So...probably in the afternoon or evening I'll be in ChalkZone. Be sure to let Rudy know! And I'm so, so sorry if I left you guys waiting for so long.

-Penny'

Snap stared at the note. Many thoughts raced through his mind. He noticed Blocky looking at him worriedly, and he may have even asked what was wrong. But Snap hardly paid attention to him, his focus solely on the piece of paper.

A part of him felt relief. Penny was fine. She was just laying down, resting. There was no hospitalizations or kidnappings or anything that he had feared and dreaded. However, that was the only bit that had relaxed him. The rest..a different story.

Penny had been knocked out? When she said that, Snap initially thought she hit her head, like falling off a ladder or something. Though that didn't happen, what did was just as concerning to him. The fact that she was injected.. Someone did that to her on purpose? Was it Von? Penny didn't say it was, and he found it strange he would stick around and help undo what he did. But...then again it did make a lot of sense because, well, it would keep the target off of him. But what purpose would he have in knocking Penny out if that were the case?

And then there was the other matter. If Rudy wasn't with Penny, then...where was he?

The note Penny wrote to him made it very clear that she thought that Rudy was here in ChalkZone with him. But Snap had been waiting here for hours and he never came. So the question was...what happened with Rudy...?

Snap did his best to relax. Penny was fine and would come into ChalkZone later after she was feeling well. Perhaps Rudy had gotten sick somehow? No, if he did, he would have told him via portable portal. He saw no sign of his friend. The fact that Penny didn't know Rudy's true location, or what was wrong with him, had the little superhero zoner worried.

As worried as he was getting, Snap realized there would be nothing to gain from that. All he could do now was sit here and wait. If Rudy doesn't show up, or if he doesn't send any notes, he'll just have to wait for Penny and they could see what was up. She could draw a tiny portal and peer in to see what was going on.

Snap hoped that nothing was wrong with Rudy. He couldn't really think of why he wasn't in ChalkZone at the moment, but he was certain there was a good reason for it. And he hoped that reason wasn't too serious. He was just going to have to wait and find out.

sss

"Hmm...I don't know. Why should I lizten to you?" Von asked, cocking an eyebrow up.

"You are refusing my offer?" Hissed Terry, her fingers curling against her palm. "I would have thought you wanted help in this!"

Von shook his head. "No, I'm not zaying zat at all. It'z juzt zat..." The old man rubbed the underneath of his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the woman before him. After a bit of silence, he finished his sentence. "I am not sure if your...reputation would mix well with..."

Terry narrowed her eyes dangerously at this, looking as if she was going to flip her lid. "My reputation..?" Her voice darkened at this. "Is that what you are afraid of?"

Von held up his hand in gesture. "It'z nothing perzonal, mizz. It'z juzt..." He darted his eyes from one side to the other. "I wouldn't want to...taint my rezearch with your...stories."

"Stories?!" Terry rose up from her seat, her face slightly reddened. "Is that what you think they are?! Just..stories?!" She slammed her hands against the table, shaking it. Von flinched at this, turning his head to one side. "Well let me tell you something! I know what I saw! I was in there! That stupid sewer rat thing...eating my hair.. I didn't imagine that! If you dismiss me as a crackpot like everyone else..."

"I...well, I..." Von stammered as he tried frantically to calm the woman down. "Zere iz no reazon to..."

"Get upset? Oh I have a good reason to be upset!" Terry hissed at him. She took in a few ragged breaths. Her furrowed expression seemed to tell tales of thoughts that were going through her head at that moment. "Do you know what it's like having your reputation ripped apart? Do you know what it's like to have children, mere little brats, be the reason why no one takes you seriously anymore? Do you know what it's like to not even be able to speak your name without people bringing up that blunder you made? Do you know how it feels to be right, but then told you are wrong by everyone else, despite you knowing the contrary?"

Von listened to the woman's rant. He did his best to remain calm. He didn't want to get pulled in. He didn't want to get himself worked up. He did what he could to push back the growing anger inside of himself. This woman had the audacity to act like he didn't understand any of this. Did she have any idea who she was talking to? Then again, maybe he should cut her a break. She was just angry and spewing out whatever came to mind.

He let her rant and rave. He leaned back in his chair, trying to keep a neutral expression. If he remained like this, resisting the urge to frown or glare at her, he could potentially avoid a nasty argument. Even when the woman would say something insulting to him, he would resist any temptation to attack back. The best way to deal with this was just to let them run out of steam.

And sure enough, Terry's vigor began to decrease slowly. She eventually became more relaxed, quiet. Her breathing became more controlled and less ragged. She talked less and less, and whatever she did say became more coherent and understandable. Soon, silence fell upon the room, and they merely just looked at each other.

Von was at war in his own mind. Here, he had a potential ally. Terry had confronted him not too long ago. He wasn't sure why, except it had to do with the chalk world. And that was his major reason for being so hesitant.

Von still wasn't sure if he wanted to believe in this chalk world. He knew how much Terry was mocked for it, and considering his own ruined reputation, it might not be a good idea to join forces with her. She might drag him further into this supposed conspiracy these children were allegedly hiding. What remained of his reputation would be ruined if he...

He paused for thought. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad an idea after all. He wasn't sure if he would buy into her ChalkZone stories. However, she was still a potential ally, and he might need some help. She knew these children better than he did, it seemed. And her anger and hate towards them would motivate her even more.

Terry took in a few more heavy breaths as she glared at him. After a few moments, she relaxed her expression. She shifted her eyes around as she seemed to realize what she did. She closed her eyes and said, "I'm...sorry about that outburst. I..."

"No. Don't worry about it." Von waved his hand dismissively. "We all get angry. Now... tell me exactly why you are here."

"I already told you. I think you and I could do well working together. Out of everyone I interviewed, you are the best candidate." Terry explained. "You're not a grumpy teacher, or an insane demolitioner." She cracked a small smile. "We're both smart. If we work together..." She held her hand out in gesture. "We could show the world that the chalk world is..."

Von cut her off. "I am not getting mixed in with that junk." He quickly realized that he sounded way too harsh at that. So he cleared his throat and back tracked. "What I mean to say is... Whether or not this chalk world exists isn't my priority. I am more interested in the perpetual motion. That..."

"..is nothing compared to a world made of chalk. Think about it." Terry leaned forward, her body stretching across the table. "People would pay thousands of dollars to get into such a place. No. Millions." Von's eyes widened at this. "You should already know that, I'm sure. Such a discovery would pale some perpetual motion thing. You'd have people flocking to you!"

"Hmm..millions of dollars..?" Von asked softly.

Terry nodded her head. "Perhaps even more."

Von had to admit, the idea sounded really intriguing. He was still skeptical, but he had to admit, this woman did make a lot of sense. He would get more rich off a chalk world than perpetual motion. No one had ever discovered an alternate dimension before. As impressive as perpetual motion was, the reaction to an alternate would be...unfathomable.

"Okay... you have my attention." Von said. He motioned his hand out towards her, gesturing her to continue.

"If you're willing to help me, and accept my help, I promise you that we will get what we deserve. We will get back our reputations, and we will get even with those little brats by showing them that, in spite of their efforts, they were not able to stop us." Terry raised her hand up, palm facing upwards, and curled her fingers inward, almost like they were claws. "No one will ever call us crazy again."

Von stared at her for a few moments. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "...do you have any way of proving this theory of yours?"

Terry smirked at this. "Yes. I know of a way. I promise you will not be disappointed."

Von remained silent for a moment. Despite his better judgment telling him this was a bad idea, he couldn't help but give a devious smile. Perhaps he had finally gotten the break he deserved...

sss

"Hey, Snap! Look!" Blocky cried, pointing up towards the sky.

"What? Where?" Snap turned his head up. His eyes widened in shock at he saw. "A portal..?"

"Maybe it's Rudy!" Blocky said enthusiastically.

Snap resisted the urge to snark back at his friend. Of course it was Rudy. There was no one else it could be. Rudy was the only member of his immediate family that knew about ChalkZone, and Penny was laying in bed and wouldn't be in until later today. The only one left was Rudy.

Unless...

Snap sucked in a sharp breath, feeling his heart start to pound. What if someone else had taken the chalk from him? What if his parents had found out and had interrogated him about it? What if they forced him to tell them how he got in, and now they were using the chalk themselves to come in? What if...

He shook his head. No, he couldn't think like that. It was going to be fine. It was just Rudy finally coming in to talk to him. As soon as the portal opened up, he was going to see his friend poke his head through and apologize for being so late. Maybe he just overslept since school was cancelled. Maybe he was a little sick and didn't feel up to talking to him, even with the portable portal. Unlikely, but still, in a way, possible.

In a few seconds, the portal finished and the light flashed. Snap could see the interior of Rudy's room, but so far, in the first few seconds, he didn't see Rudy. He and Blocky waited, stairing up in confusion.

Then something unexpected happened.

"Draw! Want draw more!" A cute little voice cried out.

Snap's eyes bulged at that voice. He had only heard it one time before, but there was no mistaking it. "Oh caloy..." Snap put his hands to his face, giving a few quick shivers. "It's Rudy's little cousin, Sophie!"

Sure enough, Sophie poked her head through the portal. The two year old had a broad smile on her face as she looked around. There was a flash of familiarity in her eyes, especially when she settled them upon Snap and Blocky.

"Drawings!" She said with a giggle as she leaned herself forward. "Drawings!"

"She's going to fall!" Blocky cried, his eyes wide.

"Oh no...!" Snap couldn't stifle the gasp of horror as Sophie leaned in too far and she fell in. "Don't worry! I've got you!"

"Me too!" Cried Blocky.

Sophie's scream filled their ears, but thankfully it was shortlived. Snap and Blocky, moving as fast as they could, dove towards where the girl was falling. Working together, they managed to catch her before she hit against the ground. They landed in the dirt, coughing as a bit of dirt got in their faces. They quickly sat up and looked at the girl before them.

Snap could feel many questions run through his mind. What was Sophie doing here? Where was Rudy? Why wasn't he here? He looked up towards the portal. He saw no sign of Rudy coming in. Glancing down at Sophie, seeing the magic chalk in her hands, he knew that she herself had drawn the portal, and not Rudy. He looked over at Blocky, and his expression yielded the same question as him.

Where was Rudy?

However, Snap's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a startled shout from Blocky.

"Sophie's getting away!"

Snap looked over and he saw that Sophie had gotten a great amount of distance from him and Blocky. His eyes widened in horror, memories of what happened the last time she was in here flooding back to him.

The little zoner was frozen, uncertain of what to do. A part of him wanted to go after Sophie, but another part wanted to stay and wait for Rudy and tell him what happened. He looked from the portal and then to Sophie. He kept looking between them, trying to figure out which would be the right thing to do.

Eventually he decided. He wasn't sure if it was the best move, but it was still better than nothing.

Turning his attention to Blocky, he said, "You're more flexible than I am, Blocky. Go after her and try to bring her back!"

Blocky nodded his head. He needed no further prompting. He immediately rushed towards Sophie, calling out her name. Snap watched him leave and then turned his head back towards the portal. He bit his lip, his mind buzzing with worry.

"Please hurry, Bucko..."

sss

Von felt stupid for forgetting this small detail, especially since he had just had it installed today. Okay, it wasn't a small thing. It was quite major in fact. And since Terry was in on the whole thing, he might as well inform her. Perhaps she could help him...enhance it somehow.

"So...you're saying that you put a tracker in Penny?" Terry asked, raising an eyebrow. "Without anyone noticing?"

Von nodded his head. He smiled, pride radiating off of his body. "It was quite easy, too. All I had to do was knock out the girl, and the rest followed suit." He reached the cabinet and he pulled out a monitor device. He looked down at it. Without looking at Terry, he said, " We can use this to track her wherever she goes."

He slowly walked back to the table. He placed the monitor against the table as he pulled up a seat and sat down. Terry looked at it curiously, and then glanced at Von. He could tell she was waiting for him to turn it on, so he did. With a push of a button, the monitor was on, displaying white with various lines and multicolors. A map, not unlike a GPS.

Thinking back to what the woman said before, he gave her a sideways glance. "Do you think this will further help you prove your...chalk world theory?"

Terry looked at the monitor long and hard. He could see her eyes brightening, a twinkle in them. The smile that spread across her face was, as unnerving as it was, very confirmative of what she was thinking. She stared at him intently, and spoke, "Oh yes. This is..splendid."

Terry looked over at him, her smile growing as devious as his was before. In response, he smirked evilly right back at her. Turning his attention back to the monitor, he pressed a button on it. There was a couple of beeps, and then a red dot appeared on the screen.

It was Penny's location. He and Terry exchanged smiles with one another and then glanced back down.

"Good..." Terry said in a low voice. "Now...all we have to do...is wait." Her eyes twinkled at this.


	7. Uncertainties

Second rule: Remember things that change as quickly as an angry twister.

sss

Rudy clutched the brush tightly in his hand. His knees were starting to hurt from being on the ground for so long. His arms were aching. Yet despite that, he still scrubbed the hard floor of his bathroom. Back and forth, his arm went, never stopping or resting. He wanted to get this done as soon as possible.

He had no idea how much time had passed. It felt like forever. He was so tired, he wanted to just collapse on the ground and sleep. But he could not do that. He had to keep going. Only when he was able to get this done could even think about resting. It was almost finished. He just needed a little more time. Just a little...

"Let me know when you are done!"

Rudy winced as he heard his aunt call out to him, hunching his shoulders. There was still a tinge of anger to her voice, but she had noticeabley calmed down. She was more or less calmly waiting for him to speak to her after he was finished here.

"No problem, Aunt Tilly!" He called back, making sure that his aunt knew he got the message. There was nothing but silence after that.

Rudy was still shaken up by what had happened. Mostly in his own behavior. He hadn't meant to treat Sophie like that. He didn't mean to scare her. He could understand why his aunt wasn't happy with him about that. She was her daughter after all. He should have controlled himself more and not give into such a temptation.

At least he didn't try to hurt her. He'd never do that. He loved Sophie, and he was not a violent person. He couldn't begin to fathom any point in time where he would be tempted to do something malicious to anyone.

But threatening to bring her mother in, taunting her about it... He should have realized he was drawing the line with that. He could have just left and told his aunt about what was going on. Instead, he chose to talk to Sophie about bringing her mom in, and he wound up upsetting her. He wasn't even able to calm her down and apologize before she bolted. Even though it wasn't his intentions, he still felt horrible for what he'd done.

Aunt Tilly was quite angry with him, and though she understood his frustration, she couldn't believe that he had acted that way just because she wasn't sharing. To his aunt, that's what all was at stake. Just not being able to use his 'precious chalkboard' as she had put it. Not that he blamed her. She knew nothing about the dangers he puts himself through in protecting ChalkZone. She couldn't begin to comprehend everything that he has done for this world that she didn't know existed.

He did apologize to Sophie. He couldn't tell if she took it well or not. Sometimes it's hard to tell with little children like that. She ran off later, and he could hear her climbing up the steps. Probably went back to his room so she could draw on his board more.

After that, Aunt Tilly decided to punish him. Rudy thought it was a little extreme, since he did not do anything that terrible, and Sophie seemed to be fine. He wasn't really sure what motivated her to punish him like this, but there was little he could do. The woman decided the best way to 'teach him a lesson' was to make him do a few chores. Not horrendeously difficult chores, though. Just enough to discourage him from doing that to Sophie again.

Rudy tried to explain to his aunt that there was no need for this, and that he had learned his lesson. But his aunt would not be swayed, and she kept with the punishment. She gave him a certain amount of time to finish each chore, and then she'd check to make sure he did it.

His body was now aching from the chores, though mostly just from this curent one which involved the most manual labor. Scrubbing the bathroom floor was a daunting task for someone his age, and out of the chores, this was the hardest one. There were several dirty spots that hadn't been cleaned yet and Aunt Tilly wanted him to clean all of them, and she wanted him to scrub the bottom of the bathtub itself as well.

His arm was getting so tired. He just wanted to drop the brush and rest. He could not do that. He had to keep going. He was almost there. He was nearly to the door. He just needed to scrub some more, and then he was finished.

He realized this was not going to be his final chore. His aunt likely has another one in store for him. He smacked his lips together, licking them slowly. He was getting so thirsty. And the idea of him having to do another chore before he could even stop was a bit unnerving for him.

His mind shifted to ChalkZone. He wondered how Penny and Snap were doing without him. He wished he could have left them a message. He felt awful that he hadn't done so earlier, before his aunt had grabbed him. Then again, he had so little time and...well, how could he have written a message in a few seconds? He was just going to have to wait until after he was finished with his chores before he went into ChalkZone.

And hopefully, that wouldn't take too long.

Soon, he was done. He could feel the soft carpet of the hallway as he exited out. He stared at the floor, which now shined back at him. So clean it was, he could see his face in the reflection. He smiled at this, feeling a sense of pride of his accomplishment. His aunt would definitely be pleased with this.

Standing up, stretching his sore legs and his stiff back, feeling a few pops here or there, he turned his attention towards the steps, knowing that his aunt was in the living room. "I'm finished, Aunt Tilly!"

A bit of silence, and Rudy wondered if she heard him. He was about to call out again when his aunt suddenly cut him off. "Okay then. Come on down here! I want to talk to you some more!"

Rudy stiffened a little at this. She hadn't done this before in his punishment; she would just inspect his work and then tell him what else to clean. He wondered why she wanted to call him down to speak to him. He wondered just what she had to say. Was she going to yell at him more? Did she have a lot more work for to do?

Seeing that he had no choice, Rudy nodded his head in spite of the fact that she could not see it. He set the scrubber down and he made his way towards the stairs. He placed his hand on the railing and took in a deep breath. Preparing ihmself for what might be coming, he slowly descended the staircase.

As he did this, he again thought back to his friends. He hoped that they were doing okay and not worrying too much about him. He had a lot of explaining to do the next time he saw them. He hoped they would understand.

sss

"Are you sure thiz iz zee bezt place for ziz? Shouldn't we..?" Von's perplexed voice filled the air.

Terry shot an annoyed glare at him. She curled her lips up partially, showing a bit of her teeth. "Will you hush up?! Do you want to give ourselves away?!"

"Well no but..." Von paused for thought. His eyes widened in realization. "But there's nobody here! How could I give ourselves away if there's no one even..."

Terry covered his mouth quickly. The man gave a startled grunt and struggled. She looped an arm around his neck and tried to hold him still. "Just be quiet! I don't want to screw this one shot that we have! So don't talk loudly. Or better yet, don't talk at all unless it has to do with our mission!"

She released him immediately after that. Von moved away from her, pressing his shoulder against the cold curviture of the van door. He gripped his throat, rubbing it carefully. He glared back at her. His face was contorted, his lip curled up in annoyance. But despite his anger, Terry hardly paid attention to him. Her dark eyes were focused on the house before them, many thoughts running through her head.

She had dreamed of this moment for so long. She had bided her time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. She had put up with insult after insult, all kinds of mocking stories, her name being smudged into the ground like it was nothing. And she had been waiting, observing, hoping that she would get a chance to strike back.

And now...it seemed she finally had her time. When Von came into the picture, everything changed. Yes, she believed she was going to enjoy working with him...provided he did what she told him to, of course.

At the moment, the old man was annoying her. He kept asking her, over and over, what the point of this was. She would explain it to him, but she figured he was smart enough to know. Clearly he wasn't, and she was not in the mood to stop her mission just to explain something he should have been able to figure out on his own. After all, if she looked away for too long, she may miss the opportunity.

Of course, this tracker screen helped out a lot. It would be hard to miss their intended target. The blinking red light stood out like a sore thumb. Terry glared down at it. Yes, as soon as this thing moved, they would know exactly where she was going.

If the darn thing would move at all. Terry bit her lip hard, her teeth almost sinking into the skin. She wasn't sure what was taking that brat so long. She usually was with Rudy right about now. Yet she hadn't left her home. She hadn't gone to Rudy's house. She hadn't moved from this spot for quite some time now. She suspected that Rudy's place was where they entered the chalk world usually. Rudy seemed like the mastermind between the two. Three if she counted that blue boy. So why was Penny still at home?

"I zink we should go to the girl'z houze and..."

Hissing lowly, Terry whipped her head towards him and barked, "No! Now shut up!"

Terry realized she was being loud herself. She knew she would have to learn to better control herself. She was not going to get them very far in this investigation of theirs if she ended up being the one triggering others to what they were doing. They were parked on the street just in front of Rudy's house, and though no one said anything, she knew they couldn't afford to bring attention to themselves. Her disguising her van certainly helped. Painting it a different color and all that.

She kept her gaze on the house before her. She recognized it from anywhere. She had been to Rudy's place enough that she knew its design from a distance. To a lesser extent, she also knew Penny Sanchez's, and sometimes drove by there in hopes of catching the girl alone, or doing something that warranted inspection. Of course, neither of those happened.

There was good reason that she was here instead of at Penny's, despite the fact that Penny was the one with the tracker, not Rudy. She hadn't explained it to Von, much to his frustration. He didn't know as much about the chalk world as she did. But in spite of that, she still thought that he would be smart enough to know what her planning was, what her train of thought at the moment is. If he was so smart, he should have figured this out by now. Oh well, that's not really important right now.

Terry glared at the dot, and then lifted her head up, giving an upwards glare towards Rudy Tabootie's house. Any time now... She just needed to keep waiting. Sooner or later, she would have all the proof she needed that something was up with these two, and that a breach in dimensions had occurred.

All they had to do was wait for Penny to make her move. She theorized that the children met in that chalk world a lot, as it was easier than having their parents drive them all the time. There were probably many drawings in the chalk world that would help them reach each other quickly. If her theory was right, then when the red dot moves towards Rudy's house, and when it finally touches, they should not see anything from Penny herself. No car. No bike. No little girl walking. It would be as if a ghost had come.

And she was going to get it all on camera, too... She had some set up in the front of her van, disguised and unseen. And she had one just above her, pointing straight at the tracker. And then one large one that would catch both the monitor and the house in front of her. Soon, she would have the proof she needed to show that an alternate dimension indeed existed.

"Zee dot iz moving!" Von hissed in a low voice.

Terry blinked a couple of times and stared down. Sure enough, the red dot, which indicated Penny, and started to move. And much to her delight, it was going straight for Rudy's place. Her mouth tugged into a twisted smile. Revenge was going to be so sweet...

sss

Penny let out a sigh of relief. She was wondering when her mother was going to let her leave. She understood how worried she was. Even after getting some rest and regaining her strength, her mother was still concerned about her.

Not that she blamed her. After all, she did stop breathing for a time. Penny thought this was because she hit her throat, but her mother said that Doctor Von Doktor said she was choking. It did make sense. That would explain why her mother didn't rush her off to the hospital. Although it did not explain the soreness in her neck.

She brushed it off, wanting to, instead, focus on getting into ChalkZone. Her mother had looked her over to make sure she was okay. She wanted to be certain that nothing else happened and that what happened wasn't more serious than it looked. Her mother did notice puncture marks on her neck, but thought they were just mosquito bites, especially with how they raised up and were a bit itchy. Penny insisted to her mom that she was feeling fine now, and, at last, her mother determined she was healthy and fine, and left her alone. Penny knew her mom would come back soon to double check on her, so she took this chance.

Looking outside her window briefly, she knew that it was afternoon. The familiar golden color of the sky began to radiate into her bedroom. The rays touched her skin, making her feel its warmth. It was a reminder to her of just how long she had waited, and how much time had been wasted. She could have gotten into ChalkZone sooner if she had just crawled in about two hours ago. But she had decided to wait, and then her mom came in and...

Well, at least it was over now. She would be able to get into ChalkZone and meet up with her friends. Provided they were still there... Well Rudy might be back in the Real World. Snap may have stuck around to wait for her. She did tell them about when she would arrive anyway. Rudy might have had to go back home due to the time, but Snap was likely going to meet up with her.

The sooner she got into ChalkZone, the sooner she would be able to talk to Snap. She hoped that he would be able to relay to her information regarding the meeting. Perhaps they had thought of something new. Maybe they had come up with a plan of action.

Penny took out her magic chalk. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that her mother wasn't looking in. She then turned her attention back to the chalkboard in front of her. She leaned herself forward a tad and quickly drew a portal. She climbed in and erased the portal behind her.

Penny was a little surprised that Snap wasn't here. She thought that he was going to meet her here. Then again, she had only assumed that, and Snap maybe have just been unaware of her wanting him to meet her here. He might even still be with Rudy or got caught up talking with a friend about something. No matter. She could just look for him. It was usually pretty easy to find Snap, so it wouldn't take her long to spot him.

She began to trek further into ChalkZone. She headed towards where Rudy's portal would be. She figured that would be the best spot to look. After all, that was where Snap hung out a lot, just waiting for Rudy to come in. That was where they usually met up, and Snap's reflex was just to go there. He sometimes went to her place, but it was not nearly as common.

As she moved along, she noticed something really peculiar. It wasn't anything that caused alarm bells to ring. But something just felt...different. She looked all around her. Something seemed strange about this ground. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She tapped her chin thoughtfully, darting her eyes around, noting the detail of the ground. Yes, something was different here, but what...?

Then she realized it. At first, it was hard to tell due to the texture of the ground. But when she peered at it more closely, she realized there were some extra lines here. These hadn't been here before, and they didn't even match up to the grassy ground's own original details. They were too dark as well. Black. Lines of black moving along the ground in random patterns, darting from side to side, looping around at random.

Penny blinked her eyes at this discovery. Had one of the zoners decided to paint the ground? She couldn't see any reason for it, but ChalkZone was such a bizarre place sometimes, she wouldn't be surprised if such a thing were to occur. One of the zoners may have had the idea to do this and just went with it.

But no, that didn't seem right. Penny noticed something else about the lines that she nearly missed. Something that disproved the idea that a zoner had drawn this.

The lines seemed to loop around the lines that made up the ground...

This instantly chilled her mind. The implications of this were very clear. It was impossible for a zoner to loop around the outline of something else. It was just impossible. But there was something that could do this. Something that was like a double edged sword across ChalkZone, whom she and Rudy hoped they'd never have to deal with.

There was another creator here...

Penny did her best to keep herself calm. Now wasn't the time to get freaked out. She needed to think rationally about this, and figure out a plan on how to find this creator and get them out of ChalkZone. Staring at the ground, it seemed that the best route to take were the scribbles. But she knew better. This could be a trap, after all. Her best bet was to find a zoner and hope that they had seen this creator and where he or she went.

As she rushed across the ground, her heart pounding against her chest, many thoughts raced through her mind. They buzzed around her head like an angry hornet. No matter how much she tried to calm her mind down, it continued to plague her with several questions.

Just..just how did another creator get in here? What happened? How could this have happened? She tried to think of a possibility, of anything that would reveal to her just what could have went down. Had they lost a piece of magic chalk somewhere in the Real World? Did one of Rudy's relatives find the chalk? ...did Terry get her filthy mitts on one...? That last thought was the most chilling of all.

She had to figure out what was going on here. As soon as she found the culprit, she would capture them and make them talk. She needed to know how they got in so she would be able to fix the problem. She needed to be sure that they would never get back into ChalkZone again. She also needed to make sure that this new creator didn't hurt any of the zoners. That was one of their biggest fears when it came to a new creator. She, Rudy, and Snap, and just about every zoner, were afraid of a human coming in that would either dismiss them as not really alive or just not care at all, and abuse and dominate them. She hoped that nothing like that was happening right now.

With Rudy possibly not in ChalkZone, Penny realized it was up to her to get rid of this threat. She couldn't go over to his place and call for help. She didn't know if he was even in the room, and a creator in ChalkZone was such a dire threat that every second counted. If she didn't find this person and get them out, who knows what kind of destruction they could cause?

Suddenly, in the distance, she heard something that nearly made her heart stop beating.

A series of screams.

She widened her eyes at this, and paused for a moment, scrambling to get herself to stop. She stared out ahead as the scream faded off. She tilted her head to one side and cupped her hand around her ear. She listened more intently, trying to see if she could determine the direction of the scream. When it happened again, she could tell it was coming from right in front of her. With this knowledge, she bolted.

It didn't take her long to see the source of the screams. There was a small group of zoners coming her way. They all looked panicked, though not particularly terrified. They were looking behind them, and she realized that they were either getting chased or they were trying to get away from something rolling in their direction.

"Hey, excuse me..." Penny tried to get their attention. But none of the zoners paid any attention to her. They merely brushed past her and continued to run off.

Penny stared at this in confusion. What had them so startled and so determined to get away that they didn't even notice her standing there? This being an open field with not much but hills and grass and a few trees, she stood out quite well. It was hard to miss her. Yet none of the zoner's faces even indicated that they had spotted her.

Her perplexion lasted for a few seconds before she heard a familiar shout behind her.

"Look out, Penny!"

The girl didn't have time to say anything or react before she felt something warm and solid collide with her body. She grunted as she was forced into the ground. She felt something brush by her quickly, causing the air to whoosh against her body. She never did see what it was, though. She laid there on her stomach, shaking her head. She felt the pressure on her back give way, allowing her to get up.

Penny looked over and saw Snap standing there, his eyes wide, his body having a bit of dirt marks on it as if he had been skidding across the ground a few times. Penny noticed that he, too, looked worried, but not particularly terrified, as with the other zoners. This kind of calmed her down a little, but at the same time, she was still worried.

"Snap..." Penny breathed. "Just what is going on...?"

At this, Snap smiled nervously. "Um...do you remember that time when Sophie had gotten into ChalkZone...?"

Penny nodded her head. "Well yeah I do, but what..." Penny's eyes widened as she connected the dots. "Wait...you mean that...?" Snap nodded his head a few times. At this, Penny lowered her head and let out a soft groan. The only comfort in this is that at least it was just Sophie, who was such a sweetheart, she'd never hurt anyone. She still had to get her out, though. Looking back at Snap, she said, "Where is she?"

Snap raised his rounded hand and pointed towards one direction. "She went off that way... and she is scribbling so much that a..." Suddenly his eyes widened and jumped in the air. "Oy caloy, here comes another one!"

Penny turned her head to see what Snap was talking about. She immediately froze at what she saw. She climbed up to her feet, her legs shaking a little. She backed away slowly, her eyes unable to tear away from the sight.

There was a large mass coming towards her. Large, black, and round. She could see it wriggling in several places. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was a bunch of scribbles that have been bunched up together. It was hard to tell if these scribbles were alive or not, but what she could tell, right now, was that it was rolling straight towards her. She took a step back as the thing's shadow casted over her. It moved so fast...

Penny felt someone grab onto her hand and yank her back. She was nearly thrown off her feet. She managed to regain her footing. She took in a sharp gasp as she saw just how close that thing was to hitting her. She looked on as the black ball of scribbles roll across the ground. In the distance, she could see the other one, the same one that was rolling after the zoners. She put a hand against her mouth when she saw how close it was to hitting them.

She attempted to go over towards them to help, but whoever had grabbed her hand tightened their grip and pulled her back. Penny let out a grunt as she felt one of her legs trip up as a result. She glared behind her, opening her mouth to speak. She immediately shut it when she saw who it was.

Rapsheeba was staring at Penny, her eyes wide in shock and a tinge of fear. "Penny, what's going on here? Why are there large balls of scribbles..."

"Rudy's cousin Sophie got into ChalkZone!" Snap cried as he rushed over towards them. "She somehow got a hold of the magic chalk and she came in!"

"Has Rudy been in here at all to stop her?" Penny asked.

Snap shook his head. "No, he hasn't." Upon seeing Penny's worried expression, Snap furrowed his eyes with concern. "You mean...you don't know where Rudy is?"

Penny felt her heart skip a beat at this. "You don't know?"

Snap shook his head. "I thought you might know. I mean..." He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I knew what you said in the note, and it indicated you thought he was with me. But I was hoping that..."

Penny couldn't believe it. From what Snap was saying, Rudy wasn't with him. He wasn't in ChalkZone. This raised so many questions. But there was one that stood out the most in her head.

If Sophie was in here, then why hasn't Rudy tried to come in? Surely, he would notice if his cousin had gone missing. He wasn't away from his room that often. So...why wasn't he here?

Snap appeared to notice her expression and had guessed what she was thinking about. "I had stayed by where Rudy usually comes in. It's not far from here." He pointed his hand to emphasize. Indeed, it was in plain sight from where they stood. The portal was visible, plain as day. "But he never showed up. It's been..I don't know how long, but Sophie's been running amok in ChalkZone for a while now and..."

"Is anyone hurt?" Penny knew that the most important thing to figure out right away was to ensure there were no unfortunate injuries.

Snap shook his head. "Not too much. Maybe a few bruises, but nothing that bad. She mostly just annoys or confuses most of the zoners she ran into."

"I saw Blocky going after her earlier." Rapsheeba pointed out. "He hasn't had much luck, though."

"Yeah..." Snap said, a sad tone to his voice. "I would have been glad to help him, but I had thought that Rudy would show up soon to help, and I was going to..." He stopped himself, unable to continue. "I hope you guys aren't too upset with me."

"Of course we aren't! Why would we be?" Rapsheeba asked. She placed a hand on Snap's shoulder. "You did what you thought would be the right thing to do."

"Yeah, Snap. It was pretty smart of you to stay here and wait for Rudy so that he could immediately be on the up and up about this situation." Penny smiled at her friend. "You did what you could." For a few moments, she and Snap and Rapsheeba smiled at one another. But soon her eyes narrowed once more. recalling they had a situation on their hands. "We need to get Sophie back to the Real World."

"Yes, but how?" Snap asked, holding his hands out at his sides in confusion. "She's a slippery little tyke. I've seen Blocky and some other zoners try to catch her, but she always gets away. And the last time she was here, you wouldn't believe how it was to catch her."

"Believe me, I do." Penny recalled in detail what Rudy had told her when it came to getting Sophie out. For a little girl, she certainly put a lot of distance between her and him really quickly. It was hard to keep up with her. "Which makes it even more urgent that we find her and get her back."

"Do you think Blocky will need help?" Rapsheeba furrowed her eyes with concern. "Not that I think Sophie will deliberately hurt him, but the places she might go to..."

Penny and Snap looked at each other, gritting their teeth in worry. It was quite true that this would be problematic. Sophie did tend to wander far and often in places she should not be. If Sophie went into a particularly dangerous location and Blocky followed, it put both of them in danger, making them both suspectable to getting hurt.

Penny bit her lip at this. She hoped that this wasn't going to be the case. She didn't want either of them getting hurt. She knew that they had to find her and fast. At least, unlike last time, magic chalk was at their disposal. She pulled it out of her pocket and stared at it. She turned her gaze towards where Snap said Sophie was. She narrowed her eyes in determination.

"Snap, you stay here in case Rudy comes in. Rapsheeba, come with me. We're going to try to catch Sophie.

Snap nodded his head dutifully and returned to his post where the portal was. Rapsheeba rushed to join Penny as she made her way across the field. As they ran, Penny hoped that she would find the little girl before anything bad happened.

sss

Rudy sat quietly on the couch, leaning against the back of it. He hadn't spoken a word in...he wasn't sure how long he was sitting here. Ten minutes? Twenty? Thirty? He didn't know, and no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't think of an accurate amount of time that had passed.

He held the cup in his hands. He stared down at it, watching as the liquid moved about. It was clear, allowing him to see his own reflection. He was shocked to see just how tired and exhausted he looked. He bit his lip, wondering just how worse he would have looked had he been assigned another chore first.

His aunt was nice enough to let him take a break. She had summoned him down to give him a large cup of water because she knew he would be tired by then. He had entered the living room cautiously, thinking that she was going to yell at him again or something. He was relieved when he finally got something to drink.

The cool liquid soothed his dry, scratchy throat. A small smile formed on his face as his insides were cooled down and his muscles were finally able to relax. The aches and pains from scrubbing the floor began to slowly disappear as his limbs were able to rest and take it teasy.

However, he wasn't fully relaxed.

Aunt Tilly rested on the other end of the couch. He had kept his distance, not even speaking to her, and he only spared her a few glances. He was uncomfortable around her at the moment, as he had no idea if she was still angry at him or not. He didn't want to take the chance of upsetting her further.

He was also starting to feel a bit angry with her himself. He started to feel as though her punishment towards him was rather...extensive. He couldn't help but feel that she was overreacting, and she had never reacted this way before. Then again...he had never upset Sophie this bad before, and his aunt didn't even know the full story. Had he just come down to her like he intended, and talked to her, this mess could have been avoided.

He thought back to Sophie. He hoped she was doing okay. He hoped that he would be able to talk to her again, and that their relationship wasn't damaged. He also hoped that, next time, if she did something that upset him, he could better explain it to her instead of saying the wrong stuff. The last thing he ever wanted to do was frighten his little cousin.

He hoped that he would be able to get into ChalkZone soon. He had been delayed for too long at this point. If he didn't get in there soon to speak to his friends... Well he hoped that everything would work out in the end.

"Rudy."

The boy turned his head to look towards his aunt. She was staring straight out ahead. Her expression was unreadable. He couldn't tell what her train of thought was. Even when she turned her head a little, letting him see more of her face, he was still unable to accurately tell what emotion his aunt was going through.

"I do hope you learned your lesson." Aunt Tilly said. Her voice didn't have an angry tone. More authoritave than anything. "I didn't like doing this to you. I hope you know that." Rudy could only nod somewhat numbly, remaining quiet. "I just needed to make sure you didn't terrify my daughter again. You're the oldest child here. You should have known better. I am very disappointed in how you handled things, Rudy."

The boy looked down in shame. His aunt was right. He should have handled things better. He should have known better than that. He should have realized that he was scaring Sophie and stopped himself before things escalated. Sophie was only two years old.

However, that tinge of anger he was feeling was starting to grow. He managed to keep it from consuming him, or leaving any burning remnants in his body. He still had an uncomfortable feeling inside his chest and stomach, however. He knew it wouldn't go away anytime soon. Not until he was able to talk to his aunt about it, and fix everything. But not now.

"I hope we won't have to do this lesson again. And I hope that you and Sophie will be able to patch things up." Aunt Tilly said. That was when her expression finally seemed to show some real emotion. She turned her head around, her eyes shifting as if to look for something. Her eyes flickered with worry. "Where did she go anyway?"

Rudy replied with a barely emotional voice. "She went upstairs. I haven't seen her since, though."

"I see..." Aunt Tilly lowered her gaze to the ground. She sucked on her lip, biting it. She turned her head to Rudy. "Well, when she's ready, I'm sure she'll come down to speak to you. She doesn't hold grudges for that long."

Rudy gave a small, faint smile at this. "Yeah...I know..."

"Everything will work out. You'll see..." Came his aunt's comforting voice.

But to Rudy, at the moment, it wasn't very comforting. It didn't help him feel better. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. That growing feeling of bitterness was starting to get a little worse as the full realization of what happened began to hit him. For the time being, he was able to keep himself under control. But as for how long that would last...he was not sure.

He could practically feel his aunt's gaze upon him. He knew she was looking at him, waiting him for him to say something. He just couldn't bring himself to. Even as he heard his aunt sigh in sadness, or her say something else, he still remained quiet. He just didn't have anything he wanted to say to her, and anything he thought of saying, well, he knew he was better off keeping his mouth shut.

He couldn't say here anymore. He had to leave. Even if his aunt had more chores to do, he just..had to go. He needed to get away for a time, to allow his feelings of anger to sift out of his body, allowing him to concentrate on more important things. He knew his anger against his aunt was largely unfounded, and remaining angry would do him no good.

"I did think about having you do a couple more chores." Aunt Tilly said. Rudy looked at her. Her expression softened up a little more. "But I think you had enough. You must really have been thirsty."

Rudy nodded his head. "Yeah..."

Her expression showing a bit of sympathy, she said, "Did you want to stay here and watch a movie with me? There's a good one coming on in..." She glanced down at her watch. "A few minutes. I think you'd love it."

Rudy shook his head. "Sorry, Aunt Tilly. I just...I need to go upstairs for a while..." His voice was low and soft. He ignored the stare that his aunt was giving him. He got up from the couch and began to walk away. "I'll see you in a few hours."

Aunt Tilly stared at him in confusion. She called out after him. "Are you sure you don't want to stay at least for a little while?" Rudy didn't answer and just kept walking. "Come on, Rudy. I thought you enjoyed watching movies with me. What's..."

Rudy whirled his head around quickly and stared back at her. The movement was swift enough that she fell silent, moving her head back in surprise. Rudy stared at her for several moments, unblinking, not talking. The silence in the air was starting to become so thick, he could practically feel it push up against his face.

"I just... I have to go." Rudy said quickly before he started to bolt.

"Rudy! Wait! Come back!" Aunt Tilly cried in desperation. "Please!"

Rudy ignored her completely, not even sparing her a glance. A part of him felt guilty about doing this. The other didn't care, as he was pretty upset with his aunt. But there was still that side of him that knew he shouldn't have run away like that. Aunt Tilly had every right to be angry with him, and his reasons for being upset with her were pretty minor compared to hers.

Still, he ran, moving up the steps. He could hear his aunt's pleading voice behind him. He didn't stop for anything she said. His mind was just focused on getting away from her, not daring to look back. He didn't want to get angrier with his aunt. He didn't want to forget what was more important at this time.

He needed to focus on getting into ChalkZone and make sure everything was okay with his friends. And then he can check up on Sophie, if she wasn't still in his room.

After he ascended the staircase and headed towards his room, he noticed the door was still open. He wasn't surprised. Sophie wasn't usually one to shut doors a lot. So as he approached, he had expected to see Sophie still drawing on his chalkboard, or perhaps turning her attention to some of his old toys that he still had stored in his room.

But when he got closer, he realized that something didn't seem normal. There was a mark on the ground that he didn't recall seeing before when he passed by this room earlier. It looked almost like a light of some kind. Paler than everything around it. Yes, it was definitely a light. But...what was causing it? It couldn't be his blinds. They were already open, and the shape was all wrong for it. That only left...

His eyes bulged open in horror. Oh no...no... It couldn't be possible.. Sophie couldn't have... Not again..

Rudy scrambled through his pocket to see if he still had his magic chalk. To his relief, he did. But then, how did Sophie... He slapped himself in the face. He must have had a spare one he had forgotten about, and Sophie found it. He cursed himself for forgetting this. He was usually good at remembering this sort of stuff. But he didn't have time to scold himself; he had to get into ChalkZone now.

He rushed over into his room, making sure to shut his door behind him. He hoped that his aunt would take a hint and leave him alone for a time. Otherwise, he was going to have problems later on.

As soon as he saw his chalkboard, he realized just how right he was with his assumption. There was a small portal on there. Sophie had went into ChalkZone. Memories of her first and only adventure flooded his mind, and it made him shiver. He hoped that this time around won't be more difficult than it was the first time. And he hoped that Sophie didn't run into any of the dangeres that ChalkZone carried for anyone, human or not.

As soon as he jumped through the portal, he was immediately greeted by his blue friend.

"Bucko!"

Rudy barely had time to look over at Snap when he felt thing grab him by his shirt and yank him forward. He let out a surprised cry as he was pulled very close to Snap's face. The two nearly hit each other, and he instinctively rubbed his head as if he were injured.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Snap shouted, his eyes wide. "Just..where were you?! We've been..."

"Sorry. I had some things tying me up in the Real World." Rudy paused for a moment. He realized now wasn't a good time to tell Snap everything. He waved his hand rapidly in front of him, shutting his eyes tightly as he frowned. He said quickly, "But..but nevermind that now!" Raising his hand up, reopening his eyes, he said, "Where's Sophie?"

Snap turned his head and pointed in one direction. Rudy recognized it as the direction to ChalkZone City. "She went that way!" He turned back to Rudy. "Penny, Rapsheeba, and Blocky are already trying to catch her!"

Rudy felt a sense of relief knowing that someone was trying to get his cousin back. But he still felt a pang of worry for her. He didn't know what had happened to her since she had gotten in. He didn't know if she was scared or hurt, or if she was just having a great time like during her only other visit. The sense of relief was only short lived as he realized a lot could still happen, and there were some unscrupulous zoners who would...

He gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on his piece of magic chalk. There wasn't much time to react. He shifted his gaze to Snap, his eyes narrowing deeply. "Come on, Snap!"

"Right behind you, Rudy!" Snap rushed to catch up to Rudy.

As they made their way towards ChalkZone City, Rudy couldn't help but notice all the marks in the ground. Something large, heavy, and round moved through here. He didn't see the culprit yet, but he had a good idea it was Sophie's doing. A fleeting jolt of terror rushed through his spine as he wondered if anyone had been injured. He felt his gut slowly twist up in guilt at the mere thought of that.

He picked up the speed, his feet pounding the ground. But no matter how quickly he moved, he just wasn't fast enough. He needed to gain some speed. Raising up his magic chalk, he quickly began to draw.

In seconds, he launched himself in the air, the rockets attached to his feet giving him lift. He hovered above the ground, now high enough to see ChalkZone City out in front of him. He should be able to get there relatively quickly. Holding his hand over his head, he stared out, trying to see if he can see any sign of his cousin.

It didn't take him long before he saw something large moving through the city. It was too far away to tell what was going on, so he quickly drew himself a telescope. Peering through it, he now able to make out details.

It appeared to be a large ball of scribbles. It was massive, and it was rolling through the city. It didn't appear to be crushing any buildings, as if, despite its size, it wasn't as heavy as it appeared. Perhaps it was hollow? Regardless, it was still big enough to hurt an unsuspecting zoner, especially one of the much smaller ones.

Knowing there wasn't much time to get there, Rudy looked down at Snap. "Snap!" Rudy quickly sketched something in the air. A motorcycle fell from the sky and landed not far from Snap. When he saw his friend jump back, Rudy gave a sheepish smile and said, "Whoops... sorry Snap!"

His blue friend immediately grabbed onto the motorcycle and righted it up. It was a rather thin model, but it was made of pretty strong material. It was just the right size for him as well. "No need to say anymore. I'm right behind you!"

Rudy watched, making sure that his friend was able to get onto the motorcycle without problem. Once Snap revved up the machine, the loud engine roaring in the air, Rudy turned his attention to the city before him. Activating the thrusters on his shoe rockets, he made his way towards the city. He hoped he would get there before any irreversable damage could be done.

sss

"Sophie!" Penny cried.

"Come on!" Rapsheeba cupped her hands to her mouth to try to increase the volume of her voice. "Please, come down from there!"

But the little girl didn't listen. Instead, she merely waved at them before giving off a squeal and running along the roof top. She was dangerously close to the edge, her arms spread out as if she were pretending to fly.

All around her and the building, in addition to Penny and Rapsheeba, there were multiple other zoners watching the situation. The zoners were all confused, worried, startled, a mixture of such emotion. Penny could feel it all around her, making her freeze up. She had never felt this wave of intensity of emotion before. Then again, she had never been a part of a group this large before.

None of the zoners around her appeared to be injured, which made her sigh with relief. Any injured zoner that Snap mentioned had probably gone to the hospital to get treated, or just to home to rest. The remaining zoners here had either dodged the large scribble balls or they had seen what was going on and wanted to investigate.

A handful of zoners were rightfully angry. They couldn't understand how Rudy could have let this happen. Penny wanted to defend him, but she had little to go off of. She had no idea where Rudy was, or what he might be doing. She was, therefore, unable to justify why Rudy wasn't showing up. She couldn't exactly blame them for being angry either; after all, if he had been watching his cousin better, this wouldn't have happened. Penny was certain Rudy had some kind of excuse, though, but until he got here and explained himself, all she could do was speculate.

At least there didn't appear to be any major damage. None of the buildings were horribly chipped and none of them were fallen or crushed. And at least Sophie hadn't taken to drawing anything incredibly dangerous.

"Now now...come here, Sophie..." Blocky's voice caught Penny's attention. "Let's go home now..."

The rectangle zoner was on top of the building with Sophie. He had his body hunched forward as he made his way towards her. Step by step, little by little, he inched his way closer to her. Sophie didn't seem to listen to him much, and continued scribbling in the air.

Blocky was being very careful not to startle the girl. He went nice and slow, gesturing with his hands to try to settle her down. His voice was surprisingly calm and in control. He looked clearly frightened, but his actions did not reflect that. Penny took a moment to smile at this. A shame Rudy wasn't here to see this. He would have been proud of Blocky.

"Here, little girl." Blocky smiled the best he could. He moved closer to Sophie, who remained close to the edge of the building. "Don't you want to draw on me?" He pointed a finger to his face. "Remember how much fun it was? You can have some more of that fun." He gestured with his hand. "Just come closer. Get away from that ledge..."

Sophie didn't listen to him. She didn't even spare him a glance. Her attention was on the ledge she was standing on. She peered down, showing no fear of just how high she was off the ground. Her smile stretched further as she raised up the piece of magic chalk she was holding.

In response, Penny held onto what remained of her piece. Her previous attempts of getting Sophie resulted in her nearly using up everything that she had left. She watched the girl, wide-eyed, hoping that Blocky would be able to stop her. There was very little she could draw with just a tiny piece of magic chalk left.

To her horror, Sophie had walked even closer to the edge. Part of her feet stuck out from the ledge itself, and she was balanced precariously over it.

"She's going to fall!"

"Somebody, do something!"

Penny was about to draw when she saw quick movement above her. She looked up and she saw that Blocky had made a swift move. Rushing forward, he managed to grab onto the toddler before she could fall over. He yanked her back and the two of them landed on the roof.

Sighs of relief filled the air, Penny joining in. She put a hand over her chest, feeling her heart race quickly. That was a close one. Now that Blocky had Sophie, he could begin to take her away from the ledge and make his way down. The steps weren't far, she didn't think. He just had to...

Sophie wriggled free out of Blocky's grasp. The force knocked Blocky back. He was able to quickly recover, but before he could try to grab her again, the little girl rushed towards the edge and began to draw swiftly. The scribbles began to accompany the roof, covering much of it. Blocky screamed as he was knocked back, hitting against the other side of the roof.

"Blocky!" Rapsheeba cried in horror.

Peny looked at this in shock before turning her gaze to Sophie. She had gotten so close to the edge that she had started to fall down. Her eyes bulging, she screamed, "No!"

There was a swift movement of black rushing underneath her. A mass of scribbles, They positioned themselves underneath the little girl and caught her with little effort. The girl was raised above the ground as she let out a few squeals of excitement.

Penny let out a sigh of relief that she was okay. But that was quickly replaced with shock as Sophie was now riding on top of a bizarre creation of hers: a massive scribble figure that towered above them all.

Penny took a step back, staring up at the scribble figure in fear. Around her, she could hear some of the zoners start screaming and run away. She looked over her shoulder, watching them as they went. She then turned her attention to Sophie. She was resting in her creation's hand, pointing in one direction. She could hear her call out some words, though it was a bit hard to tell just what they were from here.

"What are we going to do?" Rapsheeba cried, looking at Penny with wide, worried eyes.

Penny stared in the direction that Sophie was going in. Many thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to figure out something she could do. Then, narrowing her eyes, she looked over at Rapsheeba. "You go check on Blocky. I'm going to see if I can stop Sophie."

"But Penny..." Rapsheeba started to say.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Penny said, smiling gently at her friend. Without giving her a chance to respond, Penny turned and bolted.

Thankfully, the large, towering creature was not very fast. It moved incredibly slowly as it tredged through ChalkZone City. Penny didn't take long to catch up to it and she positioned herself in front. She raised her hand up and attempted to halt the little girl.

"Stop!" She commanded. To her surprise, Sophie did just that. The creature stopped and the little girl stared down at her curiously. "Let's go home, Sophie. Come on..." She gestured with her hand. "Come with me..."

However, the little girl refused to listen. She shook her head, and then, with a wave of her hand, she had her creation turn in a new direction. The creature picked up the pace this time, and it was harder for Penny to catch up. This time, when she got in front, Sophie refused to stop. Penny was forced to move out of the way to avoid getting trampled. She turned her head and watched as Sophie and her creation moved through the city, brushing up against the buildings, narrowly missing stepping on some zoners.

Penny watched the scene in horror. While she knew that Sophie meant to harm, this was like straight out of a cheap horror movie like that one about giant ants destroying the world. The shere fact that Sophie was just playing made it all the more terrifying. She didn't realize the harm she was doing. And if she wasn't stopped soon...

Penny raised up her magic chalk and, with no other ideas on what to draw, sketched up a pair of rocket shoes. She was not as used to them as Rudy, so she was awkward as she took off into the air. She managed to steady herself long enough to go to where Sophie was. She landed on the creature's hand, now only a few feet away from the little girl.

Penny smiled down gently at Sophie. "Come on. Don't you want to go home?"

Sophie stared at her, and then shook her head. "Want stay here! Play!"

"Come on.. I bet Rudy and your mother miss you. You don't want to worry them, do you?" Penny asked carefully. Sophie stared up at her, wide-eyed, and then she slowly shook her head. "I didn't think so. Come on Sophie..." Penny reached out for the little girl's hand. "Let's go back to the Real World before you worry them sick."

Sophie stared at her hand for a few moments, and then looked up at her face. They locked eyes with each other for a couple of seconds. At first, it looked as if Penny got through to her and Sophie was going to listen.

But instead, something else happened.

"No!" Sophie shook her head furiously. "No go home! Want play!"

Penny's eyes widened in shock as the scribble figure began to move even faster. She could hear the ground started to shake slightly underneath. Fear and dread filled her heart as she realized how much harm this could do. She turned her attention to Sophie.

"Please, stop this, Sophie!" Penny cried.

But Sophie wouldn't listen. The girl kept moving through the city, and soon they reached the outside of it. While Penny was glad that no more zoners in there could get hurt, they weren't out of the woods yet. In front of her, she could see a large group of zoners in the distance, and they were heading straight for them.

Penny struggled through her mind, trying to think of something to say to stop Sophie. The ony thing she could think of was grabbing her, but what if she struggled? She couldn't risk dropping her from this height. And what of this scribble creature? What if it tried to grab her in the process?

However, before she had much time to really think about her options and what she could do, Penny heard a familiar shout echo in the air.

"Sophie!"

Penny and Sophie froze at this voice. Their eyes widened. They knew that voice anywhere. The scribble creature stopped walking as they turned their heads in the direction of the cry. It took them only seconds to see Rudy speeding towards them, rocket flames shooting out from behind him.

Rudy soon hovered in front of the creature. He was at eye level with Sophie. Rudy noticed Penny, but didn't say a word to her. His attention was focused entirely on his little cousin.

"Hey Soph..." Rudy said gently. "Why don't you and I go home? Your mother invited us to watch a movie together. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Penny expected Sophie to be excited to see Rudy. She always ways. But instead, the response she got was completely unexpected. The little girl cringed away, and looked at Rudy in fear. Penny blinked her eyes in confusion at this. Had they gotten into a bit of a debacle with each other?

"Aww come on, Soph.." Rudy said gently. He reached out towards his cousin, careful not to get too close. "I'm sorry for frightening you... Please..come back..."

Penny, wanting to help, looked down at Sophie. "Go on, Sophie. It's okay." She didn't know the full extent of what had gone on between them, but that didn't stop Penny from trying her best to help them both out. "He didn't mean it. It's okay..."

Sophie looked from Penny and then to Rudy. Her expression appeared to soften up a little, and some of the fear left her eyes. Rudy smiled at this, and he leaned a little closer to his cousin. His hand was outstretched for her, and he waited calmy for her to start to reach towards him.

Before this could happen, however, there was a loud scream, which startled everyone. Sophie immediately clung to Penny, letting out a yelp of terror. Rudy whirled himself around in the direction of the scream. Penny managed to keep her footing, just barely, and she wrapped her arms around the startled girl.

In the distance, they could see zoners rushing out of ChalkZone City. Loud cracks and creaks were everywhere, and some of the buildings began to topple over. Penny's heart skipped a beat as she and Rudy exchanged terrified looks. Had Sophie accidentally created something large and dangerous during her 'rampage' through ChalkZone City?

They soon saw three of their friends, Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky, heading in their direction. They were shouting at them, trying to get their attention. There was a loud crack and something flew through the air. Penny's eyes widened when he saw it was a motorcycle. And it was heading straight for their friends...

Rudy gave a cry of terror before rushing down as fast as he could. Using his magic chalk, he was able to draw a massive trampoline above his friends. It caught the motorcyle and sent it flying in another direction. To Penny's relief, there was no one in that way.

Rudy lowered himself down, hovering a few feet in the air. "Guys! What's going on?!"

"Th-Th-There's a..." Rapsheeba stammered, her eyes widening. "A-A big..." She spread her hands out to emphasize. She tried to speak again, but her tongue was so tied up, she could no longer form coherent sentences.

"We...we have to get out of here..." Blocky said breathlessly. He leaned against Rapsheeba for support. "We're going to be torn to shreds!"

Shock swept through Rudy and Penny's hearts.

"What's going to tear us up?" Penny called out from above.

Snap's eyes widened in shock when he saw how high Penny was. That was short lived when he looked behind him and pointed a round hand at something. "That is!"

To Rudy and Penny's horror, a large, foreboding twister was heading through ChalkZone City. Debris filled it up, making it look dark and sinister in appearance. Zoners were screaming loudly as they tried to get away. Seconds later, it broke out of the city and it was on a collision course with them.

It only took them a moment to know what their next move was going to be.

"Run!" Penny screamed.

Immediately, they all took off. They moved as quickly as they could, but the twister was slowly gaining on them...

sss

"What...?" Dr. Von Doktor whispered as he stared at the monitor. He couldn't tear his eyes away from it. "Zis..zis iz impozzible..."

"I assure you, doctor. It's not." Terry's cool voice came from behind him. It was dripping with confidence. "It's completely true. Your equipment isn't broken."

Von's mind had a hard time comprehending this. He tried to speak, but no words would come out. He kept looking from his monitor and to the house before him. He replayed it over and over in his mind. He kept looking around, hoping for some kind of clue or explanation that didn't involve this woman's crazy theories.

But no matter what he did...nothing made sense. He knew of no method that this was possible. No theory in science could account for this. There was only one thing that could make it possible. And it involved the one thing he had hoped he wouldn't be dragged into.

He looked over at Terry. He could see her twisted smile on her face. She had a look of triumph. She knew she had succeeded in showing him evidence. She had shown him something he could not possibly ignore.

Even after he replayed the recording that they had obtained, comparing it to what the tracking monitor had shown, nothing changed. It was exactly how they first saw it. No variable, no change. Just exactly what was recorded. The more he looked at it, the more he realized there was only one explanation. There was only one thing that made sense. And he wished it wasn't so...

His scientific mind was being broken apart little by little. He could feel his body tremble, trying to figure out how this could possible be true. It was so hard for him to comprehend this. He gripped his head tightly, feeling a headache begin to shift through him.

He looked at the house before him, and the monitor. He knew of only one conclusion, and it caused a burning sensation to rise up in side of him as his view on what was possible began to dismantle all around him.

Penny had gone to Rudy's house. The tracker showed she was in Rudy's house. No matter which way he read it, no matter what he thought, that's what had happened. Penny had gone to Rudy's house..without even showing up on the street.

Von had thought they merely missed her, but looking at the footage taken, this was quickly shown to be false. Penny was never on the street. She was at her place, and then she began to move...and then she was at Rudy's place. Now she was on the move again, and just like before, no sign of her outside. It was as if she had gone invisible.

"Now do you believe me...?" Terry asked, that smile still stretching across her face. "Do you still think my theory is crackpot?"

Von didn't answer her. He just stared out ahead, shock creeping along his face, making it hard for him to move. As much as he hated to admit it, there was only one explanation for this. The fact that Penny was able to relocate several times near her without being seen suggests that something else was at play. Something that he thought couldn't possibly be true. Something that, the more he thought about it, may explain a lot of things.

An alternate dimension...


	8. Sneaks

Never let your enemy see your secret...

sss

Terry smirked as she stared down at the chalkboard that she held in her hands. She looked up to make sure Von wasn't looking. He was too busy staring at the building in front of him. Good. This was one detail she could keep away from him, at least for a time.

It wasn't that she wanted to keep a leg up on him. Okay that was part of the reason. But the other, she wasn't entirely sure if her theory was right. This was simply a wild guess that she had for some time. This was a good chance for her to test it out, but..there was the possibility that it won't even be confirmed. Still, it wasn't wasting much time to try it out.

She looked down at the chalkboard, the smudges on it showing some remnants of what she had drawn. A tornado. Large and powerful, an unstoppable force of nature. Perfect for luring the children exactly where she wanted them...provided that it followed the pattern she had laid out for it, or if it will just move mindlessly like a real twister would.

If it did work, then she would have driven the children out of that chalk world faster. And if it caused enough trouble, perhaps that little blue brat, Snap, will come out with them. If she could capture Snap again and bring him to Von's place, that would provide a chance for her to prove to the world that living chalk drawings are real, and very much alive. Snap was going to be her ticket into revealing to everyone the truth of this.

A nasty smile spread across her face. She couldn't wait to get a hold of Snap again. She still hadn't forgiven him with how he helped ruin her reputation. His clownish actics served to humiliate her, and she knew that he must have been the one to alert Rudy to what was going on. Oh how good it was going to feel to finally get her revenge on him... She would show all three of these brats just what happens when they mess with her.

But for now, she was going to have to wait. Even if her theory about the inhabitants of the chalk world being erased from this world weren't true, she knew that, sooner or later, they would have to come out. And when they do, they will be here waiting for them.

sss

There was utter chaos everywhere. The sounds of screams filled the air, echoing across the land. Zoners that were unfortunate enough to be in the path screamed and ran away, narrowly missing getting hit. The ground was being shred up and torn apart by the massive twister, and within its bowels, chunks of its past 'victims', such as from various buildings, swirleda round endlessly, ruthlessly.

Rudy tried to keep focus on the task at hand. Due to his flight capabilities with his rocket shoes, he was leading his friends away. Behind him, he could sense the massive drawing his cousin made striding along behind, doing what it could to keep up. Penny, Snap, and Rapsheeba were riding along with Sophie, clutching as tightly as they could so they wouldn't fall off. Rudy wanted to draw something more secure, but the twister was so close, he didn't have time to stop and draw. Not to mention drawing when moving like this was a terrible idea; he'd just end up with extra long lines that formed nothing. He needed to stop, and he couldn't do that yet.

He was relieved to see that there were no more zoners ahead. He was concerned for the ones that got knocked away, either by accident with Sophie's scribble figure, or from the twister coming along behind. He had wanted to stop and check on them, but no time for that now. He made a note to find them as soon as he was able to.

Rudy looked out ahead, trying to find some way of losing the twister. Something that could slow it down. But out in front of them, nothing but empty plains of grass. Not even a tree grew in this direction. He could keep running, but then he would eventually come to another zoner settlement. Even though he knew the twister was mindless and just following a random path, just like any other, he still would feel guilty about 'leading' the thing into another place where zoners lived.

He realized this may not be a problem. A lot of twisters in ChalkZone never lasted that long. Like their Real World counterparts, they would eventually run out of fuel and die. They would leave a lot of destruction in their wake, but at least it would be short-lived and over before they knew it.

This tornado was lasting a little longer than he thought it would. Then again, it was probably just the way he percieved it. Time had slowed down all around him, and the seconds soon transformed into minutes, and the minutes into hours. He had no idea how long this was going to last, and all he could do was lead his friends along the safest path he could find while hopefully dodging the twister.

Rudy wasn't even entirely sure where he was anymore. The area around him, despite the fact that he had been here a lot, suddenly looked foreign. His frantic mind hardly registered what was around him, showing enough information to just barely get by. Everything became a swirling mess of color, and a chorus of sounds, and he was caught up in the middle of it.

Suddenly, as he continued on his way, he heard a loud scream behind him.

"Rudy! Up ahead!"

Rudy lifted up his head to see what his friend were talking about. His eyes bulged open when he saw that they were headed straight towards a mountain. A large, massive mountain, and they were almost upon it. Frantically kicking his feet back, Rudy turned, veering off in a different direction. He stoppped and looked behind him. He was relieved to see the scribble figure make the turn, pushing itself off the mountain with a free limb and then moving towards him.

Rudy spent a couple seconds wondering jut when that mountain got there. He didn't recall it being there before. It must have just gotten erased. It was quite possible that it was erased just moments ago and appeared before they had a chance to realize the landscape changed.

He pushed the thoughts aside when he saw the twister. He thought that, since they had turned, the twister would go by them. It was in a direct collision course with the mountain. He and his friends would still need to dodge as chunks of rock would be tossed everywhere. But at least the twister might be stopped. Hitting the rock may divert enough of its energy away. Just a guess. He wasn't a whiz at science like Penny was.

He glanced down at his friends, seeing how terrified they were, and Sophie as well. Rudy felt his stomach twist in knots. He felt that this whole mess could have been avoided if he had just handled his situation better. Though nothing he did could have stopped this twister...

He glared at it as it came closer. In seconds, it was going to strike the mountain. Though it wasn't alive, Rudy still felt a level of contempt towards such a creation. He couldn't understand why anyone would draw something this destructive... Of course, he couldn't necessarily blame anyone for it either. After all, no one but him and Penny knew about ChalkZone's existence.

"It's...it's turning!" Snap's panicked voice cut through the air, breaking Rudy out of his thoughts. "It's coming back towards us!"

"This is illogical! It shouldn't be able to turn that fast!" Raphseeba's voice was terror-filled.

"Well technically, tornadoes in the Real World are known to change their course..." Penny's voice trailed off as she stared at the twister, which had veered away from the mountain and was coming towards them. "Nevermind that now. Run!"

Rudy immediately activated the thrusters on his shoes and moved away from the tornado, going out further in front of his friends. He gestured with his hands frantically, trying to get them to move faster.

The scribble figure struggled to pick up the pace. After standing for so long, the creature had a hard time moving fast in such a short amount of time. He could hear his cousin and his friends shouting at it to move faster, shere terror laced in their voices. The scribble figure began to move faster, its feet pounding the ground, the loud scribbles making a squeaking sound, perhaps its way of screaming in fear.

To Rudy's horror, the twister had not only veered away, but it somehow began to move faster. A realization dawned on him, and it made his blood turn to ice at the shere thought. What if someone...intended for this to happen? What if someone...wanted this thing to chase them? No, that was nonsense. He shook the thought out of his head. That did little to alleviate the horror of what he saw happen next.

The scribble creature couldn't keep up the pace. It had been standing around so long, it barely had any time to speed up. The twister was moving faster now. It was no contest. In seconds, its swirling vortex touched down on the scribble figure, and the squeaks from before became louder, more high pitched.

"Guys!" Rudy shrieked as he witnessed the twister collide with the scribble figure, a loud clang sounding out. He reached his hand out towards them, his body wracking with horror. "No! Please!"

The twister began to rip apart the scribble figure with ease. The limbs were quickly torn off as if it was just paper. His friends' screams echoed in the air, intermixing with the roar of the twister. Time seemed to slow down as the scribble figure began to topple over. The scribbles began to wriggle around in multiple directions, giving the illusion of a swarm of bees trying to defend their home. The scribbles appeared to try to do just that, only to get sucked up by the twister itself.

Rudy stared in horror as the scribble figure was now down on its knees, a loud boom sounding out as what qualified as its knee banged up against the ground heavily. It clutched onto his friends tightly as if to protect them. He could see his friends screaming in fear, shouting at the figure to get away. Without hesitation, Rudy dove down towards it.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw the twister strike further against it, ripping off the legs completely and forcing the scribble figure into the ground. His friends were buried underneath the mess. Their screams faded away as the pile of scribbles covered them, and in seconds, he could no longer see them.

He stared in horror at what had just happened. The twister was still there, having suddenly slowed down, yet losing none of its power somehow. The realization that this thing was activately trying to get them was not lost on him, but at the moment, he didn't pay attention. He stared down at the rubble where his friends were now trapped. He took in a few quick breaths, shaking his head in denial.

No...please..no...

Rudy dove down towards the mess, ignoring the tornado entirely. When he reached the pile, he began to look around. He flew around in circles as he surveyed the damage. He looked at every corner he could find, peering through any gap he could see. All he was able to see was a twisted mangle of scribble mess. He couldn't see his friends anywhere. After a few moments, he stopped, hoving not far from the pile, staring on as realization struck him.

Tears began to form in his eyes. Oh gawd no... Please... It couldn't be true. Please, don't let it be true... His friends couldn't be... Sophie wasn't.. He shook his head slowly, feeling his heart being ripped into two. His friends might be...no...

The horror that grew in his stomach soon transformed into bitter hatred. Realizing that he may have just lost his friends and a family member, Rudy shot an intense glare at the twister. He knew now, without a doubt, this was a purposeful act. This twister was evil, and he had to do something about it. He will not allow it to get away with hurting anyone else. He raised up his magic chalk, glaring daggers at it. The twister appeared to almost look at him, despite having no eyes. With a sneer spread across his face, Rudy made a declaration.

"Hey! Why don't you try me on for size?" Rudy taunted, gesturing to himself. "Come on! Are you afraid?!"

The twister almost seemed to hear him. It began to pick up the pace and it went off after him. Rudy smirked at this, knowing that he now had the twister's attention. He raised up his magic chalk in preparation for a battle.

If it was a fight that this thing wanted, it was a fight it was going to get.

sss

Penny screamed as the debris of the creature fell down all around her. She raisd up her hands and covered herself up. She flinched as she felt the small scribbles hit against her, each time stinging as if they were bees. In the midst of this, she opened up one eye and looked over at the others.

She could see Sophie just fine. She was curled up on the ground, her frightened eyes darting left and right. They locked eyes with each other, and though neither spoke, there was a silent pleading in Sophie's eyes, begging Penny to come help her. Struggling against the mass all around her, Penny began to make her way towards the girl. She outstretched her hand for her, trying to grab onto her.

There was a loud cracking sound, and the 'roof' above them began to plummet down towards them. Penny's eyes bulged in horror at this. She tried to quicken her pace to get to Sophie, especially when she heard the little girl scream in terror, but the thickness of the scribbles prevented her from reaching the girl. Her foot got caught on a raised lump of scribbles and she tripped forward. She let out a yelp as her face smashed against the jagged parts of other scribbles. She raised her cut up face, ignoring the blood that dripped down from the scratches, and looked at where Sophie was.

"Sophie!" Penny screamed as she struggled to get over. Her heart froze when she realized that she was not going to make it on time. She stared into Sophie's eyes, and her own shined with an apology.

Suddenly, she heard a shout and then there was a flash of green. Penny snapped her head back in surprise when she saw Blocky and Sophie laying a few feet away from where the scribble debris crumbled down. Sophie was against the ground, quaking in fear. Blocky laid himself across her. There was a bit of scratches on him, indicating that he had gotten hit. He ignored whatever pain he was in and kept himself crouched over Sophie.

"It's okay, Sophie. You're fine..." Blocky whispered to her calmly. Sophie's whimpers could be heard, intermixing with the rectangular zoner's attempts at soothing her. "Shh...it's all right."

Penny watched as Blocky did what he could to settle down the frightened child. Eventually, Sophie looked up at him and hugged him tightly, causing Blocky to grunt. Penny smiled at this, feeling relief that the paper-like zoner was able to keep Sophie safe.

Realizing that she still couldn't see Rapsheeba or Snap, Penny's heart started to speed up. She turned her head left to right, trying to find where they could've gotten to. Her shifting eyes couldn't see them anywhere. There was just too much debris in the way, obscuring her view. She tried to move forward, tried to see if she could get another vantage point, but she kept tripping over the debris at her feet. She helped as some of the sharp edges pointed against her skin, scratching them, leaving behind shallow, red lines.

Although she wanted to continue trying to find Snap and Rapsheeba, she knew that she had to get out of here. She turned her attention to the only others that she could find. Blocky and Sophie weren't going to last long here. She didn't know how much longer this thing was going to be able to hold up.

She looked down at her piece of magic chalk. There was still some left. She still had a way out of here. But what could she draw that would be small enough to get them out of here? She had to think of something and fast.

Suddenly, there was a loud creak and Penny could see the 'ceiling' start to collapse. She heard Blocky and Sophie scream as the pieces began to fall towards them. They wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time. Penny, with only seconds to spare, reacted on instinct. She whipped out what remained of her magic chalk and quickly began to draw.

Although Penny had made a similar vow to Rudy and not draw anything actually alive, in the desperate situation that she found herself placed in, she realized she really had no choice. Before she knew it, she had drawn something alive, something swift, something that could get them out of this mess.

The cassowary she drew squawked at her, outstretching its smell wings, the blue standing out well even in the darkness of the black scribbles. She immediately climbed onto its back and pointed forward, to where Sophie and Blocky were laying. The bird needed no further prompt and rushed forward.

Penny gasped in horror when a large chunk of scribbles was getting close to hitting the two. Blocky and Sophie noticed this and screamed. Blocky kept the girl covered underneath him, providing a shield to try to protect her. Despite admiring him for his courage, Penny knew that Blocky's body shield was not going to last very long. She and the cassowary hurried, moving as fast as they could.

Before the debris could strike them, the cassowary pulled its head back and struck forward. The large, thick crest on its head made quick work of the scribble chunks, cracking them into smaller pieces with ease. The bits fell everywhere, landing at their feet. Blocky, daring to look, turned his head up.

"Penny! I'm so glad to see you!" Blocky said with a smile.

"Come on!" Penny lowered herself down. She reached her hand out towards the rectangular zoner. "Take my hand!"

Blocky reached up as far as his stubby little arm could, keeping the other wrapped around Sophie, keeping her pressed against him. Once Penny was able to grab onto him, she pulled him and Sophie up onto the cassowary. She placed them behind her and instructed Blocky to allow Sophie to get up front. She then told Sophie to hold onto her waist and Blocky likewise, keeping the little girl pressed between them.

Penny took a moment to look around. Even with a higher vantage point, she still couldn't see any sign of Snap or Rapsheeba. Her heart twisted at the thought of them being buried underneath somewhere, possibly injured, crushed underneath all this debris.

But she couldn't stay. Everything was falling apart all around them. The twister's wind was still pushing up against them. She couldn't tell if the winds themselves were weakening or not, but at this point, it didn't matter. At the moment, they had to get out of there before they all ended up completely buried for good. She did not want this to be her grave site. With a gentle pat on the side of the bird, they took off.

The cassowary darted forward. It moved its body around as it navigated through the debris and the stuff on the ground. Its feet crushed even the sharp tips of the scribbles, its legs and toes having incredibly thick skin. The bird was incredibly nimble, able to dodge through almost anything. Even in the most twisting and gnarled parts, the bird still managed to navigate it like it was nothing, running through, under, and over whatever stood in its way. With its speed, they managed to avoid any of the falling debris above them, and the bird's dodging skills were like nothing she had ever seen before.

Soon, out in front of her, she could see an opening. Small, but large enough for light to shine through, illuminating the area around her a little. She barked a desperate order to the cassowary, and the animal sped up.

Penny lowerd herself, instructing the others to do the same. She wrapped her arms around the neck of her cassowary, feeling pressure on her back as Sophie and Blocky held onto her. She pressed her legs against the bird's side to get more leverage. She clenched her teeth as they got closer to the opening.

"Penny, I...I don't know if we're going to make it!" Blocky shouted, his voice filled with panic. "Everything is falling down too fast!"

"Want go home... Want to go home!" Sophie cried, her shivering body pressing more firmly against Penny.

"Don't worry... We're going to be fine." Penny said, trying her best to sound as confident as she could.

Blocky wasn't entirely convinced. "How can you be so sure? What if..."

Penny looked over her shoulder, staring at Blocky. "Don't worry." She said, using the most firm voice that she could. "We'll make it. You'll see."

Though her confidence was enough to satisfy Blocky and Sophie, helping them calm down a little, Penny wished it had the same effect on her. In truth, she had no idea if they would make it or not. The debris kept falling faster. She winced as some of them hit her, and she could hear Blocky and Sophie react to getting hit as well. She didn't know if luck was going to be on their side or not. All she could do was cross her fingers and hope for the best.

Soon they reached it. She felt the bird's muscles tense up, its body preparing for a leap. She shut her eyes, not daring to look. She waited, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they could make it.

Penny became aware of a loud crash, something heavy hitting against her, loud yelps of pain, a bright flash of light, and then the ground connecting with her face. Penny's body flopped around, doing wild somersaults across a rough, dirty surface. She could hear thuds all around her, and some more screams, a loud squawk. Soon she became still and laid down, for a few seconds, being so disoriented that she wasn't even aware of being face up or face down.

Slowly, Penny opened up her eyes, the buzzing in her ears finally settling down. Her blurred vision only lasted a few seconds before the imagery of what was around her came into focus. She realized she was laying on her side, the left part of her face pressing against the ground. Groaning, she pushed herself up from the ground, holding herself upright with one arm. She took a look around her.

She could see Sophie and Blocky laying on the ground not far from her. They had collapsed, laying prone as if knocked unconscious. Only a few movements, and Sophie raising her head confirmed that they were still awake. Not far, she could see the bird on the ground, its legs sprawled out at its sides. Its head wobbled from side to side before it shook it and let out a squawk.

Penny realized that they were out in the open. They had managed to get out. The debris pile they were trapped under lay shattered not far from them. She stared at it, taking in a few deep breaths as she realized the magnitude of this. They...they made it...

A smile tugged on her face. A wave of relief struck her so hard that she almost keeled over. She turned to smile at Sophie, Blocky, and the bird. Sophie was still too shaken up, but Blocky looked positively elated.

But their celebration didn't last very long. She realized they still had no idea where Rapsheeba or Snap were. She looked left and right, trying to find any sign of them, anyway of knowing that they were all right. She couldn't see any sign of them at first, and she could feel her heart pounding against her chest at this realization.

What happened to her friends? Where were they? Were they hurt? Were they crushed? Had they been...killed...?

That last thought made her blood turn to ice. That scared her the most was that...it was a very real possibility. The destructive force of that tornado, it coud have very easily...

She shook her head. No..she refused to believe it. Her friends were fine. They just had to be. They just..needed to look harder. Slowly, she climbed up to her feet and looked around. The tornado was moving away; the vibrations in the ground decreasing. She no longer had to worry about it. Right now, she directed her attention to finding her friends.

"Snap? Rapsheeba?" Penny called out. She cupped her hands to her mouth, and shouted as loud as she could. "Where are you?"

She was soon joined in by Blocky. The zoner remained stationary, holding onto Sophie, and kept shouting as loud as he could. "Come on out, you guys! If you are here and if you can hear our voices, shout!"

"We need to get out of here! Hurry!" Penny shouted, raising her voice as high as it would go.

"Rudy might need our help!" Blocky cried loudly. "And we need to get this little girl back into the Real World!"

Penny and Blocky's voices filled the air, pleading, shouting, trying to get some kind of response. Their choir of calls went unanswered, however. No matter how many times they shouted and cried, no matter how many times they called out to their friends, there was no response. They kept trying, though. Oh how they tried. They raised their voices. They called out as loudly as they could. They looked left and right, looking for any sign of movement.

Soon, their voices began to die down when they noticed that no one was shouting back. They heard no kind of reply. There was no movements that they could find. No pile on the ground indicative of them. Just silence and nothingness. They stopped shouting alogether and exchanged a look of horror with each other. Had their worst fears become a reality? Had Snap and Rapsheeba...?

Just then, before Penny had time to consider what might have happened, she noticed something in the distance. There were a row of trees and bushes here, connecting to the beginning of a small forest. It was smaller and less elaborate than the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. It looked relatively new, like it was just erased a few days ago.

It took Penny a moment to realize that there was something wrong with the branches of the trees. They looked...bent, a little broken. As if something were weighing them down, like something crashed into it or...

...or someone collided with the tree...

Snapping her eyes wide open, Penny's body stiffened for a few seconds. The revelation of what may have happened struck her, making her shiver once. She cast a glance over to Blocky. She would have called him out to follow her, but Sophie still looked scared. So instead, she decided to head off on her own.

"Blocky, stay with Sophie." Penny said as she began to head towards the tree.

"What are you doing?" Blocky asked. Sophie cuddled closer to him, her body shaking so much it was making Blocky move along with her. "Do you think that..."

"Yes." Penny said in determination. "I think Rapsheeba and Snap are here."

Penny approached the tree slowly, keeping an eye on it. She scanned it up and down, looking for any sign of movement or something being off other than the branches being bent down awkwardly. She walked around it slowly, her eyes trailing up every detail of the tree, taking in the information.

It didn't take her long to see the source of the branch's bending. There was something indeed weighing it down. Or rather, someone. Upon seeing the familiar color of blue, Penny knew right away who this was.

"Snap?" Penny called out. Her friend didn't respond. Her heart raced. "Snap?" She tried again, this time in a louder voice.

When her friend didn't respond to her calls, she immediately started to climb up the tree. Thankfully there were some strong low branches, allowing her to get a footing. She pushed herself up, her eyes glued on the still form that she knew was her friend. As she gained altitude, she took notice of his eyes being shut. Her friend had been knocked unconscious.

Realizing this, Penny knew she had to get a hold of him so she could assess the damage. If he had been flung out by the twister, which she knew was a possibility, it was likely that the blow he suffered to his head, if that was indeed what had happened, cracked his skull. Even just a hairline fracture was enough to warrant a trip to the hospital.

Through some difficulty, Penny managed to get a hold of her friend. She pulled him out of the tree carefully. Holding him as tightly as she could with one arm slung around him, she used her other, as well as her feet, to navigate down the tree. Once she reached the floor, she set Snap on the ground. She pressed his back against the tree and knelt down in front of him. She began to examine him quickly.

He was covered in small bruises and cuts. Most of them weren't that bad, and even the deepest ones could be patched up without needing to go to the hospital for treatment. She looked along his head to see if there was any sign of damage. She lightly touched it, careful not to apply pressure, knowing that she could screw things up if she wasn't careful. Her fingers soon touched something. A bump, a rather large one. She bit her lip at this. Her suspicions were confirmed. A blow to her friend had knocked him out.

She had no idea what the extent of the damage was, or if it was worse than it appeared, or what symptoms her friend was going to suffer. She had to get him to the hospital as soon as possible. But she was out of magic chalk and ChalkZone City was quite a distance away. She didn't think she could carry him very well for long, and she might accidentally drop him. If she could just find someone to help...

There was her bird. The cassowary. It might be able to take Snap to ChalkZone City, or at least to another zoner large and strong enough to carry him, like Lars the polar bear.

Suddenly a question hit her practically in the face. If Snap was here then...Where was Rapsheeba? What happened to her?

Penny's eyes darted around as she tried to find the zoner. She had to be around here somewhere. She looked up the tree, turning her head left and right. She wasn't there. This realization made her shiver. Oh no...what if she was flung further away..?

Penny looked out into the forest. In the distance, she could see remnants of bush pieces. Leaves and tiny branches on the ground. She sucked in a sharp breath when she realized Rapsheeba must have crashed through this tree and then hit against the hard ground a good distance away. She might be hurt worse than Snap. She glanced at Snap for a few seconds. She didn't want to leave him...but she had to get Rapsheeba over here.

Giving one last look at Snap, Penny turned her head towards where she knew Rapsheeba was. Narrowing her eyes, she immediately rushed forward. She hoped that Rapsheeba wasn't hurt as much as she thought she was.

sss

Rudy wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. He was grateful that he was up in the air for this, most of the power being generated from his rocket shoes. However, he was still running out of breath, feeling his heart pounding and lungs burning. The mere act of dodging took a lot of energy, altering his course so he couldn't hit up against anything.

The tornado behind him was gaining on him, getting much closer. He was going as fast as he could at this point. He knew that he wouldn't be able to put any more distance, and with the twister slowly approaching, it was just a matter of time before he'd get sucked into it.

He navigated the jungle he came upon. The Empty Jungle as some of the zoners taken to calling it. It was similar to Mumbo Jumbo Jungle, except there were no zoners living here. Everything in it was toxic, even the air. At least to zoners, not so to him or something inanimate. It made for the perfect location to try to stop the twister. Well almost perfect; the trees were slowing him down, making it hard for him to concentrate on anything except getting out of the way fast.

He looked left and right, feeling a cold shudder go up his spine. Even the very appearance of this place was hostile. Dark and light greys, along with some blacks intermixing, a bit of eerie, crimson fog, and glowing swamp-like plants, the white looking so foreboding that any black, dark area looked welcome. There were pools of crimson all over the place, and with the steam rising up, he knew that they burned. Whoever designed this place must really like the whole monochrome and red equaling danger. He wasn't sure what would possess anyone to draw such a place, but at the moment, that didn't matter.

He looked behind him for a split second. He could see the twister ripping up the place. None of the trees stood a chance in stopping it. Soon, he was going to run out of forest, and he'd be back in the open. He would have nothing left to slow down the twister.

He suddenly heard a loud hiss, like steam rising. He whipped his head over and saw that something was moving out of one of the cracked trees. A mist of black and red... His eyes bulged open in horror. He didn't know what it was, but he had a suspicion that if that into the rest of ChalkZone, many zoners would fall ill or even die.

With this in mind, he had to figure out a way to stop the twister while not allowing any of the mist to get out. But how was he going to do that? He couldn't very well just fly to each one and seal it up. It would take too long, and it would provide an opportunity for the twister to strike. He needed a way to stop it all before it got that far. Something to completely stop both the gas and the twister.

His eyes bulged open. He looked down at his piece of magic chalk. Still some left. Would it be enough? There was only one way to find out.

He looked behind him to make sure the twister was still there. When he saw that it was, he raised his chalk and began to make his move. He whipped around, which seemed to startle the twister as it stopped for a brief second. Rudy glared at it in determination as he pressed the chalk against the air and began to draw.

Lines rapidly formed in the air, curving and bending as Rudy kept it up. He flew around the tornado, avoiding its attacks. Around and around he went, the lines rapidly forming something thick and strong.

Then when he was finished, he flew back. He looked at his handiwork. For a split second he could see the outline of what he just draw. Lines that curved around and connected with one another. A cylinder shape. Then it solidified in a flash, a dull grey creeping up rapidly to fill in the void. In seconds, the twister was sealed in a thick structure, preventing it from escaping.

Rudy winced when he saw that a mild crack was already starting to form. He had to get going on drawing the second portion. He would make sure to construct it out of the thickest and strongest material that he knew of: diamond. He wasn't sure how long it would hold, but at least the tornado would be stopped long enough for him to discuss a permanent solution with Penny.

Rudy went to work constructing the large shield. Thankfully, The Empty Forest wasn't terribly huge compared to Mumbo Jumbo Jungle, and there were no zoners that came here anyway.

He zipped around the edge of the forest, distinctly marked by the black and white glow and misty stuff. He first drew a line around the bottom, completely encircling it. He then went to different locations to draw arching lines, rising straight up and then curving towards the center. He looked at his chalk, his eyes widening when he realized he was almost out. He quickly finished up and drew the top portion, letting all the lines connect. He moved away from it as it solidified, sealing the tornado, and the poisonous gas, inside.

Rudy looked at the structure noting all its curves and the light shining off of it. It did look like, almost, an upside down diamond. He couldn't even hear the tornado inside of it. He let out a sigh of relief, realizing that the threat had passed. Even the ground had a layer of diamond so it could not escape there either.

But his relief was short-lived. He might have taken care of the twister, but he still didn't know if his friends were okay. He turned himself around and put a hand over his head. He looked around, trying to see if he could find where they were. He had gone so far, he kind of gotten lost.

He soon saw, in the very distance, very hard to tell from where he was, what looked to be a portal opening. Activating the thrusters on his rocket shoes, he sped off towards that location.

Along the way, Rudy surveyed the damage that was left by the tornado. He could see an indention in the ground where dirt and grass were kicked up. It looked almost like a long, winding scar, curving from side to side. He winced at it, seeing just how deep it really was. He couldn't imagine just how much damage this thing could have caused if it struck a small settlement or a house.

He pushed the unnerving thoughts aside as he scanned the land for any sign of his friends. They had to be around here somewhere. He looked left and right, gritting his teeth. He could see more areas of destruction. Some trees that were leveled. Some rocks that were split in two. More scarring of the land. But so far, his friends were nowhere in sight. His heart clenched tightly.

Where were they?

He stopped in front of the portal as soon as he reached it. He hovered in front of it. He turned his head from one side to the other. His pupils scanned the land, desperately searching for anything that could help him. But so far, there was nothing. Nada, zilch.

The longer he didn't see anything, the quicker his heart raced. Where were they? Where were his friends? They were trapped underneath a pile, but..where was it? He thought that if he came here, he would see the pile, or at least signs of his friends if they had gotten out. But he saw nothing. It was almost as if the pile didn't exist anymore. Or maybe he was just in the right location to see it. Maybe the scribbles got spread out so it'd be harder to detect.

Rudy rose up higher into the air. He got out the telescope he drew before and put the tip towards his eye. He scanned the horizon slowly, looking for any sign of the scribble figure his cousin drew. It was around here somewhere. If he could just look hard enough, he would...

Aha..there it was. Off in the distance, he could see remnants of the scribble figure. Judging from how many there were, and how far they were spread, he realized that was where it had fallen down. His friends must be in that direction. Shifting himself in that direction, he zipped as quickly as he could over in that direction.

When he reached the pile, he lowered himself down and began to inspect it. He winced at how jagged and rough the area looked. Even areas with just a small layer looked dangerous to stand on. The figure looked rather flat compared to how it used to be when it was walking around. There was still plenty of room for his friends to stand if they were trapped. But upon closer inspection, he noticed something that made his heart sink.

Parts of the figure had collapsed in. Large portions at that. He could still hear cracks and creaks, and he could see areas of the 'ceiling' still falling down. If his friends were trapped inside...they were swiss cheese by now...

Rudy stared at the structure in horror, feeling his heart twist. He shook his head in denial. No...they couldn't be.. Maybe they got out... Rudy tried to shake off the chilling feelings as he tried to look for any sign of his friends, any sign that they might be alive.

Just when he was about to give up and look elsewhere, he noticed something. He wasn't sure how he missed it before. A large opening, like it had been torn apart by great force. He flew closer to it and examined it. The way the scribble pieces being outward... Something from the inside must have...

Rudy whipped his head around to the debris that laid before him. The way they were scattered, it had been from whatever had jumped out. And he knew of only a few that had been in there when it fell. That meant that his friends must have... His heart filling with elation, with renewed vigor, Rudy began to do another search of the area.

That was when he noticed something laying on the ground. A mass of feathers. Prone, still. Rudy flew down towards it. It looked to be a bird of some kind. The animal was unconscious, but didn't appear to be too badly hurt. It must have been knocked unconscious when it launched itself out. The scribbles were quite strong, and despite how they look, it would have taken a lot of force to break through. With a pang of sympathy, he gently touched the top of its head.

Upon closer inspection, he realized there was something familiar about this drawing. The style of it...it reminded him so much of Courtney.

His eyes widened as he realized that Penny must have drawn another bird to help them escape. Here was the bird. But where were they? Did they manage to hang on? Were they tossed about? Were they injured? Rudy turned his head left and right, trying to see if he could find anyone else here besides this bird.

He then saw something that he almost missed entirely. He could see why; the green form blended in so well with the grass, and the dirt on the skin helped make it blend in even more. Rudy moved his eyes to trace along the edge, and he took in a gasp of air when he recognized who this figure was.

"Blocky!"

Rudy landed on the ground, his rocket shoes instantly turning off, and he rushed over to his friend, his feet pounding the ground. As soon as he reached the form he knew was his friend, he knelt down and reached over towards him. He gently shook his friend to see if he was okay.

Blocky let out a soft groan and he lifted up his head. "I'm fine, I..." Upon seeing Rudy, his eyes brightened. "Rudy! You're okay!"

"Yeah, Blocky. I am..." Rudy surveyed his friend's body real quick and was thankful that he didn't seem to have any major injuries on him. "Where are the others?"

At this, Blocky raised himself up further. Rudy quickly realized that Blocky had been holding onto something, or rather someone. When the green zoner moved himself away enough, Rudy could see just who that was.

Rudy couldn't stifle the sigh of relief from escaping his mouth when he saw Sophie laying there. She clutched the zoner tightly, her small form shivering in fear. She didn't appear to notice Rudy standing there. Her face was buried against Blocky's chest as she sought out his comfort. Seeing this broke Rudy's heart. Poor thing must have been terrified to death. It made him wonder exactly how all this had happened, and what it must have been like for his friends...

At this realization, he shot his head up and looked around frantically. "Blocky, where's Penny, Snap, and Rapsheeba...?"

Blocky took a moment to turn his head in one direction. Rudy realized that he must have been pointing; his arms were too busy hugging his little cousin. "Rapsheeba and Snap were flung that way. Penny went to find them."

Rudy felt his heart tighten. He was glad that Penny was okay, at least enough to be able to do some searching around. But Snap and Rapsheeba being tossed around like that? He hoped they were okay. He may not be an expert on medical things like Penny, but he was well aware that being thrown like that against trees or the ground could lead to some pretty nasty injuries.

Rudy glanced over at Blocky and Sophie for a few seconds. He hated to just leave them there, but he had to find his remaining friends. The tornado was gone, so they no longer had to worry about that. He knew that Blocky and his cousin were going to be fine.

Before Rudy could get far, he could hear his green, rectangular friend calling out to him.

"Wait! What about the tornado?" Blocky's fear-filled voice asked. Upon this, Sophie let out a whimper.

Rudy paused. "Don't worry. I took care of it.

He would have stayed to elaborate. Blocky's confused cries desperately tried to get his attention. Rudy would explain later. Right now, his heart pounding, he had to find his friends and make sure that they were okay. Without a word, he reactivated his rocket shoes and flew off into the forest.

sss

"Yeowch!" Rapsheeba hissed.

Penny immediately froze. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." Rapsheeba nodded her head. "I'm fine. Just..keep it up. Might as well get this over with now."

Penny paused for a moment, reluctant to continue. She glanced over at Snap, who stood beside her with a few bandages of his own. He nodded her head, silently encouraging her to continue. Penny, realizing she had to do this, proceeded, gently pressing the cloth of liquid disinfectant against Rapsheeba's cut.

She noticed how Snap wasn't standing up straight very well. Such a thing did not surprise her, nor how he wobbled from side to side a little. Occassionally, he would grab onto his head, only to hiss and pull it away. Her friend was showing clear signs of effects from being knocked in the head like that. He might be awake now, but that didn't mean he was out of the woods yet. His disorientation and unwillingness to speak spoke volumes about this.

Penny was glad that she was able to find them both. Rapsheeba was harder to locate. Snap, when he woke up, had limped towards her and used his hand to point. He must have seen which direction she had flung, and he was able to find her faster than she ever could.

Rapsheeba was on the ground next to a tree. A small trail of blood revealed that she was hurt. Penny had rushed to her side to see just how bad off she was. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as bad as she thought, with the worst injury being a deep gash on her arm. Rapsheeba hadn't even been knocked unconscious like Snap was. Penny treated Snap first to take care of his more minor injuries and then proceeded to take care of Rapsheeba.

After a short time, she was able to finish wrapping the zoner's arm in the cloth, covering it up to protect it. Rapsheeba pulled her arm back to herself. She turned it this way and that, examining it. She then looked over at Penny, giving her a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Penny." Rapsheeba said.

Penny smiled. "No problem." Penny noted to herself how lucky she was that she had medical supplies with her. Not a lot, which made it easier for her to forget she had them. There was enough for small wounds, and she used the last of it on Rapsheeba. "Now, we needed to get to the hospital. You both need some work."

"B-But I'm...I'm fine...really..." Snap's slurred voice spoke. Penny looked behind her and her eyes widened as Snap leaned against a tree trunk for support. "Just...need..rest..."

"Snap, my man!" Rapsheeba cried in horror. She reached out with her good arm as if she wanted to grab onto the blue boy and support him. "You're not okay! You need help!"

"N-No..." Snap waved his hand in dismissal. "I'm...okay..I.." Snap started to slump down further, his legs giving out underneath him.

Penny reached over and grabbed onto his arm. She let him lean against her for support. She frowned at him with concern. "No, you're not fine. We need to get you to the hospital. You were hit pretty badly."

Although Snap continued to protest that he was okay, he did not try to get away from her and let her hold onto his arm. Penny narrowed her eyes at this. Snap must really be disoriented if he thinks he was okay. He might not be fully aware of the pain he was in, or what had just happened. He was aware enough to show her where Rapsheeba landed, but...he was still not quite there... He needed help and fast.

But how was she going to get him to the hospital fast enough? She could walk, but..that would take forever. She needed a better way of getting him there. If she had some magic chalk, she could draw something. But she used the last of it up already and now she had no means of creating something for her to transport her friend.

Oh what was she going to do...?

"Penny!" A voice called out. Penny looked left and right. "Penny, I'm coming!"

Penny turned her head to look over her shoulder. The voice was coming from that way. It sounded faint at first, but it rapidly raised in volume. Her eyes widened when she saw Rudy speeding towards her, flames from his rocket shoes spilling out behind him.

Many emotions swelled in Penny's chest, most noticebly happiness. Rudy...he had survived the twister... She had been so worried about him. She didn't know if he'd made it. She didn't see him out there earlier, and knowing that the twister must have given chase... It left her with a sickening feeling in her stomach.

But here he was. Alive and well. He didn't appear to be injured, and even when he landed in front of her, she still couldn't see anything aside from a few small scrapes. He had made it. She wasn't sure how, but he had made it.

Penny stared at him for just a few seconds before cracking a wide smile, her face practically glowing in positive emotion. "Rudy...you made it..." She breathed. "How did you stop the tornado?"

Rudy said, "I'll explain later. How are all of you? You guys okay?"

"I'm fine." Penny said quickly. "Not too worse for wear." She looked over at Rapsheeba. "She's okay, too. Mostly minor. I did find one deep gash but it's taken care of."

Rudy gave a relieved smile at this. Upon looking at Snap, however, his expression changed. He appeared to notice how uneasy Snap was on his feet. Rudy bit his lip, his face etching with a deep look of concern. "And...what about Snap...?" He turned his attention to Penny. "How...how is he...?"

Penny paused for a moment. She hated having to give him bad news. She had no choice, however. Lying would not help Snap get better any quicker. "Well..." She sucked in a shaky breath. She stared into Rudy's worried eyes. "This is what happened...

sss

Dr. Von Doktor continued to be amazed and almost horrified by what laid before him. The seconds and minutes passed by slowly, and he became almost fully unaware of what was going on around him. His mind was focused intently on the red dot in front of him, moving about, yet there being no signs of the girl anywhere.

It was incomprehensible. It was inconcievable... All this time, there was a doorway to another world. An alternate dimension. This girl, she had gone in there. She was moving around. It was clear as day. He could see the movement, and yet Penny was nowhere in sight. Even if Penny had found out and removed the device, that did not explain why the tracker said there was movement where there was none.

He was still trying to recover from the full impact of the discovery. He could feel his legs trembling violently. He was glad that he was not standing up for this. He didn't think he would be able to for long without falling down. Not like this. Not right now.

He didn't dare look back at Terry. At the moment, he didn't want to see her smug face. He didn't want her to taunt him about how right she had been. She already did enough of that. He was not interested in having his pride more hurt. He had been so certain he was right and she was wrong, and he prided himself in being always right.

And now he was faced with a situation where he had been incorrect. He had dismissed the wild claims of a chalk world. Even though he admitted it would explain some things, he never fully surrendered to the idea of it being real. It just defied explanation, and he could not understand how such a thing could exist. He had tried to go over any possible evidence in his head, and they all led to dead ends. It had been clear to him before that Terry was just smoking a lot of crack.

At least...until now...

He couldn't deny it. As much as it hurt him to say it, Terry was right, and he was the one who was wrong. For the first time in his life, he had been so very wrong about something. The proof against what he felt was fact was present before his eyes. The tracking device was all the proof he needed to know that this world indeed existed.

Many thoughts raced through his head. Just what should he do with this knowledge? What path should he take with this? He wasn't sure if he could think of anything at this point. He was too shaken up at the moment to think of a plan.

But he knew Terry had one... He forced himself to look at her for a second. He forced himself to give her a sideways glance. Despite feeling a tinge of uncomfortableness as he saw her expression, he did not look away. That expression in her eyes...it was clear that she was already in deep thought, perhaps planning what their next move was going to be. A part of him was curious, while another was unnerved.

Yet at the same time...It felt almost exilarating. They both shared something in common. They might have seemed different at first, but he knew now, more than ever, just how alike they truly were. Both had been humiliated by the same children, both were accomplished through the use of this...this chalk world... And they both had a reputation that they longed to get back. Perhaps the team up wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Suddenly, he noticed Terry's eyes flicker as she spotted something. He stared at her for a moment and then he turned and looked out in front of him. He scanned the area, trying to see what the woman spotted. It wasn't until he looked up at the window that he saw something.

There was a little girl there. Small, cute, adorable. But also frightened. It was as if she saw something terrible. He felt a pang of sympathy for her, but it was fleeting, disappearing quickly as he refocused his attention on her. There had to be a reason why Terry was staring at her. What was she...?

That was when he saw there was something with the little girl. She was clamping onto something. Green, flat... It was almost like a large piece of paper. He almost dismissed it when he saw something that nearly made him jump.

Since when did paper have a face...?

"Isn't this our lucky day?" Terry said coolly. Von stared over at her. "I was hoping Snap would be the one to show up." She folded her arms against her chest. She pointed a finger towards the window. "But...he'll do..."

Von looked back up towards the house, where the girl and the chalk thing were sitting right up against the window. The girl was staring outward, and he could see the chalk thing looking like he was trying to comfort the girl. None of them appeared to notice the van out here. None of them were aware that they were being watched. They were too busy looking as if they were comforting each other.

But Von held no sympathy for them. A different emotion was rising up inside of him. Something burning, something that made him want to jump up and rush over, something that he had to tame.

Excitement.

Von's mind was erupting with thoughts. They swirled around his head, giving him a headache. He felt like a child overwhelmed at Christmas time, unsure of which gift to open first. He grinned broadly as he stared at the zoner. A color of green...how ironic. That was the same color as money...

He had to get this creature. He had to get a hold of him. This creature... This living piece of paper... Oh screw perpetual motion. This was something far bigger. This was something far more impressive than mere perpetual motion.

This was going to change everything.

"Get me a tranquilizer dart..." Von hissed at Terry, not looking back at her. "We need to bring that thing in. I want it alive."

"Then you can't use a tranquilizer dart. He's made of chalk. You'd kill him." Terry's voice was cold as she said this, showing that she really had no concern over the creature dying.

Von stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "Then...what do you propose we do...?" He could still study a dead specimen, but...yeah a living one would be more useful. "Any ideas?"

Terry nodded her head, giving a twisted smirk. "Oh don't worry... We'll have that green creature in our clutches soon enough. Just...do what I say..."

Von wasn't sure how much he could trust Terry. But he did realize that she knew more about this chalk world than he did. She would have a better idea on how to capture these things. He turned his attention back towards the house, watching as the green creature continued getting hugged tightly by the girl. He narrowed his eyes in determination. He would have this creature...and it was going to make him rich.


	9. Captures

How the unexpected can be unfair...

sss

Blocky squirmed, trying to get away from the child. Her arms were wrapped around him so tightly that he could barely breathe. He understood that she was so scared and frightened, but if she didn't let go of him soon, he might pass out. He needed some space. If she kept this up, he was going to pass out for sure.

He managed to free one of his hands and he pushed against her head. She let out a loud cry when he did this, and she held onto him tighter. He could feel her shaking her head against him, a few shouts of 'no', a clear protest. Blocky eventually stopped pushing, the screaming getting so loud, he feared that she was going to draw the attention from the adult humans. He might not be as smart as some zoners, but he knew what would happen if a human spotted him.

He stopped struggling and let the toddler hug him. He looked out the window. He reflected on what happened as he stared at the beautiful scenery before him. He had never seen what the Real World looked like, but at the moment, it hardly mattered to him. There were some more pressing matters to contend with.

He hoped that his friends weren't too worried about him. He felt bad for disappearing on them. He wanted to go back into ChalkZone and apologize if he had worried them. It wasn't like he left on his own accord, however. He tried to stay with them... But Sophie had other plans.

On their way to the hospital, Sophie had spotted the portal that led back to the Real World. She had immediately grabbed onto Blocky and dragged him over to it. Blocky tried to get her to stop, tried to make her slow down and rejoin the grip. But she would not listen. Before long, they had exited the portal and were back in the Real World. It all happened so fast that Blocky barely had time to regain his composure when the girl dragged him over to the window sill and hugged him tightly.

The little girl was so frightened, more so than he had ever seen anyone. He felt a bit guilty for trying to get away from her. He had a feeling that doing so just made her feel worse and scared her more. But it wasn't like he had much of a choice. He had to get out of here before someone spotted him. Being near the window made him feel uneasy. What if someone saw him? Like, through a telescope or something? He shuddered at the thought of people showing up at this house, demanding that Rudy tell him his secrets...

But how was he going to get home with this toddler hanging off of him? Sophie couldn't stay in ChalkZone for long without there being some kind of trouble that they'd have to deal with. Her mother would notice she was missing and try to find her. What if she ended up in ChalkZone as well? Or worse, what if she called the police and all of them found ChalkZone?

It was imperative that he get out of here. He couldn't stay and Sophie couldn't come with. He did his best to comfort the toddler, but he needed to get her to understand that he needed to go back home. If he didn't get back, then not only would he worry his friends, but he would also be putting himself in great danger.

A zoner couldn't survive long in the Real World. He couldn't eat or drink anything here. In a matter of days, he would be close to death, and eventually die from dehydration. Then there was the matter of Real World water. Even if he didn't touch any of the stuff directly, the humidity that may be present would irritate him and slowly eat away at his body. Just the act of being in a humid, Real World land would be enough to...

He moved away from his thoughts when he heard Sophie say something. The statement was muffled and he could barely understand a word she was saying. He moved back, allowing her room to look up at him.

Sophie stared up at him with those sad eyes. This lasted for several moments. The longer he stared at her, the more he wanted to just reach down and hold onto her. But before he could say anything, something happened that changed the situation completely.

Sophie smiled.

In confusion, Blocky watched as the girl's grin spread practically from ear to ear. She held onto him more tightly, pressing him against her. Any sign of fear was now, suddenly, gone from her face. It was as if, now that she wasn't in danger anymore, she'd forgotten about it, and now wanted to return to having fun.

"Play time!" Sophie screeched playfully. She yanked on Blocky and dragged him towards one of the shelves in Rudy's room. "Come play with me!"

"W-Well Sophie, I..." Blocky stammered, unsure of how to react to this sudden change. "I really must..."

Sophie didn't give him a chance to finish. She forced him to sit down on the ground and she reached for a small, colorful box. Blocky recognized it as something that Rudy or Penny would use for school. He watched as the girl set it down beside her and opened it up. It was filled with all kinds of markers, colored pencils, and crayons.

Blocky realized that he probably is not going to be able to get away any time soon, so he simply sat there for the time being. Perhaps while Sophie drew on him, he would figure out something to help him get out of here. Or maybe he'd be lucky and Rudy or Penny would show up. They would probably be able to get convince Sophie to let him go. She'd definitely listen to Rudy, right? But then he remembered her last trip into ChalkZone...

"Hold still!" Sophie squealed as she grabbed onto a thick, black marker. She put her hand on his face and moved it up and down. He shut his eyes as she did this. He guessed that she was just trying to flatten an area for her to draw on. "Make pretty!" She brought the marker over.

Blocky resisted the urge to groan when he saw the marker coming towards him. He had miniature flashbacks to when she drew on his face. It was annoying, but, eh, she was a little girl. He might as well let her have a little fun, especially after what happened back in ChalkZone. The little tyke deserved some kind of reprive from that.

His thoughts were interrupted, however, when there was a sudden burning sensation on his face. He let out a yelp and moved back. His eyes darted around as he tried to figure out what it was. He turned his eyes downward and he realized what it was.

It had been the marker.

"No..stop..please!" Blocky cried.

Sophie, however, wouldn't listen. She frowned at him slightly, looking annoyed that he had backed away like that. She launched herself forward and collided with him. She pushed him onto his back. Blocky kicked his legs as he tried to squirm away from her. But the little girl kept her body pressed against him. Her weight alone was enough to stop him. She grabbed onto his head and flattened him down. She lowered the black marker down to him.

Blocky seethed in pain as he felt the liquid marker penetrate his skin. Sophie moved it along his face, drawing different shapes on him. The amount of pain he felt increased the longer the girl drew on him. He could feel the ink burning against his skin. The only relief was that at least it dried quickly and the girl didn't take her sweet little time drawing. But the pain...he was only able to resist it for so long...

Blocky's pain-filled eyes darted around the room. He looked towards the portal, hoping, praying, that Rudy or Penny would come in and stop this. He looked towards the door. He was so desperate that he even hoped the mother would walk in. At least it would distract Sophie long enough for him to get away.

But for the time being, all he could do was lay here and take it. He couldn't attack Sophie; that would be wrong. He couldn't call for help. He might make things worse. He couldn't struggle away; the girl's grip on him was too tight. All he could do right now was take it, and hope that the girl would be done with him soon.

He was completely unaware of what was going on just outside the room.

sss

"You're kidding me, right?" Tilly said as she held onto the phone. "You want what..?"

"You heard me. We want the chalkboard. Bring it outside to us. We will gladly pay a large sum to have it. Trust me, we will make it worth your while."

Tilly bit her lip. She wasn't sure what the right thing to do was. She wasn't sure just how much she could believe the person on this other line. She knew full well of Terry's...antics, and this whole chalk world nonsense that she believed in. How could she trust anything that she said? She didn't want to be a part of this craziness that she had started herself.

Plus, it was Rudy's chalkboard that she wanted. For what...to try to reveal this chalk world... Such a nonsense thing to do. Hadn't the woman learned her lesson already? She was humiliated on television when she last tried to expose this chalk world. Was she really looking forward to another one of those? Was she really going to risk ruining her reptuation even more in her misguided attempt at exposing a world that did not exist?

However, that huge sum of money did seem...tempting. She felt a pang of guilt for feeling that way. She knew that money wasn't the most important thing in the world. But...still...

Tilly could get a lot of things with that kind of money. She could buy Rudy an even better chalkboard. More of them. She could get him a nice laptop computer that he could use for art. She could get him a lot more impressive art supplies. Was she really going to deny him all of that for the sake of a single, old chalkboard.

"We are waiting on your decision, ma'am."

"I know.. Just..give me some time..." Tilly said. Slowly, she rested the phone on the table and began to pace. She...she needed a little time to think.

She walked to and fro in the living room. Back and forth in front of the television and the couch she went. She folded her arms behind her back, her eyes narrowed in a concerned frown. Her thoughts moved through her as she tried to concentrate. She tried to think of what her answer should be.

On the one hand, she might upset Rudy more. She remembered their last conversation. She had punished him for scaring Sophie by making him do chores. She wondered if she had gone a little too far with that, with all that she had him doing. The look on his face when she called him into the living room seemed to confirm that. She had tried to make amends by giving him something to drink and offering him to watch a movie with her. But he had rejected it and left quickly.

She felt a pang of guilt when she thought about that. It was through that action alone that she realized that she may have indeed went too far. She had never meant to upset him like that. She should have just stuck with one chore. After all, it wasn't like Rudy meant to frighten Sophie.

Her thoughts, once more, shifted to the things she could get in return for the chalkboard, should she decide to sell it. It was just one measley chalkboard, after all. There were plenty like it. It can easily be replaced. Rudy never keeps anything drawn on there for long anyway. In fact, she hardly ever saw him use it. Would he really care if it was gone?

Besides, she could get him more things that he could use. More art supplies. More paper. Maybe a better art desk. Terry was offering enough money for her to get him a lot of things. And if he really wanted a chalkboard, she could get him a larger one, made of better materials, and some better chalk. She could get him a computer and a scanner so he could put his art online if he wanted to. She could get him some high quality supplies so he could share his art with the world.

And all she would have to do is exchange his old chalkboard...

She made her decision. She turned to the phone and walked towards it quickly. She grabbed onto it and lifted it up. She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. She hoped she wouldn't live to regret this decision.

"Okay. The chalkboard is yours."

"Excellent..." She heard Terry say. "Bring it outside. We will be waiting."

There was a click and she heard the familiar tone of the phone being off. She stared at it for a few seconds and then rested it on the hook. She leaned back and ran her fingers through her hair.

She hoped she wouldn't regret this decision. She could feel a burning sensation in her stomach as she worried that she may have made the wrong choice. Maybe she should have spoken with Rudy first about it, see if he wanted it to be sold. But she reminded herself that it was just a chalkboard and that he'd get so much more out of the deal.

She looked towards the staircase. She hadn't heard a peep out of Rudy since he left. She thought about calling out to him, but if he was angry with her, he may not respond. He might even try to hide, which would make it very difficult for her to speak with him on the matter.

So instead, she opted to go upstairs. If she showed up in his room unexpectantly, he wouldn't be able to hide and she'd be able to speak to him. She would explain to him what her intentions were and that she only wanted what was best for him. Surely, he would understand once she explained the whole situation to him. He was a smart little boy. He wouldn't be that attached to one single chalkboard, right?

Without further delay, the woman began to descend the stairs. She moved slowly so that she wouldn't make noise going up. As she did, she could hear something going on. Some kind of noise. Frowning softly, she slightly sped up her pace.

sss

"Please, Sophie...stop this..." Blocky said softly. He tried to turn his head away, but he was not able to stop the girl from making another black inked circle on his face. "This hurts..."

Sophie didn't stop. She continued drawing him, enjoying every second of it. She didn't seem aware that she was hurting him. She didn't notice the wincing of his eyes, or his face contorting. All she could see was a large, green paper, and how ripe it was for her to draw on. She would not allow him to leave. Not until she was finished covering him up in black ink.

She wasn't doing this out of malice. As Blocky heard the little girl laughing, he could tell it was out of joy, not sick satisfaction. Sophie was just unaware of the damage she was causing him. He could try to explain, but how would she fully understand at her age? The very concept might fly right over her head. The only thing he could do was either hope she'd be done soon and that there won't be too much damage to himself, or he could try to get away from her, knock her away and then jump back through the portal.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't get himself to push the little girl away. He could if he mustered up enough strength. Yet the very act of carrying it out... After what the girl had been through, how could he do such a thing to her? She had been frightened enough, especially with how she was nearly crushed to death today.

Yet...he wasn't sure how long he was going to be able to handle this. The burning sensation on his face...it was getting worse. He could feel some blood start to leak out from the burns. It wasn't as bad as Real World water, but that wasn't saying too much. It still hurt him, still stung him, still made him squirm.

He...he had to get away. He couldn't stay like this any longer. The burning, it was getting worse as the seconds passed. It was like someone was holding a candle light too close to his skin. He could feel the burning even on areas where the ink had dried up. His brain was churning out rapid thought as he looked left and right, hoping to find something, anything, to make Sophie let him go.

Just then he heard something in the distance. Faint...slight...quiet... He had to strain to hear it. Sophie's laughter didn't exactly make it that easy for him. He did his best to listen to whatever was going on, doing what he could to hear past Sophie, and to whatever was going on outside the door.

Then he saw the doorknob moving. Someone was coming in.

In desperation, Blocky pushed against Sophie. He knocked her into the ground. She hit against the shelf, knocking a few things over. He quickly stopped up and looked around for a place to hide. He looked down at the little girl, noticing her expression. He felt a pang of guilt at how sad she looked, and how she was on the verge of tears. Blocky so desperately wanted to cheer her up and apologize, but he didn't have time for that.

He heard the squeaking of the door opening up. His heart pounding against his chest, he dove underneath the bed. He pushed himself as far under it as he could. He flattened himself on the ground and, ignoring the pain on his face, tried his best to keep quiet.

He could see a woman walking into the room. He couldn't tell who it was, but he guessed it was a family member of Rudy's. Possibly his aunt? Then his heart started to race faster when he realized he didn't cover up the portal. And now it was too late; as much as he wanted to rush forward and put something over it, it was too late. The aunt was fully in the room, and any second now, she was going to notice the portal.

But so far, she did not. Instead, she had turned her attention to Sophie. The girl, at this point, was crying. She looked absolutely hurt by what Blocky did to her. The sight of it broke his heart. He didn't mean to upset her like that. He didn't mean to knock her down. He was just so desperate to get away, and if he hadn't done that, he would have gotten himself into bigger trouble.

He watched as the aunt comforted the little girl. She scooped Sophie up into her arms and held onto her. She hugged her little girl and whispered soft, comforting words to her. The woman rocked the trembling child back and forth.

The sight of it reminded Blocky of the mother chocolate bunny that he and Snap ran into that one time. After the whole misunderstanding was cleared up and she got her babies back, she was more than happy to share her chocolate milk with them, treating them like they were just a couple more of her babies. At this memory, Blocky couldn't help but smile. He always found these kinds of moments to be rather cute.

Sophie had calmed down rather quickly as her mom hugged her. She soon stopped crying altogether and the woman set her daughter on the ground. Sophie took a look towards him and frowned. He winced at this and cringed back, wondering if the girl was going to try to scold him. Thankfully, she simply turned in another direction and found another piece of paper to torment...er...draw on.

Blocky now just had to wait for the woman to disappear. He hoped that Rudy's aunt would disappear quickly. He had his one chance at getting out of here, and it was just a few feet in front of him. The chalkboard was right there. The woman hadn't even noticed it yet. All she had to do was back away and leave. Now that her daughter was okay, surely, she would turn around and leave. Then he could make his move.

The zoner's body began to shiver in fear when something else happened entirely. Instead of leaving like he hoped, the woman grabbed a large tarp and put it over the chalkboard. She pushed it into the ground and bent the legs inward. Soon they were flattened completely, a snap indicating that they were now locked in place. The woman finished wrapping it up in the tarp, picked it up, and began to take it away.

Blocky couldn't believe it. A cold sensation clutched at his chest as he watched the woman take away the chalkboard. His one chance at getting home... It was gone... Just like that... She had come and taken it away from him. Now how was he going to get back?

And what of the others? How were they going to get home now? He quickly relaxed when he realized that they would just find another chalkboard. But where... Penny's...that's it. If he could just get to Penny's place, he may have a chance at getting home. Penny had a chalkboard, too.

He just needed to get out of here. With Sophie now distracted, now was the perfect chance for him to make his getaway. He cralwed out from underneath the bed. He stared at her for a few seconds. Making sure that she, indeed, wasn't paying him any attention, the green zoner began to make his way out of the room, the aunt already down the steps with the chalkboard.

Blocky paused for a moment. He tried to think of what he was going to do. He suddenly realized that he had no idea which way Penny's place was. And unlike Snap, he couldn't go to anyone for help. Snap could pass off as a kid in a costume, but not him. He was way too flat. If someone spotted him...

Suddenly he froze. He heard something from down the steps. A creaking sound, sliding against the floor. He saw a flash of light, and he soon realized what was going on.

Rudy's aunt was taking the portal outside...

Sucking in a sharp breath, Blocky's mind instantly switched from merely trying to escape to wanting to protect ChalkZone. He had to get that chalkboard back. He couldn't believe he had nearly forgotten about it. How could he have expected the woman not to do anything that could expose ChalkZone while he tried to get back? He needed to take it and hide it somehow. But how would he do that without getting spotted?

He would have to figure out something and fast. There wasn't much time left. As he moved down the steps slowly, he could get a glimpse of Rudy's aunt dragging the covered chalkboard outside. He took in quick breaths and sped himself up. Soon he reached the bottom of the steps, but by then, the door had shut all the way.

He stood there in shock, unable to believe just what had happened. He tried to open up the door, but the thing was so slick, and it stung him a little. He guessed it must have been recently cleaned, but not thoroughly dried. He tried to squeeze underneath the door, but there was hardly any space there. He wouldn't fit through. He turned his head left and right, desperately trying to figure a way out.

Noticing the window in the living room, he rushed over towards it. He pressed his hands against the cold surface and looked through it. Outside, he could see Rudy's aunt holdling onto the tarp-covered chalkboard. His eyes followed her, and soon they noticed a van parked not far. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what was going to happen.

Rudy's aunt must be selling the chalkboard or giving it away.

He tried his best to control his hyperventilating breathing. Many thoughts raced through his head. All of a sudden, there was a lot more at stake now. It was one thing if Rudy's aunt just kept the board. At least they could plan a way to get it back, and even if she did see the chalk world, she would be more easily reasoned with. But these people whom she was giving the chalkboard too? They may not be so cooperative...

Blocky had no idea who these people are, or why they wanted the chalkboard. He didn't know if they had any idea of ChalkZone's existence. He had no idea what they had planned. For all he knew, it could just be a simple selling or giveaway. But that didn't erase the threat of what might happen if they were to see the chalkboard's opening...

Blocky moved away from the window sill and looked around in desperation. Somewhere, there had to be a way out. An open window. Another door. Something that he could use. He didn't have much time. If he didn't get out there...

...then who knows what will happen?

He hoped that Rudy and Penny would notice the portal moving. He hoped someone in ChalkZone sees it and keeps track of it. He hoped that the two creators realized what was going on and were thinking of a backup plan. If Rudy could just erase the portal, then it would be fine. He could do so from the side of ChalkZone. A simple, easy fix. Heck, he might be able to if he had an...

He saw an eraser not far from where he was. His eyes stared intently at it. Such a dangerous thing. He could feel his heart racing just looking at it. He knew full well what could happen to him if he messed around with it too much. He knew of the danger it had for him. Yet...despite the risk, and despite the fear he had for it, it may be his one chance. Even if Rudy and Penny were aware, they might still need his help.

Grabbing onto a plastic bag he found laying on the ground, he scooped up the eraser into it and tied it up, preventing its dangerously abrasive layers from touching him. Keeping a good, tight grip on it, the zoner turned and rushed through the house, hoping to find some way of getting out.

sss

Terry did her best to ignore the skeptical look she got from Von. She focused her eyes on the window next to her. She glared as she stared out at the Tabooties' home. The plan had been initiated; now all they had to do was wait.

She ignored the groans she got from the man sitting next to her. She did not bother looking at him in the eyes. She knew what he was thinking. She knew what he might think of her 'little plan', as he had put it. She didn't have any desire to argue with him, especially not now. The plan was in motion, regardless of what he thought of it. And if all went well, they would have their revenge, as well as reclaim their dignity.

Terry knew full well that this plan could easily backfire. The woman on the phone, whom she found out was Rudy's aunt, had been told of what she had been doing. She knew of her obsession with the chalk world. This realization made her bite her lip. This woman could easily have resisted, and not allow her what she needed.

She was thankful that the woman did eventually cave in with money. Of course, she had no intention on fulfilling that promise. She did not have such money available. Perhaps Von did. She hadn't bothered to ask him if he could loan the woman the money she promised her so that she wouldn't call the police. But if he didn't... Terry cursed herself for not thinking this through more.

But no time to worry about that now. The woman was approaching the van now. She had to get herself ready. She had to look as proper as she could for this interaction. After all, the woman was not likely going to hand over the goods if she looked like a disheveled bum.

"You there!" Terry barked as she tossed him a moist toilette. "Get cleaned up! We've got company!"

Von snatched the cloth with ease. He looked down at it. He cocked an eyebrow. "Why should I..."

"Just do it!" Terry hissed. "I don't need to explain everything to you!"

Von shook his head. He looked like he was going to argue with her more but thankfully, he refrained from doing so and started to wipe his face with the moist toilette. He muttered under his breath, "Ziz plan of yourz iz ztupid..."

Terry ignored his words as she focused on the woman approaching them. A part of her wished that it had been Mr. or Mrs. Tabootie approaching as she felt it would have been easier dealing with them. This woman, on the other hand, she didn't know as much about. She didn't know what to expect when interacting with her. She would not be able to plan very well, and it was all going to be luck of the draw.

Her eyes locked onto the keyboard. Her mouth tugged into a broad smile. Perfect.. The woman did bring it down with her after all. Terry had been worried the woman would want to talk to her more before actually bringing out the goods. And for once, no sign of that little brat or his friends around to stop her.

She hoped that this chalkboard still had the portal on it. She didn't know how Rudy Tabootie handled that, if he kept the portal open or if he erased it. She had no way of accurately predicting his behavior in that regard. If the portal was still open, then she'd secure it somehow. However, even if it wasn't open, there was still another purpose this served, which would suit their needs just fine.

It would prevent that little zoner she and Von spotted earlier from returning home. She predicted that he, out of desperation would follow the chalkboard and try to get back inside of it. He would leave the safety of the home and be a perfect target. No one would suspect a thing; after all, he looks like a piece of paper. She gave a small smile. This turned out much better than if it were Snap. It'd be hard for her getting him in her bag without someone trying to stop her. They would mistake him for a child. But no one would come to this green zoner's aid. He was just a piece of paper.

Getting a working portal was nothing more than a bonus to her. It'd be nice to have, but it wasn't necessary for her her goals. That green chalk creature, he was the one that would set everything into motion. He was the bargaining chip that she needed to force the two brats to cooperate. He was the specimen that was going to prove to the world that chalk entities were indeed real, and that there was a world made entirely of chalk.

So long as she had the rectangle creature, she couldn't lose.

As soon as the brown-haired woman was half-way across the street, Terry turned to Von. She nudged him with her elbow, causing him to drop his moist toilette and shoot her a look. She ignored it and hissed at him, "She's almost here! Get out of the van, and let me do the talking, okay?"

"Well, I'm pretty good at negotiating." Von said. He gave a haughty smile, placing his hand against his chest. "You should let me..."

Terry shook her head, glaring at him. "You would screw things up! It was hard enough to convince that woman to come out here! I will not let you undo all of that!" Terry ignored the man's growl at her as she reached for the door. As she paused, preparing to open it, she gave the man a sideways glance. "Now step out. Let's get this over with quickly, before the two children find out what's going on..."

Von opened his mouth to speak, but he shut it when she glared at him again. He shook his head, still looking uncertain and skeptical of this plan of hers. She merely shook her head at this display of disbelief from him. It didn't matter if he didn't think the plan would work or not. What did matter was that she knew it would work, so long as everything played out correctly. That meant no input from him unless she asked. They were so close...and if that man screwed this up...

She shook the thoughts out of her head as she stepped out of the vehicle. She could hear the door shut from the other side. She turned her head just enough to see Dr. Von Doktor coming around to join her. She then looked over at the woman and, putting on the friendliest face that she could, she raised her hand up and waved at her.

"Hello! Greetings, Ms..." Her voice trailed off when she realized she didn't know the woman's last name.

"Just call me Tilly." The woman said. "I don't care if someone calls me by my first name or not." She let out a grunt as she dragged the chalkboard closer. "This...is what you wanted, right?"

Terry looked at the item the woman was carrying. She noted how it was covered up with a tarp. "Is this the chalkboard?"

Tilly nodded her head. "Yes." She set the chalkboard down. She wiped off her hands. Despite looking pretty strong, the woman looked a bit exhausted from dragging the thing around. "I'm not sure why you want this old thing so badly."

"Trust me, I have my reasons." Terry turned her head to Von. She grabbed onto his arm and pulled him closer. "He will be giving you payment."

Von spluttered at this. "I will?! I didn't..."

Terry shot him a death glare. "We talked about it in the van." She said through clenched teeth, doing her best not to let any suspicion rise up in Tilly. "Now get out your wallet and write a check!"

"Oh okay..." Von said. Without another word, he pulled out a check and began to write a sum of money on it.

"And make sure to give her a generous amount for it." Terry said in a soft voice. The man merely nodded his head. Terry turned her attention to Tilly. "We promise, you will not regret this decision."

Tilly nodded her head. "I sure hope so." She folded her hands together and turned her head to the side. There was a somewhat sad expression in her eyes. "Rudy isn't speaking to me, so I hope I can use this money to cheer him up."

"Don't worry. You will." Terry said, smiling the best she could.

Tilly returned the smile. "And I wish you the best of luck with.." She looked at the chalkboard. A look of confusion plastered over her face for a few seconds. She then shook her head. "..whatever it is you will be doing with this thing.."

Terry smiled at this. "Thank you." She said in the nicest tone of voice that she could muster up. She turned her head towards Von. She frowned when she saw that he was still writing on the piece of paper. "You aren't done with that yet?"

"Don't worry. I'm almost done..." Von quickened up his writing when he saw Terry look at him. Terry wordlessly reminded him that they didn't have a lot of time to fool around. They needed to get out of here. Von swiftly finished writing the check, tore it out of his checkbook, and handed it over to Tilly. "Here you are!"

"Thanks." Tilly examined the check. She held it out and tilted it to one side, looking at the number the old man had written. She frowned at first, and Terry wondered if the woman was going to demand more money. "Okay, a pleasure doing business with you." Thankfully, she didn't. She turned and walked away.

Terry grinned at this. Now they have the chalkboard. The first part of their plan was a success. Now she just had to wait for that green chalk thing to come on out. If it wanted to come home so badly, it will leave the house and try to catch up to the chalkboard. Then, she and Von will strike.

First, however, she wanted to make sure if this chalkboard had a portal or not. Whether or not it did would affect how the rest of the plan would progress. She could adapt either way to it. She was flexible like that. Gripping the bottom of the tarp, she lifted it up enough to expose the chalkboard itself. And, to her amazement and satisfaction...

..there was indeed a portal there.

Terry quickly covered it up before Von had a chance to see it. She didn't need him knowing about it right now. He might be too brash and rush in. Terry knew they still had to play it safe. She had been too brash before, and look at where that got her. No, they would need to play it smarter and safer this time around. They have a portal, but they would simply secure it for now. No attempts to enter the chalk world would be made until further notice.

Terry took a moment to look around, turning her head left to right. She didn't see the little brats coming down the street, or from the house. She guessed that they were still in the chalk world and hadn't yet gotten out. It was hard to tell since they didn't have the tracker out with them at the moment. No matter, they could check when they get back in.

Now was the time to go. She didn't want to run the risk of Tilly changing her mind, or Rudy showing up unexpectantly to steal away her success like on that blasted television set. Gesturing to Von, they carried the chalkboard towards the back of her van. The doors were propped open and they set the chalkboard inside, keeping it covered up by the tarp.

They then climbed back into the vehicle. She would have left to go back to the lab, since they have a portal now. But she hesitated. They still needed that green creature before they went. But they couldn't stay in this same spot. Tilly might get suspicious.

Upon hearing her turn the keys in the ignition, Von stared at her in shock. "What are you doing?!"

"We need to move further down the street." Terry said in a firm voice. "We cannot allow that woman to see us still parked here. We will drive around the block and park on the other street behind the house."

"I suppose that makes sense." Von said.

"Oh and Von?" Terry said as she gave him a sideways glance. "Make sure you grab the laced bag back there." Upon realizing that Von was confused, she added, "I researched chalk and there is something that interacts with it in an...interesting way. I think this will help us keep the creature weak while we transport him."

"Gotcha." Von said, nodding his head once.

Without another word, the pair drove down the street. It was time to get ready for part two of the plan. It was time to get that little creature before Rudy had a chance to do anything to stop them. Terry couldn't help but smile. She had always heard that revenge was sweet. But the path to get there was just as enjoyable.

She did not notice that a pair of eyes had been watching her.

sss

Tilly was still so confused. She wasn't sure what to make of this unusual encounter. She had never heard of anyone who was this interested in chalkboards. She never met anyone who would spend that much money on a chalkboard. Were they thinking straight at all?

She had to keep looking at the check to make sure that it wasn't a trick of the eye or anything. The same amount was constanly present. A whopping $1,700 is what was paid for the chalkboard. This was more than enough to pay for all kinds of high quality art suppies for both her daughter and her nephew. It was an excessively high amount, but she didn't want to rush back and question them, especially since this was the easiest sum of money she had ever gotten. All it cost her was one measley chalkboard.

She planned on cashing this check as soon as possible. She knew that Rudy would be a little upset with her for selling his chalkboard without his permission. But he'd fell better once she got him something really nice. A nearly birthday present of sorts. She would get him something even better.

Tilly stuffed the check into her pocket. She grabbed her keys and got herself ready to leave. She paused for a moment. She looked upstairs. Should she go up and try to find Rudy and speak to him? After all, he wouldn't be happy knowing that his chalkboard was taken from him. Maybe she should ease his confusion at it being gone now before she went out.

She soon decided against it. The little boy hadn't come out of hiding since their last interaction in the living room. He may not be in the mood to talk. She didn't want to force him out if he didn't want to. She decided it was best to just leave him be. She would surprise him when she got back.

The woman headed towards the door. As she opened up the door slowly, she noticed that Terry had not yet left. She was standing there with that scientist guy. She looked like she was thinking about something. She frowned in confusion. She wondered why she hadn't hoisted that chalkboard up and put it away. Surely, with her van, that wouldn't have taken that long.

Then she saw that the red-haired woman was pulling up the tarp, curiosity piqued in her mind. Even though she had a feeling at Terry may have just wanted to check the chalkboard's condition, there was a part of her that couldn't turn away. She kept staring as the tarp was pulled further up, and then she saw something that shouldn't be there.

Was...was that..light...? The woman sucked in a sharp breath. Why was there light coming from the chalkboard? Had a flashlight gotten stuck in the tarp somehow? No, she would've felt it. But if it wasn't that, then...

She nearly fell to the ground when she saw what was causing the light. Her legs were so weak, it was difficult to keep herself standing. She was unable to tear her eyes away from it. She resisted the urge to rush out and demand Terry what this thing was.

An opening. There was an opening on the chalkboard.

Terry had closed it down too quickly for her to get too many details. But she saw enough to confirm that there was some kind of hole in the surface of the chalkboard. There was light, and some green. Grass? A blue sky? Was this thing a...a portal to another world? This realization caused a shiver to wrack through her body, and she put her hand to her mouth nearly dropping her keys in the process.

Many thoughts raced through her mind as she numbly watched the van leave. What she had seen would be imprinted on her mind for a long time. It may have been quick, but no way would she forget this anytime soon. She could feel her body shake from the realization. Her legs, unable to carry her any further, just plopped down, and soon she was on her knees in front of the door.

A dawning realization creeped in the back of her mind. This...this is why they wanted the chalkboard. This is why they paid this much money for it. They wanted this portal thing. A portal that led into some unknown world upon which she had almost no knowledge of. A world of infinite possibilities. A world that could be dangerous. And she had helped them get there.

A burning feeling began to rise up in her stomach. Her anger from before returned swiftly. As much as she was peeved that Terry did not tell her the truth, it was not her she was the most angry with.

It was Rudy.

Why didn't he tell her about this? How long had this been going on? Where did the portal come from? So many questions raced through her head. She clutched it, feeling a headache spreading through her temples. The realization that Rudy may have been visiting another dimension made a lump crawl its way into her throat, and she resisted the urge to throw up. Fear for his safety and anger that he never spoke up before ruled her mind.

How could Rudy do something so foolish? How could he have been doing this behind his folks' backs? She recalled how her sister said that Rudy would disappear for hours. They had all assumed he just had a special hiding place he liked to say and think. Was this where he was actually going? To this alternate dimension?

She narrowed her eyes and bit her lip so hard, she nearly drew blood. She tightened her grip on the check, nearly crumbling it in her hands. She couldn't believe that Rudy could be so reckless... She shot a glare towards the steps. He had a lot to answer for.

sss

Blocky sighed with relief when he was able to slip out of the backdoor. Rudy's aunt being present made it a little harder for him to get out. Luckily, she appeared to be distracted by her thoughts to really notice him walking behind her. He was thankful for his paper-like design, as it made him quite lightweight and quiet.

The backdoor wasn't closed all the way. There was a slight crack to it. More than what the front door offered. It was enough for him to slip through. He eased his way out and soon he was on the other side. He slipped and fell into the grass. He spluttered, spitting out the blades of grass and climbed back to his feet. Brushing himself off, he looked around.

Which way should he go? He knew that the van taking the chalkboard was around the front, but he remembered hearing the chug of the engine and he knew that the van would not be there anymore. That didn't worry him, however. There was the chance that the vehicle would spin around on the other side. Yeah, it was wishful thinking, but what did he have to lose? He could at least try and if that option wasn't available, well he could just hang around here until Rudy and Penny come out.

He moved along the side of the house, keeping his hand pressed against the wall. He looked left and right, keeping himself hidden the best that he could. This was not an easy thing to do. Even with the bushes, he was largely exposed. He was just glad there was a large fence in the backyard. This provided him some protection from being spotted, but it was not perfect. And to make matters worse, he was going to have to cross it if he wanted to reach the other side.

"Rudy Tabootie!"

Blocky jumped, nearly screaming at the sound of that loud voice suddenly calling out. He turned himself around and looked back towards Rudy's house. It sounded like Rudy's aunt, and she was pissed.

He wondered why she was so angry. Had Rudy forgotten to do something that he'd promised he'd do? Did she notice him gone and was not happy with him disappearing like that? Or maybe...no... It couldn't be possible... The zoner's eyes widened in horror at the very idea. It...couldn't be...right...?

Had the woman spotted something with the chalkboard? Did...did she see the portal...?

Blocky felt a surge of chilling fear rise up inside of him. If Rudy's aunt saw the portal... If she had become aware of Rudy sneaking into an alternate dimension...

The rectangular zoner didn't have much time to dwell on this fact. Something loomed over him. He froze, a chill rushing throug his body as a shadow covered his body, and he could hear excited breathing behind him. Slowly, he turned his head. His eyes widened in horror at what he saw.

Two humans... Smiling at him...holding a bag...

Blocky felt his heart skip a beat at this sight. He attempted to make a run for it, but it was too late. Darkness descended upon him completely as he was suddenly covered in a bag. He let out a grunt as the top of it was tightened and he was thrust upwards into the air. He hit against something solid and he realized he was being carried away.

"Help! Help!" Blocky cried, pounding on the bag. "Somebody! Help! I..."

Blocky didn't have time to finish. Suddenly, he felt drowsy and weak. He could feel his energy being sapped from him by an invisible entity. He swayed from side to side, his eyes growing heavy. He struggled to stay awake, but it was no use. He soon collapsed, his body going limp. He found it difficult to move, even harder to keep his eyes open. It didn't take long for his eyelids to shut completely, and darkness loomed over him. He slipped into unconsciousness seconds later.


	10. Disappears

Best to act fast, or you will regret it later. How fast things can happen.

sss

Rudy breathed a sigh of relief. It felt as though a burden had just been lifted up from his shoulders. He couldn't help but smile at the doctor before him. He was so happy that it took all his will power not to rush over and hug him. One of the biggest worries on his mind had just been alleviated for him.

"So they are okay?" He heard Penny say. There was a tinge of hope to her voice. "They will recover?"

The doctor, holding a clipboard in his hands, nodded his head once. "Yes. They will need some time to rest of course. Especially Snap. But we have found no major injuries on them. I imagine they will be able to leave in few days. If they have to stay longer, then we will tell you."

"Thank you." Penny said as she let out a relieved sigh.

Rudy smiled at this. He was glad that everything was going to work out okay. They both had been so worried about Rapsheeba and Snap. They were concerned that they were hurt worse than it looked. It was such a relief to know that they were going to be okay. That was one less thing that he and Penny had to worry about.

They had arrived at the hospital a short time ago. He wasn't sure exactly the length. Perhaps an hour? Maybe not as much. Time always seemed to move so slowly in these hospitals. He sometimes felt his mind go numb just from shere boredom, sitting there and wait. The only thing preventing that was his worry for his friends. Often, his mind would have storms of what could become of them. There were several possibilities, each new one worse than the last.

They had rushed there as soon as they could. After drawing a mode of transportation, they reached the hospital as fast as was possible without risking injurying them further. They didn't spare much time to speak to the zoners. As much as it pained Rudy to leave them in the dark about the tornado's situation, he had to drop off his friends at the hospital first. He was so worried about them.

Especially Snap... The poor guy was disoriented ever since he first ran into him when he found Penny. Snap was not fully there, or truly aware of what was going on. He constantly insisted that he was fine even though he clearly wasn't. He was very unsteady on his feet, and a few times he nearly fell down. He swayed from side to side, his eyes were unfocused, and he looked like he just woke up from a year long nap. He was just...not right. And when he found out from Penny he was knocked unconscious, that had him even more worried.

He had been tense the entire time they were there. When Snap and Rapsheeba were taken back to be examined, he remained by Penny's side, sometimes holding her hand as he stared at the clock. He waited as the seconds and minutes crawled by very slowly, waiting on the results. He could feel his stomach tie up in knots. He felt a surge in his stomach like he wanted to throw up. The wait was just unbearable.

When the doctor came out and delivered the news, it felt ike a rock that was on his back had been rolled off. It was such a huge relief, knowing that they were both going to be okay. This was the best news he had gotten all day.

"Can we see our friends?" Rudy asked. The doctor frowned and shook his head. Rudy looked at the doctor in confusion. "Huh? Why not? I thought you said they were fine."

"They are, but...we still need to monitor them." The doctor said quickly. "They are still being examined. The doctors would not appreciate you being in there."

"But...it's only going to be a short visit. Surely we can..." Penny started to say.

The doctor cut her off. "No, I'm sorry." He raised his hadn up. "Absolutely not. No exceptions."

Rudy frowned at this. It was strange that the doctors won't let him and Penny in. They were ChalkZone's protectors. Surely, they could make an exception for them. They weren't going to cause trouble or anything. They knew to back off and let them do their work.

But...oh well. He didn't feel like arguing with him right now. He had just been running for his life from some wicked tornado and barely made it out of it, and then he had his heart worked up when he realized his friends had been hurt. He didn't really feel like causing more stress for himself by arguing with this zoner. He and Penny could always visit later, when the doctors weren't so concerned about them 'interrupting business', or whatever they'd say.

And there was the matter of informing the citizens of ChalkZone City about the fate of the tornado. They needed to know that they were safe now and that the twister was dealt with. He also needed to see that the injured were tended to, and see what he could do to help rebuild the buildings that had been destroyed.

He hoped no one was seriously hurt in that attack. He would feel awful if a zoner had been seriously injured, even killed, by this whirlwind. He recalled just how dangerous it was. And the fact that it appeared almost...sentient... That sent chills down his spine. He didn't know what kind of person would make such a thing. Regular twisters were bad enough. To give them a mind and a will to destroy...

Rudy tried his best not to think about it. He was certain the person who drew it didn't know what they were doing, and just didn't realize the harm they were bringing. There wasn't much he could do about it except keep on the eye out for more in case the person decided to draw another. The zoners would also have to be prepared, then again, they always were, since dangerous creations could be erased at any given moment.

Not wanting to potentially cause any further conflict, he and Penny said their goodbyes to the doctor quickly and left. As they went out, the doctor called out to them and told them they could come back in a few hours to see their friends if they'd like. They thanked the doctor and walked out of the hospital.

The two friends stood on the side of the hospital, leaning against the wall. They were quiet for a few moments. They reflected on what happened today. Things were certainly a lot more...exciting than they thought they were going to be. Then again, that's how it always was. They never predict when these things happen. They just kind of...do.

Just then, something crossed Rudy's mind. He widened his eyes, unable to believe he hadn't thought of it. He looked left and right, feeling his mind start to race.

Penny looked at him with concern. "Rudy? What is it?"

"Blocky..." Rudy whispered. "Was he with us when we went to the hospital...?"

Penny paused for a moment. "No..." Her voice sounded haunting. "He had Sophie with him and..." She took in a sharp gasp and looked around. "I don't see her anywhere here."

Rudy's heart clenched. He took a step back, a disbelieving look in his eyes. They had lost Blocky and Sophie. How could they have done that? Rudy thought for sure they were with, but he had been in such a hurry to get Rapsheeba and Snap to the hospital that he didn't do a head count to make sure Blocky and Sophie were with them and.. Oh no..what had he done..? How could he have left them alone like that?

Penny put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We will find them, Rudy. Don't worry." Penny tried to sound as reassurance as possible. "We just need to go back and retrace our steps. I'm sure they didn't wander far." Rudy looked at her, uncertain of what to believe. "It will be okay, Rudy. Blocky is responsible. You know that."

Rudy took in a few deep breaths. "Yeah...you're right..." He could feel his heart rate slowing down a little. He gave his friend a grateful smile. It didn't last very long before a frown returned to his face. He looked out in the direction that they came. "Come on... Maybe we can find them before my aunt gets suspicious."

"Good idea." Penny said. "The last thing we need to worry about is your aunt finding you missing for too long."

Rudy nodded his head. "She's not like my mom and dad. She may try harder to find me. And if she goes into my room..." Suddenly Rudy's arms stiffened out at his sides, and he let out a small scream. "Oh my gosh!" He clutched his head tightly, digging his fingernails into his scalp. "The portal! I forgot to erase the portal!"

Penny looked at him in horror. "Oh Rudy..."

Rudy grabbed onto Penny's hand. He pulled on her roughly. He felt guilty when he heard her grunt. But they didn't have time to spare. They needed to secure the portal before they did anything else. They would search for Blocky and Sophie after they ensure that the portal was safe. "Come on! We've got to erase that portal!"

The two children immediately took off. There wasn't time to waste. Rudy knew the longer they waited, the more likely his aunt would walk into his room and find the portal open. He had to make sure that didn't happen. It would be a complete disaster.

To have someone else find out about ChalkZone... That would be a nightmare. They already had Terry and Vinnie to worry about, and possibly Von. He didn't want another person to find out as well. He didn't want Tilly to learn about his adventures in an alternate dimension. He couldn't begin to imagine how she might react to it. And then if she found out Sophie had gotten in there...

This would be worse than Terry or Vinnie or Von finding out. It was worse because it was on a personal level. He could deal with having to defend ChalkZone against people he didn't really care that much about. He didn't mind running circles around them or making them angry, because they were his enemies, and he knew they hated him right back.

But for his aunt to find out... That would be a whole different story. He loved his aunt, and he knew how much she cared about him. He would feel awful having to go against her, to violate that familial bond they had. He couldn't do to her what he did to Terry or Vinnie. He'd feel awful about it. And his aunt...she loved him too much to let him wander around in what she may see as a 'dangerous dimension'. She would most certainly tell his folks about it, and then..what were they going to do...? Bar him from going into ChalkZone? Would they spread the word? Would it get exposed...?

Rudy felt like cursing himself out for forgetting to erase the portal. He was usually good with that sort of stuff. The fact that he forgot this time... He wanted to smash his head in the wall. How could he have been so stupid? He could only hope that he would make it back in time to ensure that his aunt would not find out.

Only time would tell if he would succeed or fail.

sss

"No...No..." Rudy whispered. He smacked his lips together, his eyes darting around. Then, a few seconds later, he screamed, "No!"

Penny watched her friend sadly. She rubbed her hands together nervously, clenching her teeth. She hated to see Rudy like this. So upset, so angry, so...terrified... She wished she could comfort him. She wished she could say something to help him feel better. But at the moment, she was drawing a blank.

They had recently arrived at the location where Rudy gets into ChalkZone from his home. It hadn't taken them too long to get here. Maybe a few minutes, but to them, it felt so much longer. To them, they couldn't move fast enough. Every second counted. Every moment that passed was a second wasted. There was so much riding on this. Time all around them appeared to slow down, coming to a hault. Minutes swiftly transformed into hours, and she and Rudy both couldn't help but fear the worst.

Penny tried to remain rational about the situation. She tried to remind Rudy, and herself, that there was still time. Tilly may not have gone into his bedroom yet. The portal was probably just sitting there in his empty room, just waiting to be erased. They had to keep calm and avoid getting themselves worked up. They would not solve anything that way.

Then came the painful shattering of hope when they finally arrived at their destination. Penny had went quiet in horror, while Rudy found it difficult to keep quiet. He frantically called out, hoping it was some kind of sick joke. He had even turned to her and wondered if she did anything, which she could assure him that she did not.

There was no way they could deny the truth that was before them. Despite the want...the need... of getting that hope back, she knew it was not to be.

The portal...was gone.

So many possibilities filtered through her head. There were so many things that could have happened, many of which would make the situation oh so dire. She was not able to stop the images of possibilities from sifting through her head, growing dread eating away at her stomach.

Had the portal been erased? Had it been moved? Did Tilly come in and take it? Did something else happen? Maybe someone in ChalkZone had... No, that wouldn't make much sense. But...maybe it was still okay. Maybe the portal was just erased. Yes.. Maybe somehow Sophie had one back to the Real World. Blocky could have taken her. She could have erased it herself.

Trying her best to stay calm. Penny moved closer to Rudy and gently nudged him on his shoulder. The boy simply stood there, almost in a trance, as he stared at where the portal had been. "Rudy.." Penny said, trying to get his attention. "Try to draw a portal. Maybe we..."

"It won't work..."

Penny blinked her eyes a few times. "Excuse me..?"

"It won't work, Penny." Rudy turned his head. His face was the most haunting she had ever seen. What he said next nearly made her heart stop. "The chalkboard isn't there anymore..."

Penny gasped and took a step back. "I-It isn't...?" Rudy shook his head. "Are you sure?" She held her hand out in gesture. "M-Maybe we..."

"It's not there. I checked." Rudy's body shivered slightly as emotion swept through him. "The chalkboard is gone!" He shut his eyes tightly, turning his head to face the ground. He kicked the ground hard, knocking dirt up into the air. "Someone took the chalkboard! And we don't have a damn idea where it is!"

"Rudy..." Penny whispered, horrified by both the news and her friend's behavior.

Rudy seethed, taking in a few quick breaths. His narrowed eyes were filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow. He shifted his gaze and looked at her again. Penny felt ice shoot through her body when she saw the look in his eyes. She found it hard to turn her eyes away despite how uncomfortable it was. Rudy looked almost...feral for a split second. The horror shined through his eyes quite clearly, and he looked like someone who had been boxed into a corner.

After a few seconds, Rudy swiftly settled himself down. His expression softened up and his body became more relaxed, less tense. He appeared to realize what he was doing and he gave Penny a regretful expression. He took a few steps back, taking in a couple breaths, looking left and right. It was as though he was making sure he didn't break out into a rampage or something, despite how silly that sounded.

"Penny, I..I'm sorry." Rudy whispered softly. "I don't know what came over me, I..." He put a hand on his head and shook it. "I just felt like...I don't know..."

"Shh...It's okay Rudy. I understand." Penny clasped her hands together, staring at her friend with concern. "You're just worried...frightened. So am I, Rudy." She cracked a small smile. "But don't worry. We are in this together. We'll...we'll think of something..."

Rudy hung his head. "But..what are we going to do?" He tilted his head so he could look at her in the eyes again. This time, his eyes were filled with only sadness. No anger to be seen. "We don't know where the chalkboard was taken, or by whom..."

Penny nodded her head. "That is true." She crossed her arms against her chest. "But.. we won't find out anything here. We will need get back into the Real World and figure things out from there."

"But Penny..." Rudy looked left and right. "Where should we come in from?"

Penny thought about this. There weren't too many places they accessed ChalkZone from. The main place was here, at Rudy's. There was also the school, but only during recess. At least during the times when Mr. Wilter didn't have anybody to watch during that time. The school was likely to be closed right now, so no one would see them coming in.

But that may not be a good idea. If they went in through the school, then they may have to contend with the security system. Even if they took care of that, how would they get out? The doors would be bolted shut until tomorrow, provided they are even open the next day. And what if there were people there? Penny realized that there still might be someone, like the time when she and Rudy snuck into the school, Mr. Wilter had been there, and he had nearly caught them. Penny wasn't sure if the school would be the right place to go.

There was one other place they could try, and it would be easier. They could try her place. She knew her mom would be busy all day. She always was. Her mother typically didn't bother her in her room. Her mom was pretty respectful of her 'territory', as it were, and thus would not enter the room while she was gone.

Yes, that would be the better option. It was closer, and it would certainly be easier explaining their appearance in her home than trying to tell the authorities why she and Rudy were trespassing in a building after hours.

"Let's head to my house, Rudy." Penny said. She made a motion with her arm. "We can have my mom drop us off at your house."

At this, Rudy tilted his head in confusion. "Uh..." He raised his finger up. "Would that be such a good idea...?"

"What do you mean?" Penny asked.

Rudy rubbed the back of his head. "Didn't you tell me something about you fainting and how your mom wouldn't leave you alone for a while because she wanted to make doubly sure that you were okay?" Penny nodded her head slowly at this. She waited for him to say more, wondering what his point was going to be. "Aren't you worried that she is going to try to check again? Or what if she went in your room to make sure you were okay?"

Penny's eyes widened at this. She had almost forgotten about her mishap with Von earlier today. She had been so concerned about the twister, and all that, it had slipped her mind. Her mother had done a thorough look at her already, however, that didn't mean she wouldn't try again. She was her daughter, after all.

"Then that gives us more of a reason to go there." Penny said slowly, her eyes filling with the glow of realization. "If I am not back there soon, and if my mom finds out I'm missing..." She tilted her head slightly so she could give Rudy a sideways glance. "We might have a police case on our hands."

Rudy winced at this. "It might be a bit early for that. She might just think..."

Penny shook her head. "I was in trouble today, Rudy. My mom is going to be extra worried." She turned her head away. "If we don't get back there...If I'm not home..."

There was no time to waste. They couldn't stay here for much longer. Her mother was going to realize she was gone. Her mother would surely come to her room to check on her, only to see she was missing. Her mother would panic and likely call the police, especially due to the fact that she stopped breathing. Even if her mother didn't... It wouldn't be wise to take the risk. Regardless of what she told her mother before, she knew they had to get back there and fast.

The sooner they got there, the sooner she could make sure that her mom isn't going to have a heart attack. And then they could get her mom to take them back to Rudy's, under the guise of spending the night there, and she and Rudy could spend the night trying to figure things out.

Looking over at Rudy, Penny made a quick gesture with her head. "Come on, Rudy. Let's get going."

Rudy didn't bother trying to argue with her this time. She was glad for this, happy that he was coming along with her instead of wasting precious time arguing about what they should do. It wouldn't take them too long to reach her place. The sooner they got there, the better. She could only hope they got there before her mother got worried sick.

She realized they still hadn't determined Sophie's location. This was definitely going to be problematic. Rudy's aunt would be worried sick if she's not home. Penny felt horrible about leaving ChalkZone before finding Sophie, but she also knew the devastation that could strike ChalkZone if another human had found out about it. They would have to find her later and hope that she was just with Blocky somewhere.

The two children ran off into the distance, their feet pounding the grassy ground with each stride. It shouldn't take them too long to reach her place. Hopefully there will be no more complications and that everything will just be smooth sailing from here on out.

But she could not shrug off the nagging feeling that the road ahead will be a lot bumpier than she and Rudy would have liked...

sss

Rudy stared in shock at what laid before him, or rather, what didn't. He shook his head in denial, not wanting to believe it. He exchanged a look with Penny, hoping to see if she had some kind of solution or explanation. But there was just...nothing. She looked just as horrified as she did. Rudy turned his head away and looked back at the space in front of him.

The chalkboard... It... It was gone...

Rudy's mind raced at this realization. He found it hard to control his breathing. His worst fears had just become a reality. His chalkboard was gone completely. He had hoped that maybe it just been moved. But..no... He did not see it anywhere in his room. True, it could be somewhere else in the house, but... the chalkboard had never been moved like that before. And in order for that to happen, his aunt would have...

He trembled at the thought. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He couldn't believe that they had come out of a tough situation with the tornado, and then convincing Penny's mom that everything was all right, neither of which were easy to do. And now, to come here, and to see this...to come to such a sight... It was horrible. How could this have happened...?

He tried to rationalize the situation. He tried to think of something that didn't sound so bad. Maybe there was something that could have happened that still allowed ChalkZone to be safe. Maybe there was something that was missing. Maybe he just wasn't thinking hard enough.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized... No, he wasn't. There was only one conclusion that this could mean. Only one direction that this could go. There was no way Sophie was strong enough to drag the chalkboard around. She was too little. But his aunt...

The idea of his aunt finding out about ChalkZone made his heart skip a beat. He tried to be more positive. He tried to think of something, but his mind was swirling with a storm of thoughts, a headache sweeping through his skull. His aunt...she was the only one who could have moved the chalkboard. She was the only adult in the house. And there was no way she could have moved it without...

Oh no..

Rudy dropped down onto his knees. He felt Penny's hand on his shoulder. She looked at him with great worry. Rudy kept his eyes downcast as his mind was raging with thoughts that just woudn't leave him alone. Horrible imagery of what coud happen as a result of this...

And all because he didn't erase the fucking portal.

This was all his fault. He should have known better. He should have made sure the portal was closed. He should have erased it as soon as he came into ChalkZone. And now, because of him..of his stupidity... There was no doubt in his mind that his aunt knew about ChalkZone.

Or did she? Another thought came to Rudy's head. It was no less comforting. But what if it was stolen? He remembered how Terry had been on the streets earlier, not far from where he lived. What if she had something to do with this? What if she had snuck into his house and stolen the chalkboard? Or maybe she tricked his aunt into letting her in. Not that it made the situation any better, but it was still another plausibility.

He was glad that at least the problem with Sophie was solved. When he and Penny came, she was busy drawing in one of his notebooks and hadn't really noticed him sneaking into the room. Blocky must have dropped her off and left. This was the only thing that made him smile. At least Sophie was safe and sound.

But his happiness was short lived. There was still the issue of the portal. He had to figure out what happened. He looked down at Sophie. Perhaps she would know. He and Penny had been so frozen in shock, they hadn't bothered to ask Sophie about what had happened. He licked his lips nervously, hoping that Sophie had forgiven him after their previous...spat, if it could be called that.

"Hey, Soph...?"

To his relief, when Sophie looked over at him, she smiled broadly. She immediately got up onto her legs and spread her arms out. "Rudy!"

Rudy grunted as Sophie leaped into his arms and held on tightly. Rudy giggled, along with Penny. He grabbed onto her and held the little girl in his arms. "Good to see you again, Soph!" He looked left and right nervously. "You...uh...forgive me for being a jerk earlier?"

Sophie stared at him for a moment. Then her smile broaded and she cuddled up against him. She planted a quick peck on the cheek and called out, "Rudy! Rudy!"

"I'll take that as a yes." Rudy said with a grin. Then his smile faded slightly, worry becoming more dominant on his mind once more. "Hey.. Do you know where my chalkboard went, Sophie? I can't seem to find it?" At this, Sophie pointed towards the door. "Did someone take it?"

Sophie nodded her head. "Drag it away!"

"Who?" Rudy asked. Before Sophie could answer, there was a loud shout. It was enough to make him and Penny cringe, although Sophie merely looked surprised.

"Rudy Tabootie! Answer me!"

Rudy sucked in a sharp breath. That was his Aunt Tilly, and she sounded furious. He could feel his heart begin to race against his chest as he casted a worried glance to Penny. Although there was a chance that this did not at all relate to ChalkZone, with how angry she sounded...

Rudy quickly set his little cousin down. He looked towards the door. Thankfully, his aunt wasn't coming up the steps yet. But judging from how enraged she sounded, he knew it was only a matter of time before she would do something. Her tone of voice had some frustration in it, as if she had been trying to reach him for a while. He bit his lip. If that's the case..then he better not keep her waiting much longer, or she will come up.

He turned to Penny and quickly handed her the little girl. "Penny, watch Sophie. I need to go speak to my aunt."

"Rudy!" Penny called out. Rudy stopped and looked over his shoulder tentatively. "Do you...want me to come with?"

Rudy thought about this. He would certainly like the company, since he knew his aunt was going to tear him a new one. Penny's company would help him through the ordeal. Soon, however, he shook his head. "No. It's best if I do this alone. My aunt may send you away, anyway."

Penny nodded her head. "I understand." She steadied Sophie in her arms. She watched as Rudy left, giving him a sympathetic look. "...good luck, Rudy."

Rudy paused at this. He looked over at Penny. Slowly, he smiled at her. "Thanks..." His smile fading, he turned around and walked away.

The atmosphere as he exited his bedroom and headed towards the stairs was intense. He hadn't even figured out why he was in trouble, nor did his aunt yell for him again. But the air had somehow gotten so thick... So tense... There was a sudden chill that made him shiver. He wrapped his arms against his chest, rubbing them to generate some form of heat.

It was almost unbearable walking down the steps. Normally, this was not a big deal. But today, due to what was going on... It was more like torture. He could feel himself growing more and more tense as he went down the stairs. Each step felt like something sharp was shooting up through his legs. He couldn't stop gritting his teeth, his mind practically numb, unable to think of anything except for what he might be in for when he reached the bottom step.

He could see the shadow of his aunt. She was standing by the living room. She must have heard him coming. She was waiting for him. Rudy was usually happy to see her, but today... This was even worse than the stupid chores thing. He was almost..terrified...to come down. A part of him wanted to run away so badly. But he felt his body gravitating towards her, as if she were emitting an invisible force that was taking him to her.

And then he saw her face. As he came around, as he turned his head to look, there she stood. The moment he saw her face, he almost crouched down and wet himself. She wore the most furious expression he had ever seen her muster. If looks could kill...

Rudy swallowed nervously, feeling a bitter taste move down his throat. Aunt Tilly just glared at him, her arms folded tightly against her chest. He continued to stare at her, unable to turn his gaze away. Soon, he mustered up the weakest and most nervous of smiles and raised his hand in a quick wave.

"H-Hi, Aunt Tilly..." Rudy tried to sound friendly, but he was unable to stop the cautious tone of voice. "Wh-What did you want...? M-More chores...?" He was practically begging at this point for it to just be more chores. Unfortunately, he was not that lucky.

"Rudy Tabootie.. Do you mind explaining to me..." Tilly's voice wasn't necessarily cold, but it still sent a shiver through his spine. "...why there was a portal into another dimension on your chalkboard...?"

Rudy's heart skipped a beat, nearly stopping altogether. His eyes widened, and he felt like several rocks had just been dumped on his shoulder. He was unable to speak, even breathe, for several seconds. His aunt didn't beat around the bush, and she had just confirmed what he had been fearing this whole time.

His breathing took on a shaky form, and he could feel sweat beginning to pour down his face. He tried to think of something, anything, to say. He tried to think of a way to get her to believe it was all just a dream. But nothing would come. All he could do was stand there and cower in her presense. The way she continued to glare at him... He was unable to think of any kind of lie to get him out of this. And nothing he could say would work anyway. If she had seen the evidence...

No, there had to be something he could do. Anything... This..this couldn't be happening... Please, don't let it be so.. Please..let this all be just one big nightmare... Soon he would wake up and everything was going to be okay.

Rudy yelped when he felt his aunt grip his shouder tightly. She yanked him forward. He ignored the pain in his shoulder as he stared up at her, wide-eyed. "I saw the portal, Rudy. I saw there was another world there. Just..just what were you thinking? How could you have... You didn't tell your folks, did you?"

"I-I..." Rudy gulped and shook his head. "N-No..I..."

Aunt Tilly growled at this. "How could you be so wreckless?! You could have gotten hurt!"

Rudy raised his hands up at his sides. "Please, Aunt Tilly! I-It's not what you think! It's not dangerous! I..."

Aunt Tilly released his shoulder and took a step back. "I can't believe that you did something like this behind your parents' backs. All this time, they thought you just..snuck outside or something when you wanted to be alone. But you...you were going off into this..." Her teeth gritted. "..alternate dimension... with gawd knows what danger! What if you gotten really hurt? We wouldn't know what to do or where to look!"

"Please, just listen to me..." Rudy begged, his heart racing against his chest. "I can explain!"

"Oh I bet you can! But you chose not to tell any of us about this!" Aunt Tilly sneered at him, her anger beginning to reach its boiling point. Her face took on a red shade, making Rudy whimper and cringe away from her. "How long..."

"How long what...?" Rudy whimpered softly.

"How long were you going to this fucking dimension?!" Aunt Tilly snapped at him, her voice raising in volume.

Rudy cowered away from her. He tried to take back away from her, but his feet felt as though they were glued to the ground. "Two years..."

"Two years?!" His aunt wailed. "And in all that time, you never thought of telling your mother or your father?!"

"N-No..I...I didn't want them to worry..." Rudy was getting desperate. He tried to think of something to say to ease his aunt's mind. But what could he do to calm down an enraged woman? "Please...it's not that dangerous..."

Aunt Tilly narrowed her eyes at this. "Then why didn't you tell your folks? If it wasn't so bad, why didn't you say anything?"

Rudy froze at this. He looked left and right, trying to think of what to say. How could he explain the situation to his aunt? How could he get her to understand just what would happen to the zoners if the truth came out? Would she even care about their fate? Would she dismiss them just because they weren't human?

There was no turning back. As much as Rudy wanted to, there was nothing that could be done to get him out of this mess. He was no choice but to tell his aunt the truth. And right now he needed to focus on trying to calm her down. If he convinced her that the world wasn't dangerous, maybe she'd relax more. But then, how would he explain why he didn't tell anyone...? He bit his lip. He had to try something.

"I...I didn't think it was a big deal..." Rudy said. He flinced at this. It was the worst lie he had ever come up with. "I didn't think my parents would really mind it."

Aunt Tilly cocked up an eyebrow at this. "You didn't think your folks would mind it if you spend time in a potentially dangerous alternate dimension?!"

"It's not dangerous!" Rudy cried out. "The inhabitants aren't dangerous! Penny and I are fine in there!" He froze when he realized he had spilled out Penny's name. Before he could correct it, his aunt apparently caught it.

"You not ony endangered yourself, but you took Penny in there as well?!" Aunt Tilly gripped her head, her hair flying upwards. "I can't believe this... How could you endanger the life of your best friend?!"

Rudy waved his hands out in front of him. "I'm telling you! It's safe!" He raised his hands up like he did before, this time, bringing his arms closer to his chest as he gave a nervous smile. "Even Sophie was able to move around in there without..."

Rudy realized he had blown it. He put a hand over his mouth, his eyes bulging open. It was one thing to say he brought Penny in, but to admit that Sophie was in that chalk world as well..?

Rudy winced when he saw the look in his aunt's eyes. Bulging open with anger, her face's red color deepening. He could see her teeth being exposed as she clenched them. Her body began to shake at the realization that her only daughter had been romping around in this alternate dimension.

For several moments, even minutes, all she did was glare at him. He could hear her emit a low growl, but now words came out. She just kept staring at him, giving him a look of anger and disbelief. Rudy could see her body shake harder as the emotion swelled up in her. Rudy could feel his own body trembling in fear. He had screwed up. He really messed things up this time. He wanted to smack himself for such a foolish statement. How could he have let this slip out?

The tense, uneasy silence of the air came to an end when he heard Aunt Tilly exhale slowly, her breath escaping through her clenched teeth. All the rage she was feeling was present in that breath, and it made his blood run cold.

"You took Sophie into that wretched world...?" Aunt Tilly asked. "Rudy, I'm very disappointed in you... Not only did you endanger Penny's life, but you endangered my daughter's!"

"I-I didn't mean to...! She just..got in and..." Rudy stammered. "Look, I got her out before the staplegator and the rhino..."

"I thought you said it was safe!" Aunt Tilly cut him off.

Rudy realized he had just made another grave mistake. "I-I..." He fell silent, unsure of what else to say. Now he wished more than ever that he had Penny by his side. She could have helped him through this.

"It's a good thing, then, that I sold that chalkboard of yours." Aunt Tilly said coolly. Rudy shot her a shocked expression. "Don't look at me that way. You should be thanking me for getting rid of that...that gateway into hell..."

"Y-You sold it...?" Rudy breathed, his wide eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "How...how could you have...?"

Aunt Tilly shook her head. "Don't you dare try to pull that on me, young man." She curled her lip up in a show of anger. "You are the one who kept lying to your own parents...your own family, about this other dimension. You were the one who constantly endangered yourself, your friend, and even your own cousin!" She took a step forward. "You have no right to get upset with me! It is you who screwed up! It is you who has a lot to answer for!"

At this, anger surged to the surface of Rudy's mind. He glared back at his aunt. "You sold my chalkboard without talking to me first! You violated my privacy, my property! You didn't bother trying to ask me if I wanted to get rid of that chalk board!" He took in several breaths, trying to control his raging mind. "Just...just who did you sell it off to?!"

"That is none of your business!" Aunt Tilly snarled at him. She reached for him again, but this time, Rudy swatted her hand away.

"Yes it is my business! That was my chalkboard!" Rudy jabbed a finger in her direction. "And you stole it! You broke my trust in you and you..." His voice devolved into a growl.

"You already destroyed my trust in you when I found out what you had been hiding from us! You should be ashamed, Rudy!" Aunt Tilly hissed at him as she started to advance towards him. "You screwed up big time! Do you have any idea what might have happened if..." She shook her head, closing her eyes. She looked like she was having a hard time coming up with words to say. "You have been romping around this dangerous world for two fucking years! Two long years! In all that time, you could have gotten killed! But instead of doing the right thing and telling us about it, you chose to keep it a secret!"

Rudy felt his heart pounding harder as he was being backed up against the wall. He looked left and right, gritting his teeth, trying to find a way out. "I had no choice! I couldn't endanger the lives of the people who live there! I..."

"Oh, so these filthy creatures are worth your time and effort, but not your own family?!" Accused his aunt.

"No! It's not like that! Please just..." Rudy tried to regain his composure, but his aunt's behavior was making it hard. He could feel her anger from here, and it was filling up his chest and heart. It intermixed with his own. He knew if he didn't get away soon...

Suddenly, his back touched the wall. He was cornered. He had nowhere to go. All he could do was stare up at his aunt, who had boxed him in completely, and hope that soon, so very soon, this would be all over.

"If that is how much you love your family..." Aunt Tilly's voice was laced in cold sarcasm. "..then I am glad you won't be able to use that chalkboard of yours to create anymore of your worthless crap!"

Rudy froze for a moment, feeling as though a knife just ripped through his chest. Then the burning anger took him over, feeling his face heat up. "You bitch!" He spat. "I worked hard on my art, and you know.."

"Oh shut up, you insensitive brat!"

Rudy let out a cry of pain when Aunt Tilly struck him across the face. The force of the impact sent him tumbling to the floor. He hit the ground in a loud thud, his shoulder smashing up against it.

He laid there for several moments. His mind was in a state of shock. He couldn't move, couldn't speak. He just rested on the ground, laying on his side. He could feel the dull ache in his shoulder, the stinging pain in his cheek that his aunt just struck. He slowly touched it, feeling the warmth of when the palm hat hit him. He felt all the anger from before melt away, replaced with horrific realization.

He slowly turned his head to look up at his aunt. He flinched when he saw her still glaring at him, her teeth bared. Her hand was still raised up, as if she were getting ready to strike him again. Slowly, Rudy climbed up to his feet, keeping his head and shoulders low as he stared at his aunt cautiously, his eyes remaining wide in disbelief.

She had struck him... He couldn't believe that she would..do such a thing... He had never been hurt by her before. She had never acted this way to him before. Rudy could feel his heart shattering inside his chest. A cold feeling rose up inside of him, and he felt a bitter taste in his mouth. In that moment, the trust he had in his aunt was replaced by a hurt feeling of betrayal. He could feel his eyes begin to well up, a very faint whimper escaping his mouth.

His aunt's eyes flickered upon seeing his tears, and then widened. The woman appeared to realize what she had just done. Her scowl was rapidly taken over by a horrified look. She put a hand to her mouth as she stared down at Rudy. "R-Rudy..." She choked. "I-I..."

Tears flowing down his cheeks, Rudy took a step back. He sniffled loudly, trying to fight back the urge to cry. He scrambled to get away from Aunt Tilly when he saw her reach for him. He hunched his body, trembling like a leaf.

"Please... Rudy... sweetie..." Aunt Tilly cooed. "I'm...I'm sorry... Please..."

Trembling, his lip quivering, tears blurring his vision, Rudy rushed past his aunt, and bolted towards his room. He ignored her pleads for him to come back.

sss

"Rudy! Please! Come back!"

Tilly tried to call out to Rudy. She begged for him to come back. But it was too late. Rudy was gone. He ran way from her, and seconds later, she could hear the sound of the door being slammed. She was left alone, standing in silence, in shock at what had just happened.

She couldn't believe what she did. She just...she just struck her own nephew... She knocked him into the ground. She insulted his work and she had called him a brat. She...she couldn't believe that she... Oh, how could she have done that to him? How could she have let her anger get this far...? She stared at her hand, the one that had been used to slap Rudy. She could still feel the sting from when she made contact. Staring at the palm made tears of her own begin to creep behind her eyes.

She had been angry at Rudy for lying. She had been angry that he had kept this world a secret from them. She was so infuriated...but that was only because she loved him so much. She just...didn't want him to get hurt. She was so scared that something could have happened. And then Penny and Sophie...

But that was no excuse for what she had done to him. She had boxed him against the wall and yelled at him. He had been trying to explain to her the situation, but she just kept biting his head off. She treated him like some kind of...of criminal... And she wouldn't let him explain properly. He was too frightened and scared...because she had been acting like such a...such a...

She could still see the look in his eyes after she struck him. He looked so...hurt..so betrayed... She had tried to comfort him, tried to help him feel better, tried to apologize... But it was too late. The damage had already been done.

She had broken the boy's trust in her. She had only been worried about him...and she went and broke his trust. She hurt him mentally and physically. She was his aunt, for crying out loud. How..how could she have...

Emotion swelled up inside of her. The horrible guilt ate away at her stomach, making her feel sick. She dropped down on her knees, her body trembling in disbelief. She wrapped her arms around herself, her teeth clenching, the tears flowing down her face. Unable to take it all, she broke down crying, her sobs echoing in the room.

In a wet, trembling voice, she whispered, "I'm so very sorry, Rudy..." A loud sniffle. "I-I didn't mean it... I didn't mean it..." Her voice vanished, replaced with nothing but whimpers and cries.

sss

Blocky let out a soft groan as he opened up his eyes flowly. He blinked a few times, his vision blurry. He could barely make out anything around him. It was so dark... And the shapes that he could see, they were too blurry for him to fully realize what they were.

His head hurt him so badly. He tried to fight back the feeling of nausea, his head swirling in pain. He felt as though he had been hit with something. And his eyes... They were so heavy, he found it hard to keep them open. It was a struggle just to remain conscious. Just what...what had happened to him...?

The rectangular zoner hardly remembered what happened. He recalled something about a tornado..And he thought he had gone into the Real World.. But that's it. Everything else was just a blur to him. He tried to call upon his memories. He tried to search through his mind and find out information on what happened to him. But he could find nothing.

Well...perhaps he should at least try to get up and walk around. Maybe if he explored this place, he could figure out where he was and go from there. Maybe, when he got back into ChalkZone, he took a wrong turn or something and merely fell asleep. It was possible. He didn't always have the best sense of direction.

But when he attempted to move, he realized something was very wrong. His arms...they wouldn't move. His legs... And what was this pain eminating from them? Why did he hurt so bad? He yanked his arm a little harder, only to cause himself to scream in agony. His body tightened up, giving a quick shiver, before he relaxed as the pain, thankfully, went away. He took in a few quick breaths.

What was going on? Where was he? Why was he immobilized? Why was he in pain? He looked left and right as his vision rapidly cleared, fear eating away at his insides.

"R-Rudy...?" Blocky called out hopefully. "P-Penny...?"

A chilling voice greeted his ears. "Those brats aren't going to be able to help you..."

Blocky whipped his head around. "Who said that?" He cried, his body shaking. "Wh-Who's there?"

He heard footsteps. Two pairs of them, and they were heading his way. He turned his head to see where it was coming from. Forward, in front of him. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to make out the shapes. Shadows formed on the ground, creating even darker areas. Soon, the figures had gotten close enough for him to realize what they were.

Two adult humans. A man and a woman. Significantly different ages. Both of them smiling slyly at him...

Blockly shivered at their expressions. He could tell, just from looking at them, that they had nothing but ill intentions for him. He struggled harder, trying to get himself free. But he only caused himself more pain. He eventually stopped trying, lowering his head as he tried to cope with the pain. He looked back at the adults, seeing no sympathy in their eyes.

Blocky took a moment to look at his left arm. His eyes bulgd open in horror when he saw that the cuff used to keep him there was serrated. And when he struggled, it cut against him. No wonder it hurt so badly... He looked from there and then back to the adults, whimpering as he looked into their malicious eyes.

"Who..who are you...?" Blocky whimpered.

"I am Dr. Von Doktor." The man said. He gestured to the woman. "And ziz iz Terry Bouffant."

Blocky gasped in horror. He recognized those names. Rudy had told him about them. In that instant, Blocky realized just what kind of trouble he was in. Out of fear, he started to struggle again.

"Oh yes, struggle, you chalk creature." Terry said with a sneer. "You are going to be our guest for quite some time. And we are going to have so much...fun..."

Blocky widened his eyes in terror.


	11. Plans

What lies ahead is a mystery, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't prepare your next step.

sss

"Oh Rudy...I can't believe she said that to you..." Penny whispered softly. "I can't believe she slapped you..."

Rudy nodded his head numbly in agreement. "Y-Yeah... Me neither..."

Penny remained silent. She wasn't sure what to say to her friend. She was shocked by this turn of events. She had never thought things would taken such a horrible path... She was expecting...something. After all, his aunt was yelling quite loudly. But...but for this to... She was unsure of just how to respond to it.

She watched her friend with a saddened expression. Rudy was sitting against his bed, his bed touching it. He was staring off at nothing in particular. He was barely responding to Sophie. The little girl had been trying to get him to play, but soon, she appeared to realize that Rudy was upset. So at the moment, she was trying to cheer him up by getting him to draw or showing him some drawings. It didn't appear to work, but Sophie was still trying.

Penny had to admire Sophie for her persistence. Sometimes, this trait can be a bad thing or get them in trouble, like the situation with ChalkZone. Other times, it was a great quality to have. In this case, she had a strong hunch it was the only thing keeping Rudy from falling into a deep depression.

Right now, Rudy was largely unresponsive. He would still reply at times, but only in quick, short messages. He stayed to himself, hardly ever looked at her, hardly turned his head. He looked almost like he had seen a ghost.

It was uncomfortable for Penny see Rudy like this. So unlike himself. Usually, he'd be talking, drawing, doing whatever to get his mind off of what was bothering him. But at the moment, he was just...not doing anything. He was like a lump on a leg. It was at these moments that Penny was most concerned for him. To get him in that state, whatever had happened must have been pretty bad.

And from what Rudy told her, it was. It was just as they had both feared. His aunt found out about ChalkZone. This, in of itself, was a devastating piece of news, which left ChalkZone's future in a place of urgency.

However, it didn't stop there. Rudy didn't describe too much, but Penny was able to get the gist of what had gone on.

Rudy's aunt had rounded on him, and yelled at him for his 'careless behavior'. She had boxed him in a corner and got increasingly angry as the conversation went on. Then one thing led to another, then she found out she herself had gone in there, and the incident with Sophie... Understandably, the woman had gotten even more furious. After all, she didn't know anything about ChalkZone, other than it being another world, in another dimension.

But when Rudy tried to explain... She had gotten angrier. She had taken it as Rudy 'not caring enough of the family' or something like that. This did boil Penny's blood, as she found it hard to believe that Tilly would say something like that about her own nephew. At the same time, she could hardly blame her. She just felt that was anger talking, and that she just needed a bit of time to cool down. She wished both of them had just left before things escalated.

Sadly, they didn't, which resulted in Tilly apparently insulting Rudy and striking him down. Penny had to admit, she found that hard to believe. Tilly never came off as someone who was particularly aggressive. But when she saw the red mark on Rudy's face and the bruise on his shoulder...

Penny hoped that the two of them could reconcile soon. She had a feeling that both of them were upset. Well she could certainly tell Rudy was. But there was no doubt in her mind that Tilly was also suffering from this. She imagined that she must have been horrified when she found out what she did, and perhaps tried to make amends. She would understand why Rudy would choose to get away from her, however. Now may not be a good time for an apology. Both parties needed to calm down.

"Rudy..." Penny called out as she stared at her friend. Rudy didn't reply. "Rudy." Penny tried again, this time in a louder voice. Rudy turned his head slightly, but did not look at her. At this acknowledgement, Penny said, "In about an hour, why don't you go down to see your aunt? I'm sure that.."

Rudy shook his head. "No."

Penny's eyes widened when she heard just how cold he sounded. This wasn't like Rudy. She bit her lip, raising her head up slightly. "What do you mean? She's your aunt. You were both just angry. You should try to make amends with each other."

Rudy let out a soft growl. "And risk getting hit again...?" He turned his head slightly. He looked at Penny with a narrowed eye. "I'm sure I'm going to love that again."

"Oh come on, Rudy. Don't be this way." Penny pleaded with him. "This isn't who you are. You don't hold grudges for that long."

"I...I just don't want to..." Rudy said, his voice stern. There was still that cold edge, but it had softened up a little. "You weren't there, Penny. You didn't see the look in her eyes. You didn't see...any of it."

Penny nodded her head. "True... But that doesn't mean I don't understand. People get into fights a lot, even between loved ones. Don't let this eat you up inside, Rudy. Let yourself cool down, and then speak to her. You both should make amends with each other."

At this, Rudy shot her a glare that made her stiffen. "What did I do?"

"Well..you did keep this world a secret and you did lie to her and your parents, and Sophie did get into ChalkZone..."

"How is any of that my fault?!" Rudy cried. Sophie cringed at this and she moved away from him. "And we got Sophie back and she was not harmed!" Rudy gripped his head. He seethed loudly, looking like he was trying so hard to calm himself down. "Just...just why should I apologize for any of that? You and I both know.."

Penny cut him off. "Yes, I know, Rudy. We have a good reason to keep that world safe. And yes, Sophie was fine. However, we know that world better than anyone in the Real World. We know how the inhabitents are. We know what is dangerous and what isn't. We built relationships in that world, and we have grown a desire to care about the people there."

Rudy stared at her. His frown slowly softened up. He gave a small nod, acknowledging what she was saying. Penny was glad that he seemed to understand where she was getting with this. So she continued.

"It is easy to think that Tilly was being unfair. But Rudy...she doesn't know that world like we do. She doesn't know what to expect from it. You know that, don't you...?"

"Y-Yeah...I do..."

"And you know that your aunt was just worried sick about you...right..?"

"Yes."

Penny narrowed her eyes at this, giving a small nod. "With that in mind, can you blame her for reacting the way she did when she found out? She just..doesn't understand, Rudy. And she was so angry that it clouded her judgment." She held out her hand in gesture, watching as Rudy lowered his head and turned it away. "I think you should give her another chance. Try to explain to her about this world. Try to get her to understand." She smiled the best she should. "I'm sure this next conversation will go much better than the first one."

There was a long silence between the two. Penny wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she did not dare speak up again. She gave Rudy all the time he needed to reply. His narrowed eyes, and the few small grunts she heard indicated he was struggling with an answer. He must be so conflicted...not that she blamed him.

Even if Rudy decided not to do anything tonight, she knew that he would, eventually, do the right thing. This was Rudy that she was talking about. He always tries to fix things he broke. He was strong enough to admit when he was wrong. He would always apologize if he upset someone.

And she was certain that Tilly was the same way. She was probably sitting down there, waiting for him to come down, or perhaps she was getting ready to come up. Penny knew she didn't mean to hit Rudy; it was just an act of the moment powered by emotion. People say and do things they don't mean when they are enraged.

Rudy finally turned his head back towards her. Penny pressed her lips together as she waited for his answer. A few more seconds passed before he shook his head from side to side.

"I'm sorry, Penny. I-I...I don't think I can do it..." Rudy said softly. Upon seeing Penny's face, he looked away in shame. "I know... But... I'm just..afraid, Penny. I...just don't know if I can face her again."

Penny frowned slightly at this. "You've faced challenges before, Rudy."

"Yeah, but this is different." Rudy replied.

"How?" Asked Penny.

"She's my aunt. I've known her for longer than you." Rudy said softly. "I've known her ever since I was born. She used to babysit me when my parents were away, back before my mom decided to stay at home." Rudy closed his eyes. "Aunt Tilly and I grew close. I would have trusted my life with her."

"I see... And for her to strike you..." Penny said.

Rudy finished, "It broke something inside of me. I...I felt like I..couldn't trust her anymore." Rudy reopened his eyes and looked at Penny. "I know I must sound pretty selfish right now. It's just..how I feel..."

"I understand, Rudy." Penny said. "Families..can be pretty complicated. They're not always perfect, and every one has their flaws." Rudy nodded his head slowly at this. "But Rudy...you shouldn't let that control you. It's only going to get worse if you wait too long. You and your aunt should make amends as soon as possible."

"What if she hits me again? What if that becomes...normal?" Rudy bit his lip. "I-I don't want..."

"I'm sure it was not intentional. Rudy, do you really think your aunt would ever hit you on purpose?" Penny's eyes widened at this.

"I..." Rudy shook his head. "No. I don't."

Penny nodded her head. "Then you know what must be done."

Rudy was quiet for a few moments. Penny and Sophie watched him from a distance, neither of them making a move. They simply waited for Rudy to make a reply. After a few moments, Rudy climbed up to his feet. Penny leaned forward a little, hoping that he was going to do the right thing, either now or later.

But instead, Rudy just went towards his ladder. He hung his head, gritting his teeth. He didn't look like he had lot of confidence right now. He casted a saddened glance at her and Sophie. He then looked away.

"I'm sorry. I just..." Rudy grabbed onto the ladder. "I just need some time to think..."

Holding onto Sophie, Penny nodded her head once. "Sleep on it if you need to, But Rudy..." The boy gave her a backwards glance. "At least try. You both will feel better when you do."

"Hmmph..." Grumbled Rudy as he climbed up the steps to his bed. Penny watched him sadly. There was nothing she could do except watch as he pulled himself in the covers in preparation for sleep.

Penny wished there was something she could do or say to make the situation better. But she had said all she needed to, or could have. The rest was up to Rudy and Tilly. She hoped that one of them would make a move and apologize to the other. And she hoped that it would be soon; she couldn't imagine how worse this might get if neither of them spoke to the other for who knows how long.

Penny felt Sophie squirming in her arms. She set the little girl down and watched as she rushed over to the bed. The tyke jumped up and down, trying to get Rudy's attention. She bit her lip at this. Sophie didn't seem to fully understand what was going on, and how could she? She was only two years old.

Penny looked at the time. She flinched when she saw how late it was. Looking at the window, she saw just how pitch black it was, save for the street lights that popped on. Now would be a good time to go to sleep. They did have school tomorrow, after all.

For a moment, she wondered if she should head into ChalkZone and see how the others were doing. She still needed to find Blocky and thank him for taking Sophie back home, and for keeping her company while in ChalkZone. She could do it now, actually. There was still a bit of time, and Blocky is probably at his Night Zone house, getting ready for bed.

However, she quickly decided against it. With the situation regarding Tilly, she had a feeling that if she saw her missing, she might get angry at Rudy all over again. Tilly must know she was here; her mom would have told her. And if she didn't... Penny bit her lip. Yeah, best wait until tomorrow before she did anything, just to be safe.

Besides, it wasn't like it was that important to head down right now. Blocky was probably crawling into bed right now anyway. He must be so exhausted and tired... Yeah he was probably sleeping right now. She could wait until tomorrow to see him.

Penny got out her sleeping bag and she prepared for sleep.

sss

Blocky tried again to squirm. He tried to yank his arm out. There had to be a way to do this. He was rather flat. He should be able to do this. He was a piece of paper after all. If he could just try hard enough...

He hissed in pain when he felt the jagged parts of the cuffs cut into him. Not enough to draw blood, thankfully. He immediately stopped, allowing the pain to dissipate seconds later. He shivered as he just laid there his mind racing, the reality of the situation weighing down on him.

He was trapped. Truly trapped... He had been captured by the two humans he never wanted to meet. At least Vinnie wasn't here. That would have been even worse. Not that it made his current situation any better. He was strapped down with serrated cuffs, unable to use his 2D powers to get anywhere. The only way he could move at all was if Terry or Von removed the cuffs, and he knew they'd only do that when they were watching him carefully. They were not going to allow him to get way so easily.

He couldn't stop shivering. He was not able to calm himself down. How could he? He was out of ChalkZone in a dangerous world. He was exposed to the elements here. And he was trapped with humans that meant him harm. He had no idea just what they plan on doing with him, but their expressions... That was all he needed to know that they had nothing good planned for him. Even if he did get out, he didn't know where he was or how to get back home. If it rained, he would die. And what if someone else saw him? Blocky had no idea what to expect, and the fear of the unknown gripped his heart.

How was he going to get out of this mess? How would he inform Rudy and Penny of what happened? He knew they would realize he was missing, but they wouldn't know what happened to him. Sophie may not be able to tell them; she was just a little kid. And even if she could, she didn't see him get captured.

He could only hope that Rudy and Penny eventually put two and two together and realize what happened to him. His friends were his only chance of getting out of here. He was not going to be able to do this alone.

At that realization, he took a moment to look around the room. The two humans had left him alone. This was both a blessing and a curse. It was nice that they were away from him. At least they can't do anything while they were gone. But...he still didn't like being alone. And it was so quiet here..and so dark... He could hardly see anything. Even after his eyes adjusted, he could just make out a few shadows and shapes and that was it.

The quietness began to eat away at him. It irritated his ears, causing a dull drumming effect in his head. It was hard to explain. It was just so..uncomfortable, that he wished something would happen. He'd give anything for some noise, even the dripping of water.

Unable to do anything, Blocky just stared up at the ceiling. He took in a deep breath and sighed. He still couldn't stop his shivering, still couldn't get himself to relax. All he could do was lay there and feel his stomach being eaten away by the terror that was taking a hold of him. He wished that something...anything...would take him away from here. But he was not going to be so lucky.

The terrified zoner could only hope that one of his friends realizes what happened before it was too late. He didn't know how long these humans planned on keeping him, or if he was still going to be alive afterwards. The thought that he might die here... He felt ice shoot through his heart at the possibility.

He felt tears form in his eyes. He couldn't imagine what his friends might be thinking. They were either worried sick about him, or they would think he was fine. Either way made his stomach twist in knots. He gritted his teeth as the tears came faster. He closed his eyes, and let his cheeks sting with the salty-tasting liquid.

Please..let someone take him out of here... Let someone make this nightmare go away... Let someone come and end this... He just wanted to go home...

Suddenly, there was a bright light. He stiffened up, letting out a yelp. He turned his head away as something illuminated on his face. He tried to see who it was, but the light obscured them. All he could make out was a bright light in his eyes, and some kind of dark shape. He only knew that it had to be Von or Terry.

When they got closer, Blocky began to struggle left and right. "No, please! Don't hurt me! Just let me go! Please!"

The figure paused, watching him struggle. Blocky didn't dare look, afraid of what he might see. He just trumbled and tugged frantically at his limbs, despite what might happen to them if he used too much force. A cold cackle eventually froze him in place, and he looked over with a wide eye as the light was moved away.

Von stood there, smiling at him. In his hands was a lantern. He must have been using it to navigate the dark hallway of..wherever he was. Blocky had no clue, and at the moment, he didn't care. He just wanted to go home. Was that so wrong? Was that really such a hard request to grant? What did he ever do to Von? What did he do to deserve this kind of treatment?

"You're zuch a..fazcinating zubject." Von spoke in a coldly professional voice. "I've never zeen zomething quite like you. How remarkable..." Von moved closer. He began to pace around Blocky, examining him through a scrutinizing eye. "I wonder how you can live like ziz... Made of chalk... How you can eat, live, all zat..."

"I-I can just tell you." Blocky suggested. He offered a nervous smile. "Do we really have to resort to anything drastic...?"

Von stared at him for a moment. He lowered the lantern on the ground, which ended up making his face appear darker, more threatening. The man folded one arm against himself while his hand on the other arm rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Zat might zound like a good idea... But I zink I will pazz."

The smile never left his face. It sent chills down Blocky's spine. As the man moved around, he struggled to keep his eyes on him. He had no idea what this man was going to do to him. He didn't know what he was planning, what he was going to do to him, and it unnerved Blocky terribly.

Around and around the man walked. At this point, he was no longer speaking. He was just silent. He paced around the zoner slowly, eyeing him up and down like he was just a piece of meat. Blocky felt more tears drip down as he whimpered softly. He increased his rate of breath as he kept his eyes glued on the man's cold ones. What was he going to do to him...?

"All ziz time, I zought perpetual motion waz going to be my ticket to fame, but I waz wrong." The man finally said, breaking the eerie silence. Blocky watched him, his heart beating faster when the man's words began to hint at more of what he was going to do. "I have found zomething elze, zomething far more imprezzive." He stopped at Blocky's side. "And zat, my rectangle friend..."

Blocky let out a gasp when the man suddenly leaned in much closer. His head short forward, becoming only inches away from him. Blocky leaned away the best he could, clenching his teeth in fear.

"..iz you."

Blocky took in several quick breaths, his heart pounding against his chest, a cold shiver moving through his body. He darted his eyes wildly from side to side, trying in vain to find a way out. He winced when he felt the man grab his head and force him to look at him.

"Now...let'z zee how you tick..." Von said in a soft, menacing voice.

His eyes bulging wide open, Blocky jerked himself to the side. He yelped when he felt the serrations in the cuffs start to cut him. "No!" He screamed. "Please! Don't hurt me! I don't want this! Let me go!"

The only response the man gave was a cold chuckle. Blocky stared at him in horror. As the chilling realization of what this man was going to put him through came to light, he shut his eyes and started to cry.

"Please...Rudy, Penny, Snap...somebody...anybody..." Blocky whispered softly, his voice cracking, barely audible. "..h-help me..."

"Oh, zey will not be able to help you..." Von said darkly as he patted Blocky on the head with his other hand. "But don't you worry... Zoon, zey will not be your biggezt conzern..."

Blocky cried harder at this.

sss

Tilly stood outside the door to Rudy's room. She bit her lip, keeping her hand on the doorknob. She wanted to turn it so badly, but she just couldn't do it. Not yet. Something was holding her back. The guilt... It ate away inside of her, leaving behind an internal, blazing trail that made her want to throw up.

This was so hard... She never realized just how hard it was. It really was true, that apologizing was one of the hardest things to accomplish. Parts of her mind were yelling at her, telling her that Rudy should have known better, that he should have spoken to her earlier, that he had it coming. She did her best to shake those thoughts out of her mind, but they kept crawling back, causing some of the bitter anger to return.

But then she would remember what she had done to him, and that would fade away, replaced by sorrow and strong guilt. She fought back the tears, doing what she could to keep them from coming. It was difficult to do so, and she could not stop a few tears from flowing down her cheeks. She was still distraught over what she had done to Rudy. She was in such disbelief that she had...she had actually hurt him... How could she have done that to him?

At this point, however, she was finished with asking herself that question, and the others that popped in. She was tired of crying, of curling up in a ball in a fetal position. What good was that going to do her? Her sobbing would solve nothing. She might still be angry with him. She might still believe he had much to answer to. But she still had to make this right. She had to mend what she had broken.

She needed to apologize. He..he deserved one. She had hurt him. She had spoken so harshly and coldly to him, something she had never done before. She struck him so hard, he hit the ground. She recalled how he had grabbed his shoulder. Her heart skipped a beat at the realization that she may have done more harm than she thought.

She couldn't take it anymore. Narrowing her eyes and sucking in a deep breath, she opened up the door and entered the room.

It was dark, the light having been turned off. She looked around, trying to find Rudy. She wasn't sure if he had collapsed on the ground or if he went up into his bed. A quick scan of the room revealed that he was indeed on the top bunk. She moved in closer, taking care not to step on any of the stuff strewn across the room.

She took notice of Sophie slapping on the ground cuddled up with Penny. Tilly took a double take. Penny? What was she doing here? Was she told about her and forgot or... She shook the thoughts out of her mind. That wasn't important right now. If Penny was here, then she got permission. She kept her focus on Rudy.

She soon reached his bunk and she looked up at him. He had his back turned to her, his body mostly covered by his blanket. She watched as he breathed in and out slowly. He looked so peaceful. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

This moment was soon broken, however, when she reached over to touch him. She gently shook him, and it didn't take long before the boy stirred in his bed. He got up, balancing himself with one arm. He rubbed his eyes and let out a soft yawn. He turned himself around and he stared at her. At first, he just looked tired, his eyes only part way open. But when he rubbed his eyes a second time and blinked, he seemed to realize who she was. Then everything flooded back to him.

Immediately, the boy let out a whine and he cringed away from her. He leaned away, pressing his back against the wall of his room. He gave her a terrified expression, his teeth clenched, eyes bulging, and his body shaking. He didn't attempt to speak; his voice was too busy emitting whimpers.

The sight of this broke Tilly's heart. She had really screwed things up. She had gone too far, and now the boy was frightened of her. It wasn't just the act of hitting him, she knew. It was her whole demeanor. This was a side that he had never seen of her. Seeing just how much this had startled the boy twisted her heart, and she did what she could to fight back her tears.

"Rudy...honey...I'm so sorry..." Tilly whispered. She reached out towards Rudy. He cowered from her, clenching his teeth as if he wanted to bite her. She paused and, curling her fingers inward, pulled her hand back. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I should have controlled myself more. I should have just walked away, but instead I carried on and on... and I..." She closed her eyes, letting tears flow down her face. "Oh gawd, Rudy.. I'm so very sorry..."

Rudy didn't say anything. He just continued to stare at her warily, his body shaking like a leaf underneath his covers. His eyes widened a little, and he looked as if he expected her to hit him again.

Poor Rudy... She never meant to hurt him like this. Yes, she was angry at him still for lying about this chalk world, but... she could have at least tried to hear his side of the story. He must have had a good reason to keep it a secret, right? She should give him a chance to explain, and this time, actually listen to him, and not treat him like he was a darn criminal or something.

Tilly reached out towards him again. Rudy hunkered down almost like a frightened dog. He did not growl or anything like that, but he had that look in his eyes... Despite that, she still reached out towards him. Very gently, she placed her hand on the top of his head. He shuddered and shut his eyes, his whimpering filling her ears. She began to gently stroke his hair.

This gentle act appeared to calm down Rudy somewhat. But the trembling stayed, and he still looked distrustul of her. Well at least it was something of a change. She continued to run her fingers through his hair, giving him the most gentle look she could muster. She wanted to show him how much she still cared about him, and that he had nothing to worry about from her anymore.

"I'm sure you meant well...with not telling us about this chalk world. I'm so sorry I didn't listen..." Tilly whispered softly to him. "I'm sorry I insulted your art. I take it back. I think you're a great artist. It wasn't right of me to say those things about it. I'm sorry I sold your chalkboard without asking you." She moved her hand down to his cheek, the same one she struck. "And I'm so, so very sorry I slapped you. I didn't mean it..."

Rudy still didn't speak. He still looked cautious of her, but there was now something else in his eyes. Curiosity. Her words had piqued his interest. His body began to tremble a little less.

Tilly smiled the best she could, tears flowing down her face. "I love you, Rudy..." Using the ladder as leverage, she leaned towards the quivering child and gently kissed him on the forehead. At this, Rudy stopped shivering altogether and just stared at her, looking almost uncertain of what to make of it. Tilly stroked his hair a little more. "Goodnight, sweetheart..."

Not wanting to bother her nephew any longer, the brown-haired woman turned and walked out of the room.

sss

Rudy watched as his aunt left him alone, shutting the door behind her. He took in a few deep breaths, replaying what happened over and over in his mind.

He hadn't expected his aunt to come apologize to him. He didn't think that she would try anything tonight. He would have thought she was too angry or too ashamed to try to speak to him agian until tomorrow or so. He was fully prepared to go to sleep without seeing her again. But for her to show up...

It made Rudy feel a little guilty. Penny was right. He usually was the one to try to make amends and correct mistakes he made. He had provoked his aunt into hurting him by calling her a bitch. He winced at that word, unable to believe he had used it against his own aunt. He could have tried to speak more calmly to her and try to prevent the situation from escalating. He could have just tried to walk away and let her blow off some steam. He felt he could have done something to keep things from getting that bad.

He also could have gone back down to speak to her. He could have taken Penny's advice and try to fix things. Instead, he hid like a coward because he was afraid his aunt would hurt him again. On instinct, he had cringed away from her because he thought she was still mad at him, even when her expression said otherwise. He felt simply awful for that, and he wished he had reacted more rationally.

He had seen the hurt look in his aunt's eyes. He could see how much she was suffering for this mistake. He could see just how much she regretted hurting him. She had apologized to him, and he knew it was sincere. She had said her piece, and left him to he could go back to sleep.

But how could he now? He didn't say a word to her. All he did was treat her like she was some kind of monster. He didn't even accept her apology. He just...looked at her and cried like a big baby. How could he have done that? He wanted to slap himself in the face for not saying even one word to her.

Well he wasn't going to let that mistake run on for much longer. He pushed the covers off of his body and climbed down his bed's ladder. He crept across the room, careful not to kick Penny or Sophie, and trying not to wake them up. He looked down at them for a few seconds. Seeing them sleep together peacefully caused a smile to crack on his face. He then opened the door and walked out.

He immediately noticed some lighting. A faint bluish glow, and a faint sount. The television was turned on. His aunt must be trying to watch some television. Maybe that movie she had told him about before.

Being as quiet as he could, Rudy moved down the staircase. He didn't want to startle his aunt. He tredded lightly on the steps, making sure that each time he put his foot down, he did not use much force, making his steps quiet, the sound virtually nonexistent.

When he reached the bottom step, he crept along forward and peered into the living room. He could see his aunt was laying on her side, a blanket pulled over her. He bit his lip, wondering why she would chose to sleep down here instead of the nice bed in his parents' room. Was this her way of punishing herself? He hoped that wasn't what she had in mind.

Slowly, he walked forward. It didn't take him long to realize she had fallen asleep. His aunt did have a habit of going to sleep rather quickly. Faster than most people that he knew. Doing his best not to wake her up, he moved even closer, and he caught his breath at something he noticed.

Her face...it was sleek and looked wet. She had been crying... Rudy bit his lip at this. His aunt must really feel horrible to have cried like this. Then he saw her twitching, her leg kicking out slightly, her eyes going wild underneath her eyelids.

"No..Rudy...I'm sorry.. Please come back...please..." Aunt Tilly whispered, her voice cracking. More tears emerged from her eyes. "I-I didn't mean to.. No, don't run away..please..."

At this, Rudy felt his heart ache. His poor aunt... She was having a nightmare. She must really feel guilty about what she did. He bit his lip, watching as she cried in her sleep. He looked left and right, and then stared down at her. He couldn't leave her. Not like this.

Noticing that Aunt Tilly had pressed herself against the back of the couch, leaving some small amount of space, Rudy took action. He climbed into the couch next to his aunt, laying on his side facing her. He pulled the blanket over himself, making sure his aunt still had some covers as well.

As soon as he did this, his aunt stirred and her eyes opened up. She sniffled a little as she looked around, detecting something was a little off. When she saw him, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "R-Rudy...?" She managed to choke out.

Rudy looked up at her. After a few seconds, he smiled and whispered, "I forgive you..." He cuddled up against her, laying close and snug, feeling her warmth against him. "I love you, too.."

Rudy got as close as he could to his aunt. He laid his head on her, rubbing his cheek against her affectionately. He took in a deep breath and let out a sigh of contentment. He could hear his aunt's heart beating, creating something of a lullaby, He felt his eyes flutter shut, his mind being soothed by the gentle rhythmn of each thump.

He opened up his eyes when he felt something move along his body. He quickly realized that his aunt had looped an arm across him, pulling him close to her. He looked at her, seeing her relieved eyes staring down at him, a small smile on her face. Rudy smiled back before laying his head back down and closing his eyes. He did not notice the uncomfortableness of their position on the couch, so little room, as he remained cuddled up against his aunt, his mind shutting down, entering dream land.

sss

When the recess bell rang, it was a relief to all of the students. Being cramped in school for so long, at least for them, drove many of them crazy. Children had boundless energy and they couldn't wait to exert it when they went outside for recess. A time to frolic and have fun.

At least, for most of them. Today, Rudy and Penny weren't able to enjoy the usual antics of recess. They had more important things on their minds.

The two of them went around to the back of the school, away from the others. They couldn't let anyone see what they were doing, or hear their discussions. Thankfully, not many students came back here anyway, and they were all too busy to really care about what they did. Never once had any of the students ever questioned where they would go, and usually just focused on each other.

This was a relief to Rudy. It provided a safe place for him and Penny to talk. They would often look left and right to see if anyone was coming. In their current position, it was impossible for anyone to sneak up on them. There weren't too many windows here, and with the building blocking them, they only had forward and the sides to watch. Pretty easy with the two of them. Penny was assigned one side and Rudy the other, and they both shared the front duty.

Both Rudy and Penny were quite concerned. Penny suggested that they meet here to discuss things further, as things were pretty complicated back at Rudy's place. Neither of them were entirely sure about how to handle that situation.

Aunt Tilly now knows about ChalkZone. He had done what he could to explain it to her during breakfast today. While Aunt Tilly did say that she wouldn't speak a word of it to anyone else, this was just a temporary thing and he and Penny both knew it. She just hadn't made any final decisions on it yet, and he knew that, sooner or later, she was going to want to tell his parents about it. She was not one to keep things a secret from her own sibling. And his mom surely wouldn't withold information from his dad.

Rudy could feel his gut twisting from this precarious situation. He had hoped he never had to deal with this situation, but here he was. A family member has found out about this world he went to, and of course, it had to be Aunt Tilly, the one aunt that he was closest to. For once, he wished that it was Uncle Chuck who found out. He wasn't his favorite uncle, but at least he gives so few fucks that he wouldn't bother telling anyone.

The future of ChalkZone was at stake. He would need to devote some time into convincing Aunt Tilly to guard its secret. He needed to know that he could trust her not to tell anyone.

But it would be hard. She was not happy with him. She may have apologized for her behavior and tried to see things his way. But it was clear, from what she said, that she was still upset that he never brought this up in the past two years since this began. She hinted that she was eager to tell his folks about it when they came back from their vacation, which filled him with dread.

At least for now, it's on hiatus, allowing him and Penny to focus on another pressing matter.

"I can't believe they didn't see him..." Penny whispered softly. There was a strong tinge of doubt in her voice. "How could they not have..." Her voice trailed off.

"I know, Penny." Rudy admitted. He leaned his head up, staring up towards the sky. "It's not like Blocky to not show up at all..."

Rudy reflected back to when he headed into ChalkZone. He had done so while his aunt was still asleep. Due to the tough situation they were in, he chose this time so that she wouldn't stop him from going. He had Penny wait with Sophie and guard the portal. Just in case Aunt Tilly came into the room, he didn't want to run the risk of his aunt trying to mess with the portal on the portable chalkboard. He was glad that at least that hadn't been sold.

He had gone to the hospital to see Snap and Rapsheeba. He was glad to hear that Rapsheeba had been discharged after her arm was stitched up. Snap has to stay a few extra days, but he was doing fine as well. He had talked to them for a bit about what was going on, including the thing with his aunt. Understandably, they were both worried, but they agreed that Rudy would be able to figure out something for that.

But when he mentioned Blocky, neither of them had any clue of where he was. This confused both Rudy and Penny. They had thought for certain that Blocky would have shown up to say hello to them. But according to his two friends, he wasn't there at all, not last night, not eary morning.

In fact, as he and Penny went around town, speaking with people, they quickly learned that absolutely no one had seen Blocky since the other day, when the twister had struck. Some zoners had even stopped them when they were walking down the street and asked them about Blocky. The fact that no one had seen Blocky worried the two deeply.

Things got even more worrisome when they found out that Blocky was supposed to be a part of this marching band. Rapsheeba had apparently arranged something for him, but according to the other zoners involved, he hadn't shown up at all. This was very strange; Blocky wasn't the type to miss out on a recital like that. He was usually pretty good wth the time. For him to not show up or even contact anyone and tell them he couldn't make it... the two children knew that something was very wrong.

What could have happened with Blocky? Why wasn't he anywhere to be found? Where could he have disappeared to? So many questions raced through Rudy's mind. There was a large number of possibilities of what might have happened to their friend. And none of them were good.

He tried to calm himself down. Maybe Blocky just got lost. Maybe he took a wrong turn and ended up somewhere else. Or maybe he just was so tired, he fell asleep. Maybe he was just a late waker today. It was possible. Rudy hoped that's all it was. Blocky sleeping in late. He's done that before when there was no important appointment to keep, or when he was incredibly tired.

Rudy turned his head to Penny. "Do you think it's possible that he is just...a late sleeper today?"

Penny looked over at him. She bit her lip. "I'm not sure. He doesn't do that often." She turned her head away. "Although it would explain why he hasn't been spotted yet." She looked back at Rudy. "Rapsheeba's marching band does sometimes have really early practices. With what happened yesterday, maybe he just didn't feel up to it."

Rudy could feel some sense of relief. "Yeah...that's what I was thinking. Maybe he was too shaken up and had a hard time sleeping at night." He paused for a moment, trying to think of what the next best course of action would be. "Maybe we should head back into ChalkZone, though? Just to be sure?" Rudy suggested. "Maybe something new happeend. Maybe someone has spotted him."

Penny nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah... That seems like a good idea." She frowned softly, looking left and right. "I think only one of us should go, though. The other must stay here and guard the portal. I don't want to risk someone else finding out about ChalkZone."

Rudy winced at this. "Yeah... After with what happened with Aunt Tilly..." He watched as Penny silently nodded. This was a situation they did not want to get repeated again. It was just too risky. His aunt finding out was bad enough. He didn't need anybody else to figure this out. "I went into ChalkZone last time. I'll stay here and guard. You go in. Try to be as quick as possible."

Penny smiled at this. "Aren't I always?"

Rudy cast her a brief, playful smirk. "Just get going." He tossed her the magic chalk.

Penny grabbed it and nodded dutifully at him. She looked left and right to make sure no one was looking. She then drew a small portal on the ground, just barely big enough to let her squeeze through. Rudy watched as she ran off into the distance. He remained by the portal, awaiting her return. He hoped that she would bring good news.

sss

"What? Are you sure..?" Penny asked.

The zoner in front of her nodded his head. "Affirmative, ma'am." He gestured to the group that he was with. "We had another practice, and we haven't seen any sign of Blocky."

Another of the band zoners nodded his head. "We even tried to contact him, but have gotten no response."

Penny felt her heart clench at this. No response? That was not like Blocky... Maybe he was just still tired and...No, that wasn't it. Blocky would have answered his doorbell no matter how tired he was. And one of these zoners just told her that someone went to check on him and he wasn't there at home.

"Perhaps someone saw him wandering around?" Penny asked hopefully. "Please...did anyone say anything about spotting him?"

The lead marching zoner shook his head. "I am sorry, but no. He was nowhere to be found."

Penny fell silent at this. She could feel her heart ache as the realization began to dawn on her. It was odd enough for Blocky to miss an appointment without telling anyone. But it was even rarer for it to happen again. And for him to not be at his home but no one spotting him anywhere in ChalkZone? That was even stranger. Something was very wrong here...

She tried to stay positive. There had to be a logical explanation for this. There had to be a reason why Blocky hadn't been found. Could he have wandered off somewhere else? Could he have gotten lost in a less used part of ChalkZone? There were some uninhabited lands. Perhaps he went off somewhere there? It didn't seem like the most plausible thing, but it still had some kind of merit. Maybe she could look around ChalkZone some more and...

No... It was too late for that. She was almost out of time. She would need to get back to the Real World and inform Rudy. She bit her lip. She wished she could have brought better news than this. Some positive news would have been good for them both.

Poor Blocky... She hoped that, wherever he was, that he was all right. She hoped that he was able to stay out of trouble. He was such an innocent and friendly zoner... She feared that he might fall prey to some of the more unscrupulous zoners out there. She narrowed her eyes, unable to believe that such people like that exist. If any such zoner got their hands on Blocky...

She pushed the thoughts aside for now. Standing here thinking about what might be will not help her. She would need to get back to Rudy and discuss what they were going to do. They needed a plan to find their friend. As soon as possible, she would have to discuss this with Rudy. She hoped they would be able to think of something to help their missing friend.

"Thank you for the help." Penny said to the zoners. "Well I best be off now. See ya."

"Goodbye! And good luck!"

Penny turned around and left the zoners. She hurried as fast as she could back to where the playground portal was, where Rudy was waiting for her. As she moved towards it, a single thought raced through her mind.

Be safe, Blocky...

sss

"I understand what you're saying, Penny, but..." Rudy's voice trailed off.

"But what?" Asked Penny.

Rudy was silent for a few moments. He tried to think of the right words to say. He didn't want to sound like he was dismissing what Penny was saying. It was just that... He found it hard to believe that something like this could have happened. Especially to Blocky of all people... It just wasn't fair.

It was hard to believe that Blocky could be...be missing... How could that have happened? There hadn't been anything strange happening lately except for that twister. None of the zoners reported anything particularly wrong. Skrawl certainly wasn't doing anything; he was quite an attention hog, and it was hard for him to keep any of his plans secret.

So how could Blocky have disappeared? The last he checked, Blocky was with Sophie. He had thought he simply dropped her off and went home. But something else clearly happened. If no one in ChalkZone City saw him since the other day, he knew something was really wrong. Blocky was in ChalkZone everyday, rarely missing a day in there. He loved to socialize, much like Snap. Perhaps even more so. For him to not show up at all...

He sitll held onto the believe that perhaps something else had happened that wasn't as bad. Despite how bleek this outlook became, he still struggled to hang onto the idea that Blocky was just merely lost or he was hiding or something. He hoped and pleaded that it wasn't the result of some new villain that he knew nothing about. It was one thing to deal with Skrawl, whom he knew how to fight. But it was another matter entirely to deal with someone, or something, he had no knowledge of.

He stared at Penny, biting his lip. He struggled to think of something to say to her. He continued to stare pleadingly at her, hoping that she would say something that would be some good news. But she could only stare sadly at him, shaking her head.

"Are you positive they didn't see him?" Rudy asked softly, his voice barely a whisper.

Penny nodded her head affirmatively. "I'm sorry, Rudy. They told me what they could. Blocky hasn't been spotted."

"But...but how could he have gotten lost?" Rudy narrowed his eyes slightly. "He's never gotten lost before... Then again, first time for everything." Rudy paused for a moment. He tilted his head up towards the ceiling, the bright lights of the room filling his eyes. "Or he could have been caught..."

"Don't think like that, Rudy. I'm sure Blocky is fine." There was a falter in her voice. It was clear she had thought of the same possibility as well. "Besides, who would want to capture him? No offense to him, but there isn't any villain we know of in ChalkZone who would find him that useful."

"Except to get to me." Hissed Rudy, glaring softly at Penny. The girl moved her head back, eyes widened. "That is what he's good for.."

Penny was quiet, staring at Rudy. She looked a bit guilty for not thinking of that faster. She soon shook her head and said, "Even if that were the case, Rudy, wouldn't you have gotten a ransom note?" Rudy tilted his head at this. She held up her hand in gesture. "It's kind of hard to make use of someone as bait if the person being targeted doesn't know what to do or where to go."

Rudy nodded his head slowly, his eyes slowly widening in realization. "You're right, Penny. That is strange..." He thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps Blocky wasn't captured after all..." This did bring about some relief, but that was soon overtaken by worry. "But..if that's not what happened, then what did...?"

"We will have to go into ChalkZone later, as soon as possible, and find out ourselves." Penny's voice was as confident as she could musture. "If we cannot get information from the zoners, we will do some searching around. Maybe we can use that plane you drew from when we went to Chalk Spain."

"Good idea, Penny!" Rudy exclaimed. "We can fly around ChalkZone and see if we can spot him from the air!"

"Exactly. Or at least, find any clues to what may have happened to him." Penny said.

Rudy lowered his head as he looked around, gritting his teeth. "But it'll have to be at a later time. We've no time in school for that." He casted a nervous glance forward. "And especially not in here..."

Penny nodded in agreement. "Definitely..."

Rudy took a moment to remind himself that he was in school still. Specifically, Mr. Wilter's classroom. It wasn't over yet. Recess was finished, lunch was over with. Now they were on the final quarter of the school day. It would still be a little while before they were done with the day and they could return home.

"We'll go when we get back to your mom's place." Rudy said softly. "I don't really feel like dealing with my aunt right now; she will slow me down."

Penny replied, "I understand, Rudy."

"So it's settled then? We have your mom pick us up and drop off at your place," Rudy explained. "Then we head into ChalkZone and use whatever time we have to explore with the plane." Penny nodded her head affirmatively. Rudy gave a small smile of confidence at this. "All right then. Here's to hoping we will find something."

Suddenly, they were interrupted.

"Rudy Tabootie! Penny Sanchez!"

The two kids froze. Suddenly, they could feel a ton of eyes glued to them, watching their every move. Their bodies hunched, they flinched as they looked up. Upon seeing Mr. Wilter standing there, his arms folded against his chest, they knew they were in big trouble.

"Do you mind telling the rest of the class what was so very important?" Mr. Wilter spoke. The other students looked on curiously. "Well...? He tapped his foot impatiently. "We're waiting."

Rudy and Penny couldn't say anything. Their lack of a response further fueled Mr. Wilter's anger and made some of the students laugh.

Mr. Wilter pointed towards the door. "To the principal's office! Both of you!"


	12. Discussions

Revenge. The drug that anyone can get addicted to.

sss

Rudy couldn't believe this had happened. He and Penny were supposed to be back at home, getting ready to go into ChalkZone right about now. Instead, they were stuck in Mr. Wilter's classroom, being watched by their teacher.

Anger rose up inside of him. They should be looking for any information regarding Blocky, not sitting here doing homework. He couldn't believe that he and Penny were stuck having to do some extra work here at school. All this time that they could be using to find their friend was being wasted on something like this. He could feel his body jittering as he looked desperately at the clock, hoping that this would finally be over.

Well there wasn't much they could do about this at the moment. They had already tried what they could, hoping that they could worm their way out of it. But it didn't work. Principal Stringent still saw it fit to have the two of them punished. So they were stuck with a week's worth of detention. This confused the heck out of them because it was such an extreme punishment. But the principal said her word was final and dismissed them.

Rudy had a feeling that something was up with that, like she had some kind of motive for what she had done. Penny thought he might be paranoid, and perhaps he was. But Rudy simply could not let he possibility go. What if Principal Stringent had punished them on purpose for something in the past? What if she had just been waiting for the right moment and was just using this as an excuse?

And his aunt was not going to happy with him either. She was already upset with the whole ChalkZone thing. The last thing she needed was another reason to be upset with him. He usually was good about not getting detention. How was he going to explain this to his aunt?

He shook the thoughts out of his head. Right now, that didn't matter. They needed to focus on how they were going to help Blocky. Since they would not be able to get into ChalkZone until later, he and Penny were going to have to focus on discussing things while they were here. Mr. Wilter usually fell asleep pretty early in the detentions on fridays, probably due to it being the end of the week, and just their luck, today was friday. They just had to wait until he fell asleep. Then they could discuss things regarding ChalkZone.

As angry as he was at Principal Stringent, he was more angry at himself and Penny for not realizing that they were drawing the attention of their teacher. They were usually good about not screwing something like that up. But their concern for Blocky made them oblivious to what was going on around them. While being worried for their friend was a legitimate thing, they still should have been more careful.

Rudy watched Mr. Wilter carefully. The man was still watching them, a small cup of coffee next to him. He was careful not to make it look like he was spending the whole time just staring at him, since that would be pretty creepy, and it would make him look suspicious. Instead, he kept his head down, writing on the paper he and Penny were given as assignment. Only once in a while did he move his eyes up to look at Mr. Wilter to see what he was doing.

It took a while, but thankfully, as the first hour of detention approached them, Mr. Wilter shut his eyes. He and Penny watched carefully, waiting, making sure that he was, for certain, knocked out. Only when the man started snoring and drool became to form from his mouth did they dare speak to one another.

"Finally..." Rudy said softly as he set his pencil down. "I thought he was never going to fall asleep." He turned his head to Penny. "Lucky this was friday. We wouldn't have been able to do anything the entire time while he was here."

Penny nodded, but then frowned as she stared at the piece of paper. "Don't forget to fill those out, Rudy. You don't want a worse punishment, do you?"

Rudy gave a quick chuckle. "Like what?" He raised his hand in gesture. "More detentions?"

"How about a suspension?" Penny asked. Rudy froze at this. "Or perhaps something from your aunt, or your parents whenever they get back."

Rudy flinched at this. "Oh... right..." He looked down at the paper. "I'll continue it later. Right now, I think we should talk a bit more about what we are going to do."

"We'll still have some time in ChalkZone to figure out what happened." Penny pointed out.

"But not long enough." Rudy said, biting his lip. "The more time we waste not doing something, the more dire the sitation becomes." He looks at Penny. "I'm doing my best to stay positive, Penny. But I can't shrug off the feeling that something happened to Blocky."

"I know what you mean." Penny looked at him sympathetically. "I'm really worried, too. But...maybe someone in ChalkZone has heard something by now. I mean, it's been twenty-four hours." Rudy looked away from her sadly, staring at the chalkboard. "I'm sure someone must have found out some information that we could use."

Rudy nodded his head weakly. "Yeah...maybe..."

He knew that Penny was probably right. Enough time has passed and it was possible that, if they looked hard enough, someone would have heard something, anything. If they just keep looking around, they would surely run into someone that would be able to give them information they need to find and help their poor friend. Or maybe someone had spotted him and he was only lost.

But, thinking about it, he wasn't sure just how likely it would be for Blocky to be...lost. How could he have gotten lost so easily? Not that it never happens, but this just seemed too...strange. He would have thought the twister did it, but that was sealed away beforehand, so that wasn't it. Even if he did get lost, he was never gone this long before, and there was always a zoner that would find him and bring him back. For no one to find him...

Rudy could feel his heart clench tighter, his eyes widening. He could see Penny's concerned expression as she stared over at him. She reached over with her hand, leaning as far as she could, and touched him on the shoulder. Rudy glanced at her. She stared at him sympathetically, her expression silently asking him what was wrong. Rudy tried to say something, but he merely got tongue-tied.

"Rudy..." Penny spoke up after a while. "We will find him. Don't worry." She tried to sound as confident as she could, but Rudy could tell just how afraid she really was underneath her determined expression. "We just need to stay positive and not let ourselves get worked up over the possibilities."

Rudy nodded his head slightly. "Y-Yeah... That's true. The possibilities." He swallowed hard, his mind briefly imagining all kinds of horrible things happening to Blocky before he shook it off. He glanced over at Mr. Wilter. "One of us could head into ChalkZone and..."

Penny shook her head. "It's too risky." She casted a worried glance down at Mr. Wilter. "What if he wakes up before we come back? We'll be in even bigger trouble..."

Rudy couldn't help but wince at that statement. She was right. He couldn't believe he almost forgot about that problem. They would make things worse if they left now.

But..there had to be something they could do, right? Some way of finding out more information as soon as possible. Some way of figuring out the situation with Blocky quickly. Surely they could use this time for something productive, right. He refused to believe that there was nothing they could do here.

Then something came to his mind. His eyes slowly widened. Of course... why didn't he think of trying this earlier? He could have done this before Mr. Wilter came into the room to start the detention. He leaned away from Penny, to the other side of his desk and pulled something out of his backpack. His portable chalkboard.

Penny watched as he raised an ordinary piece of chalk to the board. Judging from the expression in her eyes, she realized what Rudy was going for. "That's a good idea, Rudy!"

Rudy smiled at her, and then proceeded to write a message. He scribbled it on as quickly as he could, making sure to get as much detail in with as few words as possible, knowing that Mr. Wilter could wake up and see what he was doing. He quickly erased the message, and then, using his magic chalk, drew a small portal. He made sure to cover the light so Mr. Wilter wouldn't see it.

Now all he and Penny can do was wait. He hoped that one of the zoners in ChalkZone would get the message and be able to tell him and Penny something useful. There had to be some kind of silver lining in this, even if it were extremely thin.

sss

"P-Please...stop this..." Blocky pleaded with his captors. "D-Don't do this..."

"Oh shut up, you little baby. We haven't done anything to you yet." Terry folded her arms against her chest. "And besides...all we want is information."

Blocky shook his head in desperation. "I-I'll never tell you!"

Terry snarled at him. She was tempted to reach out and choke the little guy. She and Von had been at this for an hour at least, and the little guy still wasn't cracking. She would have thought that some time alone to think about his situation would be enough to inform him just how helpless he really was. Perhaps he needed a little more...

Still, she had to keep trying. She didn't want to wait another day just to speak with him. She realized she should have just started trying to get him to talk right away. Perhaps if she had done something to him earlier, she would have been able to break him sooner, and they would be making actual progress now. Oh well, it was her fault for thinking that the zoner, who revealed his name was Blocky, would listen to reason and become more cooperative.

"Now you lizten here, you little idiot!" Von hissed at the creature called a zoner. "We are talking about a dizcovery of a lifetime here! You are our ticket to zat. You have no choize. You are ourz now. You do what we zay, okay?!"

Blocky shook his head, letting out loud whimpers of fear. "No! No! I can't tell you anything! Just let me go! Please!" He squirmed harder against his binds. A few times, he yelped, indicating he was being scratched by the cuffs put on him. "Please! I'm begging you! I can't tell you anything else!"

Stubborn creature... But Terry realized she shouldn't be too surprised. After all, he was from this chalk world. This...ChalkZone as he called it. He would naturally feel compelled to protect it. She scoffed at the idea of protecting something like that. To her, ChalkZone was just a gimmick, something to make money off of, something that the whole world deserved to know about. Who cares about the inhabitants? Not like they really matter, except for studying and labor and whatever else society saw fit for them.

But of course, this zoner wouldn't see things that way. He was just a miserable little thing that would do whatever it took to protect his people. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Rudy and Penny were in on this whole thing. The realization made her blood boil. The two were traitors to society... They were much worse than she thought they were initially. Oh she couldn't wait until she spread the word about them..

But that'll have to wait until after she took care of exposing ChalkZone. She wanted everyone in town to know what it was about. Then she would out Rudy and Penny as the zoners' accomplices. While some might sympathize with them, she knew, without a doubt, that most people would certainly be furious with the two for what they did. She grinned nastily at the thought. Yes, revenge was going to be sweet...

"Let me go!"

Terry turned her attention to the pathetic chalk creature before her. She curled her lip up, getting sick of hearing this zoner beg like this. Did he really think that they were going to let him go just because he asked? She rolled her eyes. Just how stupid was this zoner anyway?

Well apparently not too stupid; it somehow managed to survive at least sometime in ChalkZone before they nabbed it. None of the zoners shot him. Either the zoners were very welcoming of just about anyone, or they had low standards of who was accepted and who wasn't. Or perhaps ChalkZone didn't run that way. The only way to find out was to get this thing to spill the beans on what they wanted to know.

And she was not going to rest until they have what they wanted.

True, they had a portal. They had a way into the world. But Terry knew that they could be kicked out. She remembered Vinnie's story, about how he was in that world, only to be flung out. When he went to find the portal again, it was gone. She narrowed her eyes at this. She could not allow that to happen to her and Von. They needed to know how to get in so that, if they do lose this portal, they would be able to get back in anyway.

This little rectangular creature was their only shot at getting the information that they needed. It was possible that he didn't know anything, but that was so slim... He had gotten out of his world, so he must obviously had some kind of mechanism. He must have some knowledge of how portals worked. And he was going to tell her exactly what that was.

"How do we get into ChalkZone?" Terry hissed at him. Blocky kept struggling, not daring to look at her. Growling loudly, she moved herself forward, causing Von to step aside. She grabbed onto the zoner's head roughly and pushed it against the hard surface. This forced the zoner to look at her. "I repeat, how do we get into that world?" Terry repeated herself, her voice a low growl. "I know about the magic chalk, but..." She leaned slightly closer. "..how do I go about getting a piece for myself...?"

Blocky widened his eyes. "Y-You can't...I won't..."

Von frowned at this, folding his arms. "We went through all ziz trouble to get you, and we are not going to just give up that eazily." He took a step forward, standing beside Blocky. "We zuggest you zpeak before we give you a reazon to..."

Terry held up her hand, silencing the man. She ignored his confused questioning as she glared down at the zoner. She lowered herself towards him, staring directly in his eyes. "Considering the situation you are in, I would cooperate more if I were you, Blocky." Terry looked at him up and down, briefly examining him. "After all, we control your very fate. Now...you do have a choice..."

She glanced over at Von, giving him a knowing smile. Von stared at him for a moment. Then, realizing what she was up to, returned the smile. Taking this as his cue, he looked over at the zoner, his arms relaxing at his sides.

"You can zpeak to uz and tell uz what we want. Or..." Von walked around the zoner until he was at his back. Blocky strained to stare at the scientist, his eyes widening further in fear. "...we could figure out at leazt zome of the answerz ourzelvez..."

Blocky shook his head in desperation. "Not that! Please!"

Terry and Von simply smiled at the zoner. Perhaps now they got him. It was a bluff, of course. They were still going to do whatever they wanted with him. There was still a bunch of things they needed to know about zoners. Or rather, Von needed to know. Terry could care less about this stuff, but Von, being a scientist, he would eat this stuff up.

But perhaps, this would serve as a motivator, getting Blocky to speak sooner. If not...oh well. So long as he was kept alive, it didn't really matter what happened to him.

"So..what's it going to be, zoner?" Terry asked in a menacing voice, smirking as she watched him stare up fearfully at her. "And don't you think about trying any of those tricks Snap did on me. They won't work again..." She squeezed his head tighter, forcing him to flinch in pain. "I will not hesitate to give you a good reason not to cross me...do you understand?"

Blocky whimpered softly as he nodded his head. "Y-Yes, m-ma'm..."

"Good. Now... How do we get into ChalkZone?" She asked. She stared at him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"I-I can't tell you that... I just can't.." Blocky whispered softly, closing his eyes. "I-I won't betray them.."

Von cocked an eyebrow at this. "Zo...you would rather continue protecting them inztead of making zingz eazier on yourzelf and tell uz what we want to know?" Blocky nodded at this quickly. Von narrowed his eyes slightly. "All right zen... You leave uz no choize..." Von turned to Terry and nodded his head once. "Let uz initiate zee plan. If he won't tell uz... zen we will have our own...exploriatory fun..."

"Wh-What...?" Blocky asked in a small voice. "Wh-What do you mean...?"

Terry and Von didn't answer the zoner. The scientist was busy glaring at the creature while Terry simply smirked. What they were about to do, it was something she would never have risked trying with Rudy or Penny, obviously for certain reasons. However, Blocky offered no such barrier. If words alone won't help, then perhaps a bit of pain would...

Terry watched as the zoner resumed his struggling. Even with her grip still on him, he still managed to move a little while he squirmed underneath her. The zoner looked more afraid, and the expression he now had indicated that he may know a bit about what kind of fate awaited him. She just smiled at this, showing no sympathy for the little chalk creature. She knew that, sooner or later, he was going to spill the information. It was just going to take the right...motivation.

She knew that, deep down, the zoner knew beforehand what his fate was going to be. He may have tried to push the memory in the back of his mind and prayed it was just some horrible dream. He had just gotten a rude wake up call. Good. She imagined that Von might be irritated at having to explain it to him again.

"Wh-Why can't you just let me go h-h-home...? Please, that's all I want..." The rectangular zoner whimpered, tears forming in his eyes. "I-Is that so wrong...?"

"Tell us what we want to know." Terry said coldly.

"P-Please... can't you see how wrong this is..?" Pleaded Blocky.

"Wrong? It would be wrong if ziz was to another human being." Von said, his voice just as icy as Terry's. "But you clearly aren't human, zo you have no rightz. I guarantee that no one will zide with you. All they will zee is a ztrange and unknown creature and fear you, want you caged, want you tazered... You are unnatural. An anomaly. A mythical-like creature brought to life. You should conzider yourzelf lucky we were the onez to find you firzt." He went around Blocky, his arms folded behind his back, looking at him with a scrutinizing eye. "At leazt we have some kind of reazon not to juzt tear you apart right now..."

Blocky trembled hard at this. His eyes bulged, practically overflowing with terror. "I-I-I told you already.. I c-c-can't tell you anything."

"And why not?" Terry asked coolly. "Why can't you tell us anything? Even the light of...punishment..." She growled that word, showing Blocky just how willing they were to go the extra mile if he did not cooperate. "...why are you still resisting? Are you that willing to start the...process...?" Upon seeing Blocky's expression, she sneered, "Oh don't try to pretend you don't know what Von here wants to do with you. He has already told you last night. We will be willing to...give you more time if you cooperate."

Regardless of her words, the zoner still shook his head. "No! I won't! Rudy would..."

Upon hearing that name, Terry froze. That name... That wretched, awful name... How did this zoner know about that? She narrowed her eyes, the smile vanishing from her face. The zoner appeared to realize he made a mistake and tried to squirm away. Curling her lip up into a snarl, she seized the zoner by his arm and squeezed it tightly, prompting a yelp from him.

"How do you know about Rudy?!" She demanded. "Are you one of his allies?!"

Von looked over at her, his eyebrow raised up in slight concern. "Ma'am, pleaze control yourself..."

Terry ignored him completely. Her focus was only on the struggling zoner before her. "Tell me! What do you know about him?!"

Blocky whimpered, "P-Please..."

"Tell me!"

"I-I..." Blocky trembled violently, his voice breaking up, and soon vanishing completely as sobs took him over.

Terry growled, her eyes narrowed dangerously at him. Then, after a few moments, she recollected herself. She realized that her losing her temper nearly cost them big time. They couldn't allow the zoner to die. Not yet anyway. They still needed information from him, and her losing her temper could have resulted in unncessary action, which would have killed Blocky quicker. This would not do well for them, and reset their plans.

And besides, even if Blocky refused to cooperate, he would still be an excellent bargaining chip. Rudy and Penny were so sickenly sympathetic to these chalk creatures, they'd come to his rescue anyway. Then there was the matter of this zoner knowing about Rudy...

Terry realized she had overreacted. She should have known that this zoner would have been familiar with Rudy. She didn't know how she had let her temper get the better of her. She would have to make sure not to let it happen again. She took in a deep breath and let out a soft sigh. She turned her attention back to the zoner, releasing her grip on him.

"How do you know Rudy...?" She asked again, this time, in a sickenly calmer voice.

Blocky looked at her, terrified, his body still shaking. She narrowed her eyes a little further, giving him a dangerous look. "If you do not tell me what I want to know, I will personally see to it that you become well aquainted with some shredded paper."

Von was shocked by this. "B-But..."

Terry shot him a glare, silencing him. She then looked back at Blocky. His expression showed just how horrified he was by the suggestion. She smiled darkly and said, "So...what will it be...?"

Blocky licked his lips nervously. He looked left and right, possibly trying to find a way out. Pathetic little thing... "He...he..."

"He's what...?" Terry asked, her voice a growl.

Blocky whimpered at this and turned his head to the side. 'H-He's my c-c-creator..."

Terry's eyes widened at this. She was certain that Snap was a creation of Rudy's. After all, she had noticed his comic book about him. But nowhere had she never seen anything for Blocky. The realization that Blocky was another of Rudy's creations dawned on her, and already she could feel her mind's gears turning and grinding, a dark smile spreading across her face.

This turned out to be even more perfect than she had imagined. She turned to smile at Von. Though confused at first, he appeared to realize what was going on, indicated by the smile he began to wear on his face. If this zoner truly was a creation of Rudy's...

..then that will give the brat a much more...personal reason to listen to her when the time comes. But for now...perhaps they should have a little...fun with Blocky. After all, education was important.

"Oh really now...?" Terry asked, a cold chuckle escaping her lips. "Isn't that just...perfect..?" She watched as the zoner cringed at this, looking at her warily. "I wonder what dear little Rudy will have to say about this..."

"Oh yez..." Von said, nodding in agreement. "I'm sure he will have quite zee...reaction to ziz."

"Perhaps you could tell us how to get in contact with Rudy in ChalkZone?" The red-haired woman asked as she gently patted Blocky on the head. "I'm sure he is going to love hearing about this."

Blocky shook his head. "No!"

Terry narrowed her eyes slightly. She had no idea if the zoner was being brave or stupid at this point. She opted to believe he was just stupidly brave. He was trying to guard ChalkZone and was refusing to tell her or her comrade anything about it, outside of some few information pieces that didn't result in exposing ChalkZone or much of how it worked. Nothing that she or Dr. Von Doktor could really utilize, anyway.

Terry realized that she would need to motivate this zoner somehow into spilling his guts. Everyone had a breaking point. Everyone had that point in time where they just can't take it any longer, and they give into the demands. All she needed to do was find Blocky's weakness.

And she believed she already knew of something.

"Well isn't that a shame?" Terry sneered, her hand continuing to move along the top of Blocky's head, slowly moving down to touch his forehead. "I do wonder what might become of Rudy if word gets out that he was at that quarry?" At this, Blocky gave a confused look. "Oh you don't know?" She asked mockingly. "I was so sure that Rudy would have told you..."

"The...The time when the water had...?" Blocky's voice trailed off.

Terry nodded her head. "The same." She smirked as she pressed her other hand underneath her chin. She gave a knowing look at the zoner. "You know, that caused quite a buzz around town. Some were quite scared of this...strange water that poured into that quarry, brainwashing adults into doing crazy things. Some even talked about weaponizing it, you know." She chuckled at Blocky's fearful expression. "Of course, they never got the chance since it was...washed away by the rain..."

Terry remembered that day all too well. She had been summoned there when she heard about something strange going on. This was not too long before she made the conclusion of a chalk world. At the time, she was just as confused as everyone else, and then she got hit and...

She pushed the memories aside. It still disgusted her to this day how she had been so easily turned into a...a little child. All just from a little bit of water... Or at least, what seemed like water until something happened that chanced her whole view point on the situation.

Sure, the rain coming down was annoying, and she didn't like that she got drenched. But after that, when she really thought about it, she had realized that the rain had washed away the strange water. It didn't simply intermix like normal water would; it flat out vanished. This confused her for a few days until she realized that the water they were in must have had a chalky structure; it washed away so easily, and it did feel rather strange, not exactly like normal water.

She had considered that her luckiest moment, her eureka moment. It was the time when she finally started to make all the connections, and realize that every strange event Plainsville had been faced with could be traced back to this mysterious chalk world. Suddenly, everything started to make sense.

"I wonder how the citizens will feel when they find out that Rudy and Penny were responsible for the water..." Terry asked in a mock innocent tone. She tapped a finger against her chin. "Maybe they will ostracize them. Maybe label them as traitors and capture them."

"Or zey could try to forze zem to reveal the zecretz of zat chalk rain." Von suggested, raising a finger up into the air. Blocky shook his head in denial, which prompted Von to continue. "Zey might capture zem, and take zem zomewhere and lock zem them. Zen zey have to..."

"No! Leave them out of this!" Blocky pleaded, his body trembling. "They...they don't deserve that!"

At this, Von and Terry gave a narrowed glare at the zoner. They both could feel the blood heating up in their bodies. Flashbacks moved through their heads as they remembered, quite clearly, what happened as a result of their encounters with the little brats.

"Oh you are right..." Von said coolly. "Zey dezerve a much more fitting reward."

"No!" Shouted Blocky.

"Zen tell uz what we want to know, little creature." Von told him. "Or elze, we may be forzed to take ziz more...draztic action."

Blocky shook his head and struggled harder. The sight was pathetic, but also pretty amusing. Despite the threat just laid out before him, Blocky still was trying so hard to resist. He really thought that he could, somehow, get away, to escape what was going on and get back home. His stubbornness was amost admirable...if it weren't for the fact that he was delaying them getting the information that they needed.

Terry kept her hand on the zoner's cheek, rubbing against it roughly. "If you care about those two, you would tell us what we want to know. I know you don't care what we do to you..." Blocky's wide eyes looked up at her. "But I know you care what happens to your precious creator. Now..." She leaned forward. "Speak."

"No, I won't!" Blocky declared.

"Yes!" Terry hissed at him. "Speak up now!"

"Do it, or your friendz will zuffer!" Von cried.

"You heard him, Blocky!" Terry told him. "Speak!"

Terry didn't really have any plans on going after the brats. At least, not now. However, that didn't matter. This was just as affective as it would be had they been serious. And the terror in Blocky's eyes was all the same.

Blocky squirmed as Terry held him down. She asserted her strength over him, a way of showing him just how much control she had over him. Still, the zoner jerked himself from side to side, trying in vain to get free. "I won't let you get to my friends like that!"

Without warning, a move surprisingly bold for someone like him, Blocky lashed out at his captors. He opened his mouth as far as he could and he clamped them down on Terry's hand.

Immediately, seering pain registered in Terry's mind, intermixed with the initial shock of the zoner doing something like this. Von let out a surprised shout and took a step back, momentarily having a look of fear on his face as he seemed to half expect the zoner to try to slash at him as well. Terry yanked back her hand as the zoner bit down as hard as he could. In a desperate act, she formed a fist and slammed it against the zoner's head. With a yelp, the zoner immediately let go. Terry yanked back her hand and examined the damage.

There was a bit of swelling and slight bruising from where the zoner bit her. She could see that he had broken the skin as well, resulting in some bleeding along her hand. She lightly touched it and hissed at the pain. She clutched her hand to herself and she shot a death glare at the zoner, resulting in him cringing away from her.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to...!" Blocky begged her, but it was too late for that. Far too late...

"Hey Von...?" Terry spoke through clenched teeth. Despite the swirling rage moving through her head as she glared down at the zoner, she was doing her best to hold most of it back. Her voice, however, gave away everything. "What do you say we...have a little fun with our guest here...?"

Von's eyes flickered at this. "I would love to..." He stared intently at the zoner. "I know what we can do firzt..." His smile held so many hidden promises for the zoner.

"No, please! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Don't hurt me! Please!"

Terry and Von ignored his pleas. They just kept smiling at him, their mouths curved upwards twistedly. Watching the zoner squirm, feeling her own anger and desire to get back at those brats, Terry felt a sickening pleasure rise up inside of her as she and Von prepared for the beginning of a...nice and long time with the zoner. Since she could not actually harm Rudy, then she will take it out on this squirming zoner.

It was going to be fun to toy with him...

sss

Rudy did his best to hold back his frustration. He clutched his hand into a fist, shaking it. He looked towards the ground, refusing to look up. He could feel the chilling heat in the back of his head, swirling around, running amok. He tried to keep himself calm, but given the circumstances, this was quite difficult.

None of the zoners that had come to speak to him knew of anything. While a decent number showed up, Rudy couldn't believe that none of them knew anything useful. There had been no sightings of Blocky anywhere. Places he would usually be were thoroughly checked to no avail. There was absolutely nothing to suggest anything had happened, outside of being lost or something along those lines.

Rudy began to fear the worst for Blocky. Approximately twenty-four hours later, and still no word of where he was. His mind sifted through rapid thoughts, images of what could have happened to him popping in his head. The same ones that had appeared more than once for him and Penny. The same ones that he would try, constantly, to fight off so that he could concentrate on what to do.

When he and Penny had gotten to their homes, Rudy was hoping to get into ChalkZone right away with his portable chalkboard. Sure, it was quite small, but it was still large enough for him to just barely squeeze through. It wasn't something he'd normally do, but in this situation, he was quite desperate. He needed someway to get into ChalkZone as soon as possible.

He would just go over to Penny's, but he realized he couldn't do that. Not today. He and Penny were in trouble with their folks for the whole detention thing. Mrs. Sanchez was not going to want him to be over while she scolded her daughter, Penny. And his Aunt Tilly wanted to speak to him as well. She did not sound too happy when Principal Stringent had spoken to her over the phone.

He had hoped that Aunt Tilly would try to be understanding. He had hoped that she would at least try to see things his way and understand why this was so important to him. Unforunately, things didn't quite turn out that way.

"Absolutely not!" Aunt Tilly declared, folding her arms against her chest, staring down at her nephew. "I forbid it!"

"B-But..." Rudy tried to plead with her. "You can't...!"

"I can and I will!" Aunt Tilly growled at him. "Your parents left me in charge of you. They left me to protect you. And that's exactly what I'm going to do." She flattened her hand and struck it through the air to emphasize her next statement. "That means no trips into this...this alternate world until further notice!"

"You aren't being fair!" Rudy took a step forward, narrowing his eyes at her. "A dear friend of mine there needs me! I have to go in there and make sure he's okay! Why can't you understand that?"

Aunt Tilly snapped at him. "Because he's just a zoner!"

Rudy fell silent at this. He snapped his head back, staring at his aunt in disbelief. He had hoped he gotten that all straightened out. He thought that he had been able to convince her that zoners were real. But that statement and how cold it was...

His aunt apparently realized just how harsh she sounded there. Her expression softened up and she looked at Rudy in surprise, likely at her own words. She shook her head slowly, her eyes shut, rubbing her head. After letting out a sigh, she spoke up again, her gaze remaining towards the ground.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know how much that world means to you, Rudy. You've told me repeatedly during our discussions..But I.." A sigh escaped her throat as she lifted up her head and stared towards Rudy. "I'm still in charge of you. You come first for me, not this world. I care about you. I love you... I don't want you getting hurt." She bit her lip, turning her gaze to the side. "I'm...sorry if I come across as cold. I don't mean to. I just...hope that you understand..." She looked back at him. "..I just want what's best for you.."

Rudy nodded his head slowly. The glare, however, remained on his face. "If you want what's best for me, then you'd let me go into ChalkZone so I can find my friend. He might be lost, hurt, captured... Don't you even care?!" Rudy winced at his aunt's expression. "Yeah...I realize that you do.. about me anyway. I know you have no reason to care about Blocky, or this world. But.." He held up his hand in gesture. "You know how much I care about it. You know that I would do anything to help my friends." He made a motion with his hand to the side. "And that includes my friends in this chalk world."

Aunt Tilly gave a soft sigh. "I know, Rudy. I'm not going to say I don't understand. I just..." She paused for a moment, her expression indicating that she was struggling to find the words to say. "I'm just worried that something might happen to you. I don't know enough about this world, even from what you told me, and even you admitted there are sometimes dangers."

"The dangers don't outweight the..." Rudy started to say.

Raising her hand to silence him, the woman said, "I know, Rudy. But...what if one of the dangers gets to you? What if something happens to you? I'd never forgive myself if it did." She moved closer to Rudy. "I don't want you getting hurt, Rudy. I just...a part of me doesn't understand why you can't just wait and let your other...zoner...friends find out what they can." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "If they are as caring to each other as you say, why not just let them do the work instead? Why..."

"Because they have been looking and they had no luck!" Rudy snapped at her. 'That's why I have to go! I need to find out for myself what happened! I need to look for my friend!"

Rudy realized just how loud he was, and he quickly shut his mouth. Upon seeing the look on his aunt's face, and how Sophie, who was nearby, was looking at him, he felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't meant to yell like that. He understood why his aunt was so cautious. She wasn't doing it to be mean or anything. Yet..there was a part of him that was so emotionally driven, so for his aunt to still forbid him from going... it just charged up something inside of him, making him want to say 'screw you' to her and run.

No, that wouldn't be right. He didn't want to push her away like that. They just had a nasty fight the other day. Though they had both apologized to each other, there was still a slight stigma that arose because of it. They were both noticeably more...stiff when it came to speaking with the other. They were both worrid of saying the wrong thing again, and resulting in another fight. Rudy hoped to avoid this.

"Just...please...Aunt Tilly... I have to do this." Rudy said softly. He took a few steps towards her, staring at her with a look of desperation. "Please..try to understand... If it was one of your friends who was in danger, wouldn't you do whatever it took...?"

"Well...yes...but..." Aunt Tilly paused for a moment, sucking on her lip. "They are human. And this Blocky is not."

"What difference does it make?" Rudy raised his shoulders. "He's still alive just like we are. He doesn't deserve whatever is happening to him. And I still care about him, like I do Penny."

"But he's still not human." Aunt Tilly said again, this time, with a little more force. "I can understand you taking such a risk to help your fellow humans. But for a completely different species? Don't you think that's a little...too much?"

"Too much?!" Rudy snapped.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Aunt Tilly said quickly, attempting to quell his anger. "I just mean that... Why don't you just let them handle this? I'm sure that they are smart enough to find their lost little friend. You shouldn't have to do anything. Don't force yourself to do something that is risky and unnecessary." Aunt Tilly motioned for Rudy to sit down. "Now why don't you just join us for dinner? We have some..."

"I can't believe you!" Rudy winced at his tone there. He could see the shocked looks on his family members' faces. He was trying so hard not to get angry. He was doing his best to understand things from their point of view. But it was rather difficult. "My friend is in danger and you don't care! I thought you understood!"

"I do, Rudy...It's just that..." His aunt started to say. But Rudy didn't want to hear any of it.

"You have a funny way of showing it!" Rudy snarled at her. After he seethed for a few seconds, his teeth bared, he eventually realized that he was getting worked up again, and he did his best to settle himself down. "Please, Aunt Tilly...I'm begging you... Let me to into that world. Let me help my friend. Please..."

Aunt Tilly stared at him for a few moments. Silence fell upon the room. Even Sophie wasn't saying anything, as if she could detect the tension in the air. She pressed herself close to the table, barely chewing her food as she looked over. Rudy waited in silence, staring at his aunt, hoping that she would make the right decision.

Then his aunt started to open her mouth. Rudy leaned in slightly, awaiting her answer. His aunt froze for a second, clenching her teeth. She looked away from Rudy for a few moments, her eyes looking around uncertainly. She then turned back to Rudy. She gave her answer.

"No."

Rudy's heart nearly stopped.


	13. Possibilities

The path of resistance is when you struggle against both friend and foe.

sss

"No."

The word rang in Rudy's head, creating a quake through his body that he could not control. He stared at his aunt disbelievingly, hoping, praying that she would change her mind. Yet he still stood there, silent and firm, staring at him sternly.

No...? She wasn't going to let him go into ChalkZone, even when told of how important it was to him? How...how could she...? Rudy wrestled with the emotions swirling in his head, his teeth clenching so tightly, they almost popped out of his skull. He resisted the urge to glare at his aunt, not wanting to start another fight with her.

But now long would he be able to hold out? The shock, for the moment, has him frozen in place, unable to move. But that wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, something was going to give. Something would break the leevee, and he was going to lash out.

His aunt appeared to sense his growing anger, and her expression softened up. He could see a few fleeting expressions of regret, yet she never once spoke up to change her mind, never once tried to see things his way. She was firm in what she said, and her expression gave no indication that she was going to give him a break.

"I'm sorry, Rudy. I just can't let you." Aunt Tilly said, her voice deceptively calm. Rudy could detect the torrent of emotions running through her mind. It grazed against him, and he got a brief taste of its intensity. "It's probably too dangerous. I don't want to risk you getting hurt. I would...I would never forgive myself if something happened to you..." She lowered her head, taking in a shuddering breath. "I-I just wouldn't..."

Rudy remained silent. He watched as his aunt shivered a few times as she tried to deal with her own internal emotions. Rudy did his best to keep his anger in check. Despite his aunt's words not being particularly harsh, the fact that she was refusing to let him explore in ChalkZone to find his friend was eating away at his insides. And right now, her words were only serving to make him even more furious.

How...how could she...? She knew how important this was to him. She knew how much he cared for his zoner friends. She knew how worried he was for Blocky. How could she just refuse to let him go into ChalkZone? If she understood his plight, then she would let him go. Why..why was she refusing him the right despite claiming to understand?

Aunt Tilly looked at him sadly before moving back towards the table. "Now come along and eat, Rudy." Her voice was soft and quiet. She pulled out a chair and sat down. She looked over at Rudy and gave him a single nod. "Your food is getting cold." She motioned towards him. "Come on and join us."

Rudy stared at his aunt disbelievingly. He couldn't believe just how easily she was dismissing Blocky's plight. Sure he hasn't human, and he didn't expect his aunt to connect with him right away, especially since she never met him. But...did she really have to be this cold...? Couldn't she show him at least some level of sympathy? He was still alive for crying out loud. He wasn't some doll that he found laying on the street. He was a living, breathing person. How could Aunt Tilly act as if that didn't matter at all...?

Rudy seethed, narrowing his eyes at her. His aunt winced, but said nothing. Rudy's body might look mostly calm, but his mind was a different story. A rage of emotion swept through him, making him feel like something was weighing him down. He didn't attempt to walk forward or back; something was almost literally holding him down. He could only stare at her, his teeth clenched tightly.

"Now Rudy..." His aunt tried to say, raising up her hand. "There's no need to be upset. I am only looking out for you. And if these...zoners are as smart as you say they are..." She lowered her hand. "Then they can handle this on their own. I don't want you going in there anymore until we talk with your parents."

Rudy felt his heart skip a beat at this. "B-But I thought you..."

"I know, Rudy. But... I don't think I made the right decision." She twirled her food with her fork absentmindedly. "I only said it to make you happy, but I don't think I should have..because that wasn't the best choice to make for your own safety..." She sighed and looked back at Rudy, setting down her fork. "Your parents have every right to know about this, Rudy. They need to know about this chalk world that you have been hiding." Rudy shook his head at this. "Please, understand, Rudy. I am not doing this to be mean. I am just being reasonable..."

"Reasonable?!" Rudy cried, managing to take a step back. "Y-You're breaking a promise!"

"But for good reason, Rudy." His aunt placed a hand against herself. "I'm not fit in making this kind of decision..." She held her hand out to him. "It is your folks, your parents, who should decide if you should be able to continue going into this strange, new world or not. Not me. It was never my decision to make."

"Y-You can't do this..." Rudy said softly, taking another step back. His body trembled. "You can't break a promise, Aunt Tilly! You always told me that promises can't be broken like this... You can't..."

"I'm sorry, Rudy. But the decision is final." Aunt Tilly's voice came more firmly this time, indicating just how serious she was being with that statement. "Now..." She pointed to a chair where a plate of food and cup of water was available. "Eat now. You must be hungry."

"No." Rudy shook his head.

"Rudy..." Aunt Tilly said. "You aren't going into that chalk world, so you might as well stop trying. Now sit down and eat."

"No, I won't, Aunt Tilly." Rudy said, narrowing his eyes. "I am not going to turn my back on my friend, who may very well need my help. I can't just abandon him, Aunt Tilly. Why can't you see that?"

"Why can't you just listen to reason, Rudy?" Asked Aunt Tilly.

Rudy snapped his head back at this. "You think I'm being unreasonable?!" He pointed a finger in her direction. "I'm not the one who is turning a blind eye to someone who might be in danger! I'm not the one who is holding someone else back from helping someone they care about!"

Aunt Tilly stared at him for a few moments. She sighed and shook her head, giving him a look that was reminsicent of disappointment. Rudy gritted his teeth at this. "Rudy, I wish you would try to see things my way. Try to understand I am just trying to help you. I don't see why you are so concerned for this chalk creature."

"He's my friend!" Rudy snapped.

"Okay, your friend." Aunt Tilly shrugged her shoulders. "I still don't see why you should get this upset. I mean...you say he's made of chalk right? Well, can't you just fix any of his injuries, if he's even capable of getting them, or even redraw him completely...?"

At this, Rudy coud feel something break inside of him. Although his aunt didn't seem like she was being intentionally mean, just something about the way she said those words... He could feel his body shaking as emotion welled up inside of him. He took a few steps backwards, his eyes unable to leave hers. He tried his best to keep his emotions in check, but he could feel them seeping through the tips of his fingers, draining out into the ground like a leaky faucet.

It was then that Rudy realized that, despite their earlier forgiveness of each other, there was still a lot of treading to do, and some more understanding to be put into place. His aunt obviously didn't fully understand anything, despite what she said earlier. She couldn't grasp how important this world was to her. And as of now, with her current stance, she was an enemy. Still a family member, and not someone he could ever truly hate. But an enemy nonetheless.

It pained him to see his aunt that way. But how else could he see her now? She was trying to stop him from going into ChalkZone. She broke a promise and she was going to tell his parents about it. His parents won't be back for a little while yet, which means he would miss a few days searching.

True, Penny could search but..he felt he should, too. Blocky was his friend. He couldn't just...

Rudy let out a stiff sigh, feeling his negative emotion course through his body, focusing on his finger tips. As much as he wanted to just get up and run away, he wanted to avoid another full on confrontation with his aunt. He already had to deal with it yesterday; he didn't want something else happening now. Looking at the chair, he slowly, numbly, walked towards it and sat down.

He stared at his food, refusing to look at his aunt. He couldn't tell if she was smiling, if she looked at him worriedly, or anything. He was only aware of her looking at him, as well as Sophie, and that's it.

"Rudy? Rudy?" Sophie called out to him, trying to get his attention.

Rudy blocked her out. In his mind, he was sorting through his thoughts, trying to figure out his next move. Since his aunt was so unwilling to cooperate, he would need to speak to Penny somehow. Maybe his aunt would at least give him that privilege. Hey, he wouldn't be going into ChalkZone at least.

He would ask her later. Right now, he was still too fueled with emotion to make a proper response to her, or even word his question more respectively. His aunt also looked pretty flustered from trying to explain her point of view. He would try after he finished eating. He hoped that, after he spoke to her a little more, and after speaking with Penny, that his aunt would come to truly understand where he's coming from and let him go back into ChalkZone.

In the meantime, he could only hope that nothing too terrible was happening to his friend. Who knows? Maybe when all of this was over, they could have a good laugh about how worked up he had gotten over nothing.

If only...

sss

"Oh gee...I'm sorry you and Rudy got into trouble with your folks." Rapsheeba said, looking sympathically at Penny. "I do hope everything turns out all right."

Penny nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah...me too."

She glanced up towards the Day Zone sky, reflecting on the recent events. She and Rudy certainly weren't expecting to be sent to dention today, or for the next few school days for that matter. As a result, both she and Rudy got into trouble at home as well, not just school. She was lucky that her mother didn't punish her by taking away her chalkboards, otherwise, she would not have been able to come in at all.

She felt a little guilty about the incident. She couldn't help but feel as though she had more control over the situation, that perhaps she should have been more careful and watched out for Mr. Wilter. Talking in the classroom was a risky move, and she knew that Mr. Wilter wasn't always in the best of moods. And when he was in a less than pleasing mood...

Well there was nothing that could be done about that. She and Rudy would just have to adjust to the detentions, and hope that they would find Blocky before the weekend was over. At least it was friday, and come saturday and sunday, they had a lot more time to explore around ChalkZone in search for their friend.

At least, she did. Rudy, however, was a whole different situation. She bit her lip. She hoped that things would work out for his friend. Poor Rudy...she couldn't begin to imagine what he must be going through right now.

"Hey..." Rapsheeba's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Where's Rudy...?"

Penny gave Rapsheeba a saddened look. It was right then she realized that she hadn't yet told Rapsheeba, or Snap or anyone, about the incident with Rudy's aunt. Now was a good time as any to tell one of them. "There was a...mishap earlier..." Penny said, clenching her teeth. "I'm...afraid I have some bad news, Rapsheeba."

The female zoner looked at Penny warily, her eyes filling with apprehension. She hesitated for a few moments before she managed to get herself speaking, "Y-Yeah..? Wh-What is it..?" When Penny didn't say anything, Rapsheeba took a step forward. "Penny, what happened...?"

Penny stared at Rapsheeba in the eyes. It was going to be so hard to tell her about this. It was such a horrible piece of news. It had happened two other times in the past, and neither of those were pleasant experiences, especially the one. And for it to happen yet again... But she knew she couldn't keep this information secret. Sooner or later, someone was going to find out.

"Rapsheeba...another human has discovered ChalkZone." Penny said, delivering the horrifying news.

"What?!" Rapsheeba put her hands to her mouth, horror blanketing her face, her eyes widening. "Who? How? When?"

"Rudy's aunt, Tilly, found out. She apparently saw the portal on the chalkboard. We don't know the details of everything that happened, but..." Penny bit her lip, looking left and right. "We don't know what Tilly will want to do with ChalkZone. We don't know if she's on our side or not. That's...still up and the air, unfortuantely."

Rapsheeba took in a few shaky breaths, turning her head to one side. "I-I don't believe it..." She breathed softly, her voice barely audible. "I can't believe it's happened again.."

Penny nodded. "Rudy and I can't believe it either." Penny paused for a moment before continuing, "That's why Rudy isn't here. He's in trouble with his aunt. I would not be surprised if she is trying to keep him out of ChalkZone." She clutched her head, shaking it slowly. "As if finding Blocky wasn't stressful enough..now we have to deal with this..."

"I-Is there anything else...?" Rapsheeba asked tentatively.

"Why would you..." Penny's voice trailed off, her eyes bulging. Yeah...there was something else. Something just as urgent, if not more so. "The chalkboard...it had a portal on it... and Tilly apparently sold it."

Rapsheeba gasped audibly. "Sold..with the portal still on it..?"

Penny said, "Yeah...unfortunately." She closed her eyes solemnly. "And the person who has the portal... It's..." Penny could feel her blood turning to ice as she realized she and Rudy had so much trouble with Tilly and then school that they had little time to discuss this very imoprtant detail. "...Terry Bouffant has the portal..."

Rapsheeba let out a loud gasp, taking a step away from Penny. She stared at her for a while, her eyes overflowing with fear. Penny could tell that she wanted to speak, but the shere horror of finding something like this out had took her voice away from her. The lack of a response was something that Penny had accounted for. This wasn't something as simple as, say, Skrawl or some new villain making a move. They were easily handled by comparison. A human finding a way into ChalkZone, however, was a much different story.

The implications were through the roof. A human had more power in ChalkZone then the zoners themselves. A single human could cause a lot more damage to ChalkZone than any zoner villain, and that was just one. If Terry or Vinnie succeeded in exposing it, she knew just how awful and terrifying the repurcussions would be.

And the zoners would know it as well. Despite how calm some of them might be, deep inside, Penny knew that many of them were rather cautious with the idea of humans in ChalkZone. She and Rudy were tolerated because they had proven that they were trustworthy. But a new human...? Even if the zoners are nice to a newcomer, and they typically are in hopes of warding off dangerous behavior, they would still be concerned. After all, if a human so chose to, they could make something incredibly dangerous and kill zoners just for the fun of it.

She could just imagine the disaster that would result from multiple humans coming into ChalkZone. And how would the zoners react to it? She imagined most would try to hide or try to be non-threatening, while at least some would try to fight back. How long would they last? Penny feared not that long. And what if they go too far? If a zoner killed a human...

She knew things would only go downhill from there. Killing a human woud incite vengefulness in her species. Penny knew how her own kind could be when it came to stuff like that. An animal that has killed a human is usually killed. But some take it much further and she knew that at least some woud deem all zoners as dangerous. Those zoners who were only trying to help their people would end up dooming it if they ended up hurting a human badly or even killing them.

Penny hoped that they would be able to stop the situation before it escalated that far. If they could locate where Terry was, where that portal was located, they could erase the portal before she could even use it. The task was simple, but getting there would be hard. She would need the zoners to form search parties to find it before Terry could begin to make use of it.

"Don't worry, though." Penny said, her voice gentle as she did her best to calm the panicking female zoner. "We should be able to take care of it. There's still time. We just need to..."

Rapsheeba shook her head once. "What do you mean? If she has the portal, then..." At this, she whipped her head to one side, looking at their sunny surroundings. "I..I hope we can..."

"I'm sure we will." Penny said.

"How can you be so sure?" Rapsheeba said, still staring out at the grassy hills in front of them. "If this Bouffant woman has the portal, then it's only a matter of time before she decides to use it. And she could be anywhere... None of us knows where the portal is. She may have it hidden well. And she might be waiting until we expect it the least to use it and..."

"Rapsheeba..." Penny reached out and touched the zoner's shoulder. Rapsheeba stiffened at this, and looked over at Penny, her eyes still wide in fear. "It's going to be okay." She tried to sound as hopeful as she could.

Rapsheeba cocked up an eyebrow. "How..?"

Penny took a moment to look around the land they were in. She soon turned back to Rapsheeba and said, "Do you see any humans coming in here? Did you notice an increase in unusual activities in the past day or two?"

Rapsheeba opened her mouth to speak. She turned her head left and right, her eyes shifting around, as if trying to scan everything. She soon turned to Penny. She remained quiet, taking in a few breaths. Penny noticed that she was relaxing a little as realization seemed to be dawning on her. "N-No..." She managed to say, her voice very faint.

"Exactly. If Terry had exposed ChalkZone, then there would be a whole flood of newcomers here. More humans invading this world, more dangerous, reckless creations, perhaps even people coming here trying to assert their control over every zoner here."

Penny flinched when she said that. The idea was very uncomfortable. She would hate to see her zoner friends subjected to such a thing. Most of the humans that come would likely not see the zoners as people, so they would not get the best treatment. She could only envision a poor, horrible future for them.

"We still have time, Rapsheeba." Penny said softly. "We still have time..."

With that, Penny wrapped her arms around her friend, pulling her into a hug. She did what she could to calm down Rapsheeba, assuring her that there was still hope for ChalkZone. She gently rubbed her back and whispered soft, comforting words to her. Rapsheeba was still frightened, but she was, slowly, settling down.

As Penny continued to hug her friend, she lifted up her head and look a look around. She took in the sights all around her. The grass swaying with the occasional wind. The clouds and sun that hung overhead. The trees decorating the land, more sparsely in some places. Some zoners walking around, some too far away to make the details. The distant buildings of civilization.

All of it served to remind Penny of something. Just how much the zoners could lose if Terry did expose ChalkZone... The thought was frightening. Just picturing it turned her blood into ice. There was so much at stake here. Everything around her...it was something that could be torn down in a matter of seconds. All it would take was just one irresponsible or cruel person with a piece of magic chalk, and the desire to to do something like that. And she already knew a number of people who would.

"Are we..going to tell Snap...?" Rapsheeba asked as she pulled away from Penny, her hands on her shoulders. "Did you plan on talking with him today?"

Penny nodded her head. "I was going to wait for Rudy to come, but he's having problems right now." She looked towards ChalkZone City. "It's best that we tell Snap as soon as possible."

Nodding in response, Rapsheeba said, "Agreed. I don't think it's a good idea to keep...this...from Snap."

Without another word, the two friends began to make their trek towards ChalkZone City. Thankfully, it wasn't incredibly far away. Penny hoped that Snap would be able to think of something that they could try. She had no idea when Rudy will be back in ChalkZone. The sooner they tried something, the better. If they could find the portal and take care of that at least...

She also hoped that they would figure out what happened to Blocky. After she visited Snap and spoke to him, she planned on using whatever time she had left in ChalkZone to speak to some more zoners on the issue. Maybe one of them had found something on the case. She hoped so. Then everything will go back to normal.

sss

Von couldn't help but smile in enthusiasm, his chest filling up with excitement, as he proceeded to begin the first experiment. He had been waiting far too long for this...

Okay, so it was only a day. Terry didn't want him trying anything on him the first day. He wasn't sure why. Maybe she just wanted to reorient her thoughts and her plans now that they had this chalk creature. Oh whatever. The point was that he could not really harm Blocky at all yesterday, although he could frighten him. And that's what he did. Give him a taste of what was to come.

Now he could finally start that said fun. Terry gave the okay. Von wasn't sure why sure why he was listening to her, or why he was letting her take over. He briefly felt a burning sensation in his chest, but he shrugged it off. Right now, it didn't matter who was in charge. He was still getting what he wanted.

He watched as the zoner struggled, pulling himself as hard as he could to either side. He was trying to break the cuffs, despite the fact that he was injuring himself in the process. He knew he was cutting into his wrists. He could see the tiny bits of blood now forming. However, he wasn't worried about him going too far. Blocky did not appear suicidal, if that was even a thing for these zoners. He would stop eventually, whether from pain or from the fear of dying. If he didn't, he and Terry would find a way to stop him for good.

"No! Please! D-Don't do this..." Blocky said, whimpering softly. His body shivered in fright as he stared at Von. "You...you can't...please... I-I don't want this..."

"Too bad. I do." Von said coolly. He pulled out the eyedropper, the insides filled with water. "And this is an important experiment to conduct. I must get this out of the way first before we can proceed."

Blocky shook his head in desperation. "Please...don't!"

Von ignored him. He moved slowly towards the bound zoner. He took his time, not wanting to drip over anything to drop his clipboard that he was carrying in his arm. He stopped partway there and turned his head to the side. He could see Terry standing there. She had her arms folded against her chest as she watched the zoner, no sympathy in her eyes. She looked at Von and nodded her head, motioning for him to continue. He would ask her to hold the clipboard and record the findings there, but she had already made it clear that she will not do that; he was the scientist after all.

Von ignored the annoyance rising up in his chest as he focused on the frightened little zoner before him. He soon reached Blocky, closing the space rather quickly. He looked Blocky over with his eyes first, ignoring his pleas as he tried to find a suitable spot to test first. He needed an area that wasn't vital, something that wouldn't kill him anytime soon.

Von put the eyedropper in his pocket and he began to feel around Blocky's body. His fingertips kneaded the flesh, if it could be called that, trying to find an area that was noticeably thicker. It was hard to find something in this zoner due to how flat he was, so it was all just going to be guesswork. Hmm...not unless he...

"Please..why do you have to do this?" Blocky asked, staring up at the scientist. "C-C-Can't you think of something less...painful...?"

"Like what?" Von asked, although he had no intention of actually taking the zoner's suggestions.

"I-I don't know..." Blocky looked left and right. "M-Maybe a treadmill? Or lift weights? Or..."

Von shook his head. "I'm sorry. But no. That will do me no good." He tilted his head, staring intently down at the zoner. "None of that will reveal too much of how your body works. And if you honestly think this is bad..." He pulled his hand away to take out the eyedropper again. "Then you don't know how lucky you are. I could easily decide to see how your body looks and cut you open. I could decide you are of no use to me alive and kill you."

Blocky whined at this and started to struggle harder. Von just gave him a crooked half smile.

"However, you are far too important for that...for now anyway." Von said.

"What do you mean...?" The zoner asked quietly.

Von ignored his question completely. He resumed looking around Blocky as he tried to figure out just which part to use. He straightened himself up, pressing his hand against his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Hmm... say, Blocky..." The zoner fell silent. "What area do you think I should put this on?" He showed him the eyedropper.

"Nowhere! That's Real World water! It'll hurt me!" Screeched the zoner. "D-Don't put that anywhere near me!"

"But I need to know if it actually hurts you or not." Von said.

"I told you already! It does! Please..don't do it!" Blocky pleaded with him. "I-If you want to know anything..just ask me! I-I'll talk!"

"Oh really?" Terry spoke up from her position. A smile spread across her face. "Then...can you tell us how we can get into ChalkZone then?"

Blocky's eyes widened at that. "Anything but that! No!"

Terry frowned at this. "Very well then..." She motioned with her hand for Von to continue.

Von raised up the eyedropper, positioning it over Blocky's body. The zoner squirmed as Von began to apply a little pressure to the dropper. He didn't go too far, and he soon stopped altogether. He watched as Blocky shivered, his eyes shut as he waited for the blow. When it didn't come, the clearly confused chalk creature looked up at him. "Why don't you tell me where I can drop this without it causing much damage.."

Blocky shook his head. "I-I don't want it anywhere on me..."

"Is that so? Well then..." He looked intentlly at the space between the zoner's eyes. "I could try here. This looks like a good spot." He moved the eyedropper to that space.

"No! Not there!" Blocky screeched.

"Oh? What about here?" The eyedropper was now positioned above what he assumed to be the creature's skull. "Is this better?"

"No! Worse!" Blocky panicked, his heart pounding so loud, Von could practically feel it. "That would kill me!"

"All right then..." Von narrowed his eyes as he lowered the eyedropper. The zoner gave a sigh of relief when the dangerous object was placed away from him. But the terrified look returned when Von spoke up again. "Then pick a part. I will drop this on you no matter what. If you want to reduce the amount of pain you feel, then you will tell me what place would be the best."

"B-But... Isn't there something else that..."

Von's answer was short and ice cold. "No."

Blocky took in a couple quick breaths as he looked left and right. He appeared to be trying to think of a way out of this. He could practically see his mind's gears grinding, filtering out the possibilities, and what he could and couldn't try. Von was pleased to see his expression became more desperate, more hopeless as he realized that he truly could not win. Nothing he said or did was going to help him out of here.

Closing his eyes in defeat, Blocky said, "M-My side...the very edge of it.."

"Oh?" Von placed a finger on the zoner's side, where the side just ended, cutting out into nothingness. "You mean right here?"

Blocky nodded his head, a few fearful tears moving down his cheeks. He looked up at Von with watery eyes. "...make it quick..." With that, he shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the scientist to make his move.

Von did not take too much time. He placed the eyedropper over the side. He occassionally looked at the zoner, watching as he would swiftly alternate between looking and having his eyes shut. Upon seeing the eyedropper, he heard the zoner give a fearful whine, his body shaking harder. Von placed his hand down on his chest and stomach, or at least that's what he thought it was, and then he squeezed the eyedropper. In a few seconds, a large drop of water landed on the zoner, followed by a few more in different locations on the zoner's flank.

The reaction was instantaneous.

"Ahhhhh!" The rectangular creature's screams echoed in the air, his thrashing increasing, pushing against the cuffs. "Make it stop! Make it stop! Please, it hurts too much! Please, I... Ahhhh!"

Von covered up his ears as the zoner's loud screaming filled his head, nearly making his eardrums bust open. He looked over at Terry, seeing her cringing away, reacting to the screaming as well. Von dropped the item to the ground, along with his charts and clipboard, as he put his hands on the side of his head, trying to ride out the screams.

He opened up one eye and stared down at the screaming zoner. He could see steam rising up from where he had let the water drop. His eye bulged open in horror as he saw just how gruesome it really was.

The flesh was burning. Not just dissolving as he would have expected with him being chalk, but actually burning. The wound edges were black and spreading a little, looking similar to burnt paper. The wound itself, raw and red, looked like some of the most severe blisters he had ever seen. They were deep and blood poured rapidly from the wounds. Even though he had not dropped a lot of water on him, with the fact that he was flat and the water was eating away at him, spreading, it took no high leven of genius to know why the zoner was reacting this way.

Even though he did not care about Blocky's well being, since he wasn't human, he couldn't help but feel...disturbed by this experiment. It was clear that water really did hurt him, and though he knew it would be fatal if used too much, he never expected it to look this bad.

Blocky was crying at this point. He was turning his head the best he could, tugging in vain at his cuffs, hoping to escape the agony. He didn't even try to speak anymore. He just wailed painfully, his sobs echoing in the room. Tears stained his cheeks, staining it a slight red.

"What are you waiting for?" Terry's panicked voice filled the air. "Stop it before he expires!"

Von shook his head, snapping himself out of the trance he was in. He looked around, trying to find something to use. He soon spotted a cloth nearby. He rushed over and grabbed onto it. The man wasted no time in bringing it over to Blocky.

Von immediately pressed the cloth against Blocky's side. He winced when he saw the previously white cloth take on a disgusting brownish color with a tingue of red and green. The cloth easily absorbed the water that had started to soak into the zoner's body, and the steam rapidly stopped, creating something of a sizzle sound, as if it were smoke being put out. Or maybe that was just his imagination due to how similar the water burn spread was compared to that of burning paper.

When it was all over, he pulled the cloth away. He shuddered when he saw the crusted parts of dead chalk flesh on the cloth. He couldn't detect any kind of smell other than some faint chalk, but the physical representation was all still there. It was as if the cloth had been dipped in chunky, dark-colored chalk and blood and moved around in there a bit. Despite being made of chalk, it was a rather disturbing sight. As was his side himself. Von found it hard to look away from the gaping hole now present in the zoner, fresh blood still spilling out.

"Th-There...n-n-now you know..." Blocky said in a low whimper. His body quivered constantly in agony. "N-N-Now will you p-please let me g-g-go..?"

Von didn't answer him. His mind was still racing from what he had seen. He had just gotten the first clue of just how alive this creature was. The reaction to the water...it was definitely something he would expect an animal or human to do if exposed to acid. It was a rather..uncomfortable sight.

But...that was all in the day's work for a scientist. Experiments must be performed in order to understand things better. He knew of some scientists who dissected and vivisected animals. He had done the same thing himself a few times before. Gruesome sights like this were common. This allowed him to quickly recover from what he had just seen, assuming his more cold demeanor from before. Terry still looked a little shaken up, but Von didn't pay much attention to her. She would be fine.

Von stared at the hole in the zoner's side, where the water had been. He tilted his head to one side. Out of curiosity, he lowered his fingers towards the hole, flexing his fingers a little. He wondered...

Blocky let out yelps of pain as Von pressed his finger against the wound. He moved it around lightly, feeling the burnt skin, noting how similiar it felt to actual burnt skin he had to deal with before. Ignoring the tears in the zoner's eyes, the face contorting in pain, Von pushed the finger inside the wound. Not deeply, just enough for him to wiggle his finger around. Blocky squirmed on the table. A few seconds later, Von pulled his finger out. He stared at it. Blood clung to his finger, but it had a different texture. It didn't even feel wet, despite all appearances. It felt much more..dry.

Just like he'd expect in chalk.

"Hmm...interesting." Von said softly. "You reacted to the water quite...negatively, to put it mildly. And your blood...it doesn't feel like anything I've felt before. I'd say this experiment was a success."

"So..you'll stop..?" Blocky asked hopefully.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but no. There's still more. But don't worry." Von raised his hand up, staring intently at the chalk blood still on his finger tip. "We won't be using anymore... Real World water as you say...in our experiments."

In an act that horrified Blocky and startled Terry, Von decided to do one more test real quick. He placed his finger in his mouth, lapping up the blood. It easily disintegrated in his mouth, and he immediately spat it out. Yep...it tasted just like chalk.

Ignoring the look he was getting from Terry, Von focused his attention back on Blocky. "Experiment One was a success. I wonder how you will fair with Experiment Two."

"Wh-What's that...?"

"Oh you'll find out. It's not as bad as this but..." Von smiled. "Well, let's just say it's still no picnic..."

"No..please..." Whimpered Blocky. "N-No more...please..."

Ignoring him, Von turned his head towards Terry. At this point, her shocked expression was completely gone, having recovered from the shock. "I'm going to need your help transporting him."

Terry nodded as she walked over. "Where are we taking him?"

"In layman's terms, the stretching machine."

sss

"I've already explained it to you, Aunt Tilly." Rudy said. "Why do you want me to explain it all over again?"

"Because...I..I just want a refresher. This is all..so much for me to take in." Tilly replied. She placed a hand on her head, rubbing it gently. "I know you're upset with me for not letting you go back into that world, Rudy. I don't like making you upset. I just...still need time to talk to your folks and understanding this world and..."

"But Aunt Tilly...! You can't tell them! Please...just keep this between us..." Rudy pleaded with her.

Tilly sighed at this. "Rudy, you know I can't do that..." She shook her head from side to side. "I can't keep something like this from your folks...especially your mother. I never lied to my sister before, and I'm not goign to start now."

"Please..." Rudy begged. "I-I don't feel comfortable telling you unless you promise not to tell my parents. And this time, keep it. Please..you don't understand how disastrous this is. You're not supposed to know about this world!"

Tilly narrowed her eyes at this. This hadn't been the first time that Rudy said something like that. She couldn't understand why he would say such a thing. Why didn't he want her or his folks to know about this world? Yeah he tried to explain it to her, but she was still so confused. And he still didn't explain something else that well.

"What makes you so damn special?"

Tilly's eyes widened at that. She felt a sharp jab in her chest. She watched as Rudy flinched at this, leaning away from her. Her daughter didn't seem to fully understand the words, but her tone and inflexion was enough to make Sophie give her a quick, wary look before turning back to her coloring and drawing. Tilly felt bad for her, having to be caught up in this mess. This certainly isn't how she had pictured things going. Things never got this screwed up before.

Her attention shifting back to her nephew, she felt another pang of guilt. She hadn't meant to say such a cold thing to him. She just...didn't understand why he... She growled in frustration, gripping her head tighter, pressing the tips of her fingers against her scalp. This was all so confusing. Why would Rudy not want them in, but remain determined to stay in and... She wished she could understand.

She hated not being able to understand. She didn't like not seeing things from his point of view. She wanted to be fair. She was doing what she could with the knowledge that she had. But even then...she had no idea if she was doing the right thing. If she could just understand Rudy's motivation for keeping them out... He explained it to her, but she still didn't get it. And she didn't get why Rudy felt that he had the right to go in, but not them. What was so different?

"I'm sorry, Rudy." Tilly said, rubbing her temples. "I didn't mean to let that slip out. I..." She looked over at Rudy. She could see a bit of a flicker in his eye, and she resisted the urge to wince. It was a brief reminder of what she had done to him the other day. She did not want a repeat of that. She quickly said, "Why do you think that you and Penny can still go, can still know about this place, but..no one else?"

Rudy paused, clearly trying to think of what to say. He furrowed his eyes in deep thought. Tilly waited politely for him to answer.

"It's because Penny and I care about this place. We have been entrusted to guard it, to keep it a secret. The zoners there trust us, and we have earned that. We recognize them as people, and not just living drawings."

"I don't get it." Tilly said, cocking an eyebrow. "Isn't that ultimately what they are? Just drawings?"

Rudy shook his head, glaring softly at her. "They're alive, Aunt Tilly. They're no different than us. Yes, some look radically different, but deep down, they're the same. They have emotions, feelings, ambitions, dreams, fears..." He spread his hands outward. "You can't judge them from their outward appearances or what they're made of, Aunt Tilly. That would be like them judging us for being made of carbon."

"That's different. We were born, not created." Tilly pointed out. Surely, Rudy knew this. There was a big difference between being drawn and being born.

"They are still born. They are drawn, erased, and that's when they are born. They are born differently from us, yes, born into whatever age they were intended to be. The point is, they still have a birthday, and they can still die, just like us. You look at an x-ray of them, you will find organs and bones and blood and everything."

Tilly would have pointed out the fallacy of that, considering that's not how x-rays worked, but that wasn't the point Rudy was trying to make. Tilly thought about what he said. A part of her saw something of what he was trying to say. Yet..she still remained unconvinced. Something about this just didn't...feel right. The zoners still felt so...wrong.

"They are still drawings at the end of the day." Said Tilly. She realized she may have sounded a little colder than she had meant to, but she still remained firm. "I don't see why you are trying to keep everyone out of that world, Rudy. I would understand more if this was a selfish desire, keeping it all to yourself."

"It's not!" Rudy cried.

"I know. And that's what has me so confused." Tilly leaned back against the couch, Rudy positioned next to her, Sophie in front of the couch, busy drawing. "Treating drawings like people... Rudy, I think you have hung out with them for so long that you started to..."

"That's not true!" Rudy slammed a fist against his own thigh. He flinched in pain. "We weren't brainwashed, Aunt Tilly! Snap is my best friend! I am not imagining him as a person! He is a person!"

Tilly flinched at the boy's yelling. She cringed back slightly, realizing she was probably going a little too far. She knew that the boy felt strongly about this place. She needed to be more careful with what she said. Clearing her throat, she said, "All right then. So let's say they are alive. That still doesn't explain why you two are permitted there, but your own families aren't." She looked at Rudy sadly, motioning a hand to herself. "Don't you trust us, Rudy?"

"I do. I'm sorry if it seems like I don't." Rudy lowered his head. "This isn't so much about how much we trust you..." He closed his eyes. "It's that...you guys care about us so much...and if you found out anything bad about ChalkZone, you'd pull us out of it so fast and...then that world would be without a defender. Believe me, Aunt Tilly..I've wanted so much to tell you guys." He turned to give her a sideways glance. "But no matter how much I trust you...there's still that chance that you guys might do something drastic."

Tilly was immediately reminded of how she reacted to finding out. She realized, on some level, that the boy did have a good point. She did react quite harshly to it. Was this what Rudy was worried about? Their reactions?

Then again, a part of her couldn't help but believe it was Rudy's fault. He should have told them right away. She would have been less angry if it had been just a week or so since he discovered it, as opposed to a couple years. If he had just come forward, they could have spoken about this and come up with an agreement, and all of this would have been gotten out of the way. Instead, he chose to cover it up, lie to everyone... She could feel her stomach twisting again, some old anger rising up.

Keeping herself controlled, letting out a sigh through her clenched teeth, Tilly said, "So it's a first come, first served thing?" Her voice was a little cold, but she was trying her best not to sound so antagonistic.

Rudy shook his head. "It wasn't like that at all. I just kind of..found the place. I had to earn my position as ChalkZone's protector; the zoners didn't just one day make me their guardian. And since I knew of the place, I had to accept the burden of keeping it a secret. Biclops showed me what happened to ChalkZone when rogue creators used to run amok. I couldn't let that happen again."

"And what of Penny?" Tilly asked. "Did she just...happen to be with you at the time and..."

"No. She didn't know about it at the time." Rudy explaiend. "She actually didn't find out until...I forget how long it's been. But at least a few months."

Tilly's eyes widened at this. "You mean to say that you ran amok in that world for nearly two years without anyone else knowing, and then you decided to tell Penny about it?" She stared at Rudy in shock. "Instead of your own family, you chose Penny? You could tell her but not us?"

"I..." Rudy started to say.

"How could you...do that, Rudy...? We're your family. We love you. How could you see it fit to tell Penny, but not any of us? Not me, or your mom or your dad... Why, Rudy..? Why...?"

Tilly couldn't help but feel very hurt by this confession. Rudy had just admitted that he had told Penny about this world a short time ago, and yet, he still resisted when it came to telling his family. Not that she had anything against Penny, but what made her so special that Rudy could confide in her, but not his own family? The same people he had known growing up? The same people who had shown, time and again, how much they loved and trusted him?

A sharp pang shot through her heart. She clutched her chest, turning away from Rudy. The boy remained silent, not saying a word. Tilly didn't bother looking at him, fighting back the burning sensation rising inside her stomach. That old anger from before was returning. This time, it was stronger, intermixed with the bitter feeling of betrayal and hurt. She had thought that Rudy and Penny found out together. But to know that Rudy found it first, and then nearly two years later, told Penny, but no one else...

Perhaps Rudy had told her about it already. At the moment, though, she couldn't really remember. Her mind was swirling with emotions, ripping through her mind as she tried to make sense of this. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She could feel her own body start to tremble, and, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rudy moving away from her, as if he sensed something was wrong. Well, he was right on that. Something was wrong.

"How could you choose Penny over your own family?" Growled Tilly. Rudy didn't answer save for a few stammers. She whipped her head over, glaring at the boy. "Why was Penny so deserving of this special knowledge, but no one else? Why did you think Penny was trustworthy enough to know about ChalkZone, but no one in your family?"

"Please, Aunt Tilly..." Rudy's voice was small, quiet. "I...I don't know, okay? I just..." Rudy let out a frustrated sigh. "I know you must be so angry with me, Aunt Tilly. I didn't mean for it to go this far. But I was just so worried that something might happen to this place and..." A pause. "Can I please go into ChalkZone? I really want to find my friend and..."

"Oh no. You aren't changing the subject that easily." Tilly said, shooting her nephew a glare. "We are going to continue our talk and then maybe I'll let you go into this..." She resisted the urge to say something nasty. "..world that you care about so much." She flinched at how cold she sounded.

"Please, Aunt Tilly, I..." Rudy stopped when Tilly glared at him again. He lowered his head and sighed. "Okay...what else would you like to know..?"

Tilly thought about this. She knew exactly what she was going to ask. If she was going to make a proper decision on whether or not to allow Rudy to go back, with or without his parents knowing, then there was something that she needed to know.

"Tell me what dangers there are in this ChalkZone, Rudy." Tilly said sternly, folding her arms against her chest. "Tell me everything that you know of."

sss

Snap stared at Penny in disbelief, his eyes widened. He tried to make sense of what she said. He tried to fight back the urge to scream. He tried his best to remain calm about the situation. But..how could he remain calm at a time like this?

"You're...you're kidding...right...?"

Snap already knew the answer to that. As soon as Penny shook her head, he knew that she was not lying. She wouldn't lie. Not about this. He could feel his heart clenching up tightly, a feeling of toxicity moving through him. He shivered, feeling a sudden chill. He would have laid down if he weren't already doing so right now. He grabbed onto his head and gently rubbed it.

How could something like this have happened? While he had asked himself that many times before, while he knew the futility of doing so, it was automatic, something that he just couldn't help but do. He often wanted clarity, to fully understand just...why.

"I'm sorry, Snap." Penny said, lowering her head. "I wish I could have brought you much better news."

Snap stared at her, not answering. He was too wrapped up in his mind to answer her. The full implications of what she said weighed down on him. His mind was going a million miles per hour. He tried to get himself to settle down, but it was useless. And seeing the looks on Penny's face, as well as Rapsheeba's, it wasn't like he was alone in this. They, too, were also very worried.

After all, a creator finding an entrance into ChalkZone was a huge deal. It was one of the worst news that could possibly be given.

And what made this worse was...this human was Terry Bouffant...

Snap felt his blood turn to ice at this. Out of all the humans that could have found a way in, it just had to be one of the two that had been trying to expose it. Terry had attempted to reveal ChalkZone to the world before and she very nearly succeeded. Although she was stopped, it was mostly dumb luck. Things could have so easily gone wrong. If he hadn't been stupid enough to hang onto her arm and get stuck back in ChalkZone...

Or no...that could have made things much worse. What if Terry chose to lock him up? She could have trapped him in a place where he couldn't use his 2D powers to escape. If that were the case, then how could he have warned Rudy? Perhaps getting locked back out had been a good thing.

Not that it did them any good right now. Terry had a portal to ChalkZone. It was something that Rudy and Penny had only just realized, as it hadn't dawned on them earlier. With the incident with Rudy's aunt, it wasn't like he could blame them. But now they had a whole new situation on their hands. It was one thing to try to deal with Rudy's aunt. But Terry... How were they going to stop her...?

"At least she hadn't used the portal yet..." Penny said softly. "If she did, we would have noticed by now."

"That's true." Snap nodded his head. A part of him relaxed a little with that realization. She was right. Terry wouldn't waste her time that much. Not with how much she wanted to show the world. "No new creators romping about or anything." He gave a small smile at this. A weak attempt at hiding just how much fear was inside of him. "So..that's something at least."

"For now at least. She still has the portal. It's only a matter of time before she uses it." Rapsheeba rubbed her hands nervously. "As soon as she does..."

Penny's eyes widened softly. "I know, Rapsheeba. We..won't be able to stop her." She shook her head slowly her eyes shutting. "Not unless we knew where she was."

"Which means you need to round up a search party." Snap pointed out. "There are plenty of zoners who would be willing to do that. I would love to, but as you can see, I'm stuck here. Doctor's orders."

Rapsheeba smiled. "Well don't worry. Doc said tomorrow, you can leave."

Snap was glad to hear some good news out of this. "Finally! I won't be confined to this place anymore!" He motioned his hand towards Penny. "And I'll finally be able to help you and Bucko!"

Penny's mouth ticked up at this. "That would be nice."

The brief happiness in the room didn't last that long. It faded away quickly as everyone found themselves going back to the topic before, regarding the portal and Terry. They all couldn't help but feel a sense of glumniness, worry, and fear. How were they going to handle this situation? What were they going to do to get the portal back from Terry?

Snap shivered as an uncomfortable thought entered his mind. It seemed rather strange that Terry would have the portal, but not yet use it. What was holding her back? Was she somehow unaware of the portal, or was she...?

Upon seeing Penny and Rapsheeba stare at him, their eyes wide with concern, he whispered softly, "What...what if she's just...biding her time..?"

Penny tilted her head. "We already thought about that, Snap. We..."

"What if she is planning more thoroughly this time? What if she realizes we are going to try to find the portal...and she is setting up a defense?" Snap's voice took on a haunting tone at this. "What if she is waiting for us, ready to trap us, or do whatever to slow us down? What if she is prepared this time?"

Rapsheeba and Penny glanced at each other worriedly.

Snap wasn't quite done yet. "What if she is secretly showing the portal to some people quietlly so that we can't stop her...?"

The idea sent a lightning bolt through everyone's minds. White flashes appeared in the back of their minds as they imagined Terry doing this. It would be something that she could do. She would want to spread the word quietly so that none of them would think to stop her. She may have already shown some people in the short time frame that she had it. She may have built up an alliance. This may have been transformed into a much bigger thing than they thought.

The very idea of it shook their foundation, and made them come to grips with reality. The situation was far more dire than they had thought.

Then something else came to Snap's mind. Something that he didn't think any of them had yet to consider. Something that would bring to light what could have happened.

"What if Terry has Blocky...?"

A sharp intake of air from his friends perfectly fit the mood. Penny's face had paled up a little as the horror gripped her mind. Rapsheeba bit her lip, putting her hand against her chest. They couldn't help but exchange worried looks with one another, the tension and nervousness growing thick in the air.

What if Terry did take Blocky? What if that was where he went? What if he was in her clutches, being used by her? It was a possibility they thought impossible at first. But that was before they realized that she had a portal...

"But...but how...when would she have...?" Rapsheeba stammered, looking left and right. "Blocky was with us for a while and..."

"She may have gotten him after she took the portal..." Penny's voice was soft. Her eyes were wide in realization. "After we all went home...she could have gotten him then. Maybe he was lost, and she took advantage of that..."

Snap gritted his teeth at this. "I wouldn't expect less from her, that creepazoid..." He clutched his rounded hand in a fist. It would be just like Terry to take advantage of someone like that to suit her own goals. "If I saw her..."

"Please relax, Snap. This will not do us any good." Rapsheeba's voice cut him out of his thoughts. "We need to focus on how we are going to help our friend. If he was captured by Terry, that at least makes planning easier."

Penny nodded in agreement. "We just need to head to the same place, and from there, find a way to get Blocky back, and then close the portal. Without that portal, Terry won't be a threat anymore." She furrowed her eyes with worry. "But...there is the thing with her possibly telling others..."

Snap's teeth were clenched at this. Nervously, he suggested, "Maybe no one will believe them?"

"That is possible, yes." Penny narrowed her eyes. "Still...we need to be really careful. First and foremost, we need to find that portal. We will need to round up as many zoners as we can to find it."

"What if Terry moves it again?" Rapsheeba's nervous voice asked. "She might realize something was up, and relocate it." She paused for a moment. "Well, she might do that even if we don't find the portal."

"Well..." Snap narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. "We could try to mark the portal. Do something with it that would prevent us from losing track of it..."

"Snap, that's a great idea!" Penny cried. She folded her arms against herself. "But..what to mark it with...?"

"Maybe something that we could track via a signal? Like a chip?" Suggested Rapsheeba.

"Yeah, that could work! But something small that Terry wouldn't see it." Snap suggested. "Something that was still strong enough to hold onto the portal. Then, no matter where Terry took it, we would find it." There was just one problem. "I'm not sure what we could use, though."

Penny narrowed her eyes in determination. "I know what we could use..."

sss

"But...but Aunt Tilly...that's not fair! You can't keep me..." Rudy yelled at his aunt, anger rising up inside. "You're being unreasonable!"

Tilly shook her head. She had a feeling that Rudy would object to this. But she was going to keep firm on what she said. She was not going to back down from this. She had learned enough of that world to make a decision. "I'm sorry, Rudy. But I will not let you risk your life entering that place."

"I told you it wasn't that bad!" Rudy wailed, struggling to get free of her grasp.

Tilly raised an eyebrow at this. "That's not what you told me before. Didn't you tell me that there were a few zoners that went after you? That there are some dangerous zoners and creations that appear that could have easily harmed you? You don't call that dangerous?"

"Well..yeah, there's that. But, Aunt Tilly...they are few and far between! This place is safe, really! Please..don't keep me locked out... This isn't fair!"

Tilly gave a soft growl. "Life isn't always fair, Rudy. Sometimes, you have to do things you don't want to for the best of yourself and those you care about." She stopped in front of Rudy's door, holding his arm tightly. She didn't like hurting him, but she had to be sure he didn't get away. "I know you think I'm being harsh on you, Rudy. But trust me. Later, you'll be thanking me for this."

"No! You can't do this! I need to go back into ChalkZone! I need to speak to Penny!" Rudy frantically pushed against her arm, trying to scramble to get away from her.

Tilly narrowed her eyes at this. "I'm sorry, Rudy. But until your parents come back, and until we get this all straightened out, you will not be able to leave this room until I say so, and only under my supervision. I'll work something out with your teacher and principal. And you will not be allowed to see Penny."

That last comment seemed to send a knife through Rudy's heart. "What? No!"

"I'm sorry, Rudy."

With that, Tilly threw Rudy into the room. She watched as he tripped up and fell into the ground. She felt a pang of guilt at this. She didn't mean to use that much force on him. Yet her eyes remained narrowed, wanting to show Rudy just how serious she was.

Rudy got up to his feet and ran towards the door. Tilly shut the door before he could get out. She swiftly locked the door. This was something that was never done before. Something that she would never have dreamed of doing. There was a first time for everything. She put the key in her pocket, turned, and began to walk away.

She winced as she heard the pounding on the door behind her. She could hear her nephew's muffled cries to let him out. She paused only for a moment, guilt washing through her. Was she doing the right thing...?

Of course she was. She was keeping Rudy safe. She needed to make sure he didn't get hurt. She would do anything to ensure of that. Even if it meant locking him up like this. He was just a little boy. He didn't fully understand the dangers that he was in. She was just ensuring his safety. He might be angry now, but somewhere down the line, he would thank her. He just needed some time.

Tilly pulled out her cellphone and looked at the calender. Her sister, along with Joe, would not be back for another few days. She would call them and inform them of what was going on. But she did not want to ruin their vacation. She would wait until they got back. She just hoped she could break this news as gently as she could to them.

She did not want to make things worse than they already were.


	14. Pains

And so the flesh began to cry out, pleading with the machine: Please stop, I am at my limits!

sss

"Ahhhh! Stop this! Please, stop it!" Blocky wailed loudly, his voice becoming high pitched as he pleaded with them. "Ouch! Stop! Please!"

But Terry and Von did not stop. They had no intention to stop. They merely just watched the zoner as the machine began to make quick work of him. The zoner desperately tried to get away, jerking himself from side to side, tears flowing down his face. He let out loud cries and sobs, the pain supposedly getting unbearable now.

He was hooked up to a stretching machine. Well that wasn't what its original purpose was, but it could be used in this way. Von normally used this for other, less painful experiments. He had never used it on a living thing before. And to his surprise, it was working quite well. The zoner hadn't slipped out of the cuffs, and it was able to stretch him however far he wanted to. This experiment shouldn't take too long. He was certain to be pleased with the results.

Looking behind him, he could see Terry standing there, watching the process taking place. She looked somewhat disturbed, but that was probably due to the screams the zoner was emitting. Admittingly, it was starting to grate him a little, and he temporarily thought about perhaps muzzling him somehow. But that seemed like a little too much work. He could handle this anyway. It wasn't that bad.

"Why are you doing this?" Blocky's voice cut through the air, catching his attention. "Why are you hurting me?! Why?!"

Von gave a small smile at this. "It would be easier if you underztood zcienze, my little...creature. Progrezz is very important to my zpeciez. I don't know much about yourz, but I'm going to azzume that you don't have anything like thiz going on. Now do you?"

Blocky shook his head. "I-I...no!" He let out whimpers as the machine continued to stretch his body taut. He jerked his head from side to side. "Stop! Just turn this thing off! Please!"

"Oh no...I need to know how zturdy your body iz, Blocky. I need a figure to jot down in my notez. I need to underztand you better." Von took a few steps forward. He looked at the zoner up and down. He watched as his face started to shift to red, blood rushing to his face. "I intend on finding out az much about your body and itz functionz and limitz az I can, zoner. By zee end of thiz..." He listened to the grunting and straining of the zoner. "...I'll know you better than you know yourzelf."

"No!" Blocky's voice echoed, but he was ignored.

Von looked down at the remote that he was using for the machine. He grabbed onto the knob and he began to twist it a little. This caused the machine to begin stretching Blocky's body even further. The zoner let out a yelp of pain as the machine suddenly increased its efforts, yanking his arms and legs apart, out to the sides and away from his body.

Von watched, the corner of his mouth giving a slight tick. As he continued to have the zoner's body stretched, he noticed how it appears to react like a real body. Despite being flat, his body wasn't all that fragile like he thought before. No tearing of his body like a real piece of paper. Just his body resisting to the pressures of being stretched, and he thought he heard the sound of a pop as the spine of the creature was being stretched further.

There was a bit of blood beginning to drip down the zoner's side. Despite having him bandaged due to the water-induced wound, it would seem that the bleeding hadn't stopped. Either that, or the stretching was reopening the wound. Whatever the case, it didn't matter to him. Von may have been startled by the initial wound, but he had recovered, and he knew what to do in case it started to go too far. Blocky was in no danger of dying from this.

Terry herself had also appeared to calm down. There wasn't much of an expression of fear on her, or discomfort. She didn't appear to like this experiment all that much, but it was just from Blocky's screams rather than any concern for the chalk creature itself.

Von wondered just how far he should take these experiments. He wondered how many he should perform on the creature. Funny how things seemed easier when there were limitations. With an animal and definitely a human, there would still be a limit of how far this could actually be allowed to go. But a zoner... Not a human and not an animal... Where was the ethical limitations in this? There was no restraint here, and he was uncertain of how far he would actually take this.

No matter. He would figure something out. At the very least, he could hold back just to ensure that he won't die. Even though they had a portal, Terry did not want to use it yet, although she didn't explain her full plans. Blocky would be the only zoner they'd have, and capturing another one would be a pain.

Food and water was going to be important. This thought made Von freeze for a moment. He could hear a confused utterance from Terry, but he paid her no mind. His thoughts went to Blocky and the realization that he probably needed to eat and drink. He deduced he wouldn't be able to do it here. Not like this thing can eat food, and water, forget about it. He didn't want him dying, especially not in a gruesome way like that.

He glanced momentarily at Terry. His expression gave away the fact that he wanted to speak to her. She tilted her head slightly and waited for him to speak. He merely frowned slightly and looked away. He would talk to her later. They still had time to solve the food and water crisis. For now, it was time to continue with the experiment.

He looked at Blocky, seeing how his body was being stretched beyond its limits. The zoner kept screaming, his voice echoing off the walls, ringing in his ears. He flinched, feeling an ache in his ear drums. He pushed a finger inside, trying to subdue the ache that was spreading in his internal canal. He looked back at Blocky, noting just how far he was being stretched. He almost looked like a piece of taffy. It was incredible just how much endurance his body had. He had never seen a living creature like this before. He wondered if the chalk properties were enabling this somehow.

Judging from the zoner's face, he had a limit. Von wondered just how far he could take this before the zoner's body would rip in half. Perhaps now was the time to figure that out. Gripping the dial again, he twisted it another down. And he immediately froze, making him wish that he had gone with trying to muzzle the zoner.

A loud scream eminated from Blocky's mouth. Louder, more higher pitched than before. His eyes were bulging, tears streaming down his face. There was a slight rip sound, and his side began to bleed, his bandages getting too soaked to continue absorbing the blood. The zoner didn't even try to struggle anymore; the sudden pain made him freeze, sobs wracking through his trembling body.

Then, without warning, Von heard something akin to a crack. His eyes widened in shock at this. He turned over at Terry to see if she heard it. Not only did she hear it, but she was frantically gesturing over to Blocky, glaring at him with an expression of anger and horror.

"Stop it! Get him out of there!" Cried Terry. "You're pulling his body too far! Get him out before he rips completely!"

Von started to push the dial back. As he cranked it backwards, the machine began to push Blocky back to his original position. Slowly, the tension from the zoner's body was alleviated, and the look of pain on his face diminished a little.

The scientist and newsreporter approached the zoner cautiously, their eyes wide from the damage the machine had caused. There was some bruising on him, and his wound had seen better days. There was some extra tearing in it, causing more bloodflow. The sight of it was just horrible, prompting Von to bite his lip. If he didn't try to be more careful, they were going to lose their test subject.

"How are you feeling?" Terry's voice was cold and professional, despite her slightly shaken appearance.

Blocky didn't answer. He simply laid there, panting heavily from the immense pain he was in. His pain-filled eyes remained looking up towards the ceiling. He didn't appear to realize that they were even there.

"Well? Aren't you going to zay zomething?" Von said. He placed a finger against the side of the zoner's head. He pushed on it firmly. "Hello? We're talking to you! Why aren't you..."

Without warning, the zoner suddenly passed out. His eyes shut and his head, or whatever, appeared to loll to the side. The zoner's body stopped shaking completely, and he appeared to become lost from this world.

Von felt a small bit of panic when he saw the zoner get knocked out like that. He wondered if he had done a lot more damage to him than he thought. Perhaps he had accidentally broke something inside of him that caused some internal bleeding. If that were the case, he was going to give himself a scolding. This was not what he wanted, nor the reaction he had hoped for.

He could see Terry glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. He did his best to lock her out. He was in no mood to hear her rants about how he should have been more careful, that he should have listened to her. He was well aware that he may have goofed up. He did not need to be reminded of his blunder. Well, there was nothing he could do to change what happened, so he might as well look the zoner over to make sure he didn't cause too much damage to him.

He went around Blocky's side and looked at the gash that he had given him via water. He flinched as he saw the bits exposed, the bandage having been ripped. The blood dripped constantly, landing on the ground in a small pool. He reached out with his hand and placed it against the wound. There was a slight shudder, and he realized that Blocky must be aware of the pain even while unconscious. He felt a fleeting bout of sympathy for him, but only a tiny bit.

After a quick examination, he was able to determine that the wound did not get too much worse. He just needed a bit of rest. He decided to take Terry's advice and give the zoner something of a break from the experiments. If he could just figure out place to put him in the meantime...

"I'm going to make myself useful and grab more bandages." Terry said. She glanced at Blocky with a sideways stare. "I doubt he will last too long bleeding like that."

Von nodded. "Zat's what I waz going to azk of you."

"Hmph." Terry folded her arms against her chest. "I hope you will be more careful next time. You almost cost us our little hostage."

"You mean... oh nevermind. Yeah, I understand." Von made a quick motion with his hand. "Now hurry up. I can't do anything for his wound if you just stand there and do nothing to help."

Terry gave a quick snarl at this, but did not remain. She quickly turned and began to walk away. Von could hear her footsteps quite clearly. He winced at how forceful they were, and in the distance, he could hear a door slam as she entered another hallway. He shook his head. He didn't let Terry's attitude get in the way of what was important right now. He looked back down at Blocky, biting his lip.

He hoped that Blocky was going to be okay. He still needed him. There was still more things about him he wanted to know. While yes, he could learn some things while he was dead, he would rather him be alive. And besides, Blocky still had another usage.

They needed a way to subdue Rudy and Penny. No doubt, they were going to try to find their friend. They were going to be quite a pain in their side, if anything Terry told him turned out to be true. The woman hadn't exactly lied to him yet, so he was going to assume she was being truthful here as well.

Von didn't want to use him as bait just yet. He wanted to do some more experiments on him first. He wanted to understand this strange, unknown creature. His scientific urges were prompting him to figure this thing out. Nothing he had seen before was quite like this. It was impossible to resist the desire to learn and know and study. He needed to learn this creature's strengths and weaknesses and how he was able to live with a chalk body and how he operates and such. There was good reason for this, and not just for curiosity's sake.

They might need it in the future. If some of these creatures were hostile, then they were going to need to know their achille's heel so they can...tame them and keep them under control. And what better way to control them than to use something that was their weakness? They already had water on the list, but he was certain there were...more things. And he would find out from this guy. Oh yes he will...

He reached up and began to unhook Blocky from the machine. One by one the cuffs came off. He began with his arms, and then his legs. He then scooped up the zoner in his arms and he laid down on the ground, crossing his legs. Being very gentle, he began to turn Blocky's body over as he examined him. He carefully ran his hands over him, noting any instance of a bump or bruise as he leaned in closely.

He hoped Terry wouldn't take too long. He needed to stop the bleeding, and then he needed to give him an x-ray. Hopefully they would get a clear image. And hopefully, Blocky wasn't too badly damaged. Otherwise...he wasn't sure how he was going to treat them, and they were going to lose their test subject.

He narrowed his eyes. He would be sure that they didn't lose their little bargaining token.

sss

Terry growled softly as she headed down the hallway, towards the storage room that Von had shown her earlier. It wouldn't take her too long to reach it. Soon, she would have what she came for and she would return to Von.

Her teeth were gnashed together as she replayed the recent events in her head. This was not how she had envisioned things going. She knew that Blocky would have been hurt, but she didn't realize just how much. The fool Von nearly cost them their ticket to keep Rudy and Penny under control. If he wasn't careful...

A part of her wondered if she should just continue this solo. She could just take the stuff and leave. It wasn't like Von could do much of anything. He didn't even know where she lived. She couldn't see him doing something as risky as kidnapping her, and he knew that going after a human would increase the odds of him getting in trouble. Despite her reputation, her name was still pretty well known, and if she went missing, it would be all over the news.

She decided against it. Von did seem regretful for his mistake. Like her, he may have not been so opposed to the idea of him dying at first, but now that their plan was more solidified, he had no desire to do something like that. At least for now.

Terry still needed to figure out a way to contact the children. Blocky was useless as a bargaining tool if they didn't know he was kidnapped. She knew they were pretty smart, however, and they may have already figured this stuff out. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be certain. Perhaps an encrypted message might work. Or a phone call...no that would not do at all. Wasn't there something she had in mind before? If so, she completely forgot about it, much to her frustration.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a flashing red light up ahead. A locked hallway. She curled her lip up. Typical Von. He always seemed to have this hallway locked these past few days. She never understood why. Was he that paranoid that Blocky would leave so easily that he... Oh forget it. It wasn't worth getting worked up over. A part of her wondered if working with Vinnie Raton would be a much easier task. She made a mental note to herself: if this plan failed, at least consider partnering up with Vinnie.

Terry used the key that Von gave her and unlocked the door. The red flashing light disappeared, much to her relief. She went down the new hallway and made a left turn. This brought her down a long corridor and ultimately led her towards a left door marked Storage. Why he had it all the way over here, she will never understand.

She opened it up and rummaged through. Her eyes scanned it up and down as she tried to figure out what to bring. What would be best suited in treating that little creature?

There wasn't too much she thought she could bring. More bandages, yes. She had already planned on that. She had hoped she could bring something else to ensure the zoner's well being. But nothing here would do the trick. Outside the bandages, all the medicine in here would hurt him, and do nothing to help his wound or possible internal injuries. She gritted her teeth. Perhaps they should have thought this plan through better, and got a zoner captive after they had gotten some items from that chalk world.

Nothing could be done about that right now. So instead, she focused on grabbing as much of the bandages as she could. Knowing Von, he might do something else to screw things up. She might as well be prepared so he doesn't end up killing the zoner by mistake.

Stuffing the wads of bandages in her pocket, she turned and began to head back to where Von was. She hoped that he was able to stop the bleeding and wasn't trying to do anything else to mess things up. She didn't exactly trust him to be alone for too long.

As she walked, her mind was moving different thoughts through her as she thought about this plan. So far, things were going better than when she had kidnapped Snap. Yes, so far, so good. No wiggie chewing on her hair. No public humiliation. No being tricked by a bunch of kids. Yes, this was already turning out so much better. Now if they could only keep this up, then she will succeed in having her revenge.

Oh, and Dr. Von Doktor would as well, of course.

sss

Rudy pounded on the door again and again. His fist was starting to become sore, but he didn't care. He just kept at it, shouting for his aunt, ignoring how dry his throat was becoming. Tears had stained his reddened cheeks, stinging them. He didn't know how long he had kept this up, and still he went on.

Soon, the sobs that wracked through his body, and the shouting he was doing and the fist he was pounding exerted more and more of his strength. His body became overwhelmed with tiredness and he felt his feet slipping underneath him. He got down onto his knees, closing his eyes, blackening out his blurred vision. Tears dripped from his face and he wiped them off with a trembling arm.

How could this be happening? Why did things have to turn out this way? Why couldn't things have happened differently? There were other routes this could have taken. Why couldn't it have gone down a simpler, easier path? Why must he be forced down this winding road of hardships?

He had lost one of his friends. He had no idea where Blocky was. Terry, of all people, had a portal into ChalkZone. He was cut off from Penny, unable to speak with her.

And it was all because of Aunt Tilly.

His blood heated up as he thought about his aunt. He never felt this overwhelmingly enraged with any family member before. He clenched his teeth tightly, so much that he thought they were going to crack out of his jaws. He could feel his body shaking, not just from the sorrow that gripped up, but the growing bitterness and anger inside. He was trying so hard to not hate his aunt, but given the circumstances...he just couldn't help it. For the time being, he hated Aunt Tilly.

It was her fault this was happening. She was the one who sold his chalkboard without telling him beforehand. She was the reason that Terry was now in possession of a portal. She was the reason that ChalkZone was in grave danger. And she had the gall to keep him locked up in here, unable to do anything to fix the problem she had caused.

Aunt Tilly said she wanted to understand, and she had promised to listen to him. But after seeing this...he had his doubts that was a sincere promise. She probably said it just to get him to stop being angry with her. She simply didn't want to continue that particular conflict, although she did start another. She had listened to him about the zoners, but she still would not permit him to go back into ChalkZone, and had even taken away his portable chalkboard to prevent entry. And worst of all...she was going to tell his parents...

Rudy felt his heart twist at this. His parents...they couldn't know about ChalkZone. It was bad enough his aunt knew. What would his parents do when they find out? With a cold chill, he remembered how Aunt Tilly reacted. He still felt a pang of fear at the memory. If she reacted like that, he could only imagine how terrified and angered his folks were going to be once Aunt Tilly spills the beans on that place.

He had no idea how his parents were going to react exactly, or what they would do. He knew they were going to be furious with him at least, but what they'd do after... Rudy shivered as thoughts of his parents forbidding him from entering ChalkZone ever again entered his mind. This was a best case scenario if they decide to take action against this. Worst case scenario, and sadly just as likely, they expose it.

He...he couldn't let that happen. He needed to get out of here and tell Penny so they can discuss a way out of this. He needed to get into ChalkZone and help his friends. He couldn't let Aunt Tilly keep him in here like this. She...she had no right. She...didn't understand. She would never understand. She would not listen to him. She had even forbidden him from seeing Penny.

He felt a few tears form in his eyes. He still couldn't believe that his aunt would keep him from seeing his best friend. What makes her think she had the right to do that to him? She might be his aunt, but she couldn't control every aspect of his life.

The boy moved towards the window and looked out of it. He looked in the direction where Penny lived. He bit his lip. If he could only find a way out of here...

He looked around the window, trying to see if there was a hinge he could push on. He had never opened this window before, and he had no idea if there was a way. He had to figure it out, though, and quickly. Maybe if he kept looking around here, he'd find something to help him. He moved as quickly as he could, his fingers fumbling around the edges, looking for something to open the window with. He knew the consequences if he failed. So many lives could be on the line.

sss

Pain... Horrible pain... Everywhere... So much pain...

When Blocky first opened up his eyes, that was what he was greeted with. A mass swirl of pain that spread from his side and across his stomach. Up his spine, it went, and nearly made him pass out again. He could barely move without the pain gripping him, sharp and slicing. All he could do was lay there, flat on his back, looking up towards the ceiling.

He was barely aware of just where he was. All he could remember was he was in a scientist's lab. That's it. Was he still strapped down? Was he put away somewhere? Was he dying and just laid here to let it happen? He could hardly tell with the pain jolting through his body, nearly ripping him a new one.

He could hear some voices. Muffled and echoy, but still there. He let out a soft groan, straining to hear what they were saying. He attempted again to move, but he stopped as his body was gripped in agony. He let out a yelp, accompanied by more as sharp pain attacked him, concentrating on his side.

Oh gawd...why did his side hurt so badly...? It felt like someone poured acid on him. Even the slightest pressure agonized him, pushing tears out of his eyes in response. What happened to him? Why did that skin feel kind of warm? He wanted to look. He wanted to raise his head and look at his wound. But he could not. The pain... It had stolen his strength from him, and his head remained flat on the hard surface of...whatever he had been placed against.

The voices were becoming clearer. They were getting loss drowned out, more understandable. He managed to lift up his head just a little, as much as his body would allow him. He blinked his eyes a few times as his vision slowly began to clear. Shapes... One white and one green.. They were moving back and forth not far from him. The voices were coming from them. He knew they were.

As he stared, he took in a sharp breath as he started to realize who they were. Flashes in the back of his head treated him to memories of his stay here. A scientist's lab..and that was the scientist there.. Dr. Von Doktor... The memory of the name caused ice to shoot through his body. He felt his body freeze in terror, his heart pounding against his chest. His mind no longer paid attention in the person in green. Only the man in white. The scientist. Doctor Von Doktor.

He couldn't help but let out soft, low whimpers as he watched the man before him. His mind went numb, unable to process what he was saying. He had no idea if he was even talking about him, what else he was going to do to him. For the moment, only fear ruled his mind, and he kept replaying what happened over and over again.

The wound on his side... It tingled and ached, sharp jabs spreading through it. This pain..it was caused by this man. This evil, vile man that had kidnapped him, dragged him away from his home and friends. The man that was keeping him locked away here, all alone and trapped and scared. He had experimented on him... He remembered now. This man had performed cruel experimentations on him.

The water...

The stretching machine...

It all came back to him. As it did, jolts of pain went up his spine, each one reminding him more and more of the agony he had gone through. His body began to shake harder, and tears streamed down his face. He...he could have been killed... The man was reckless... He could have caused him to die from that water experiment...and the stretching machine... He could feel his spine nearly snap, and he knew that, even though his vertebrate wasn't broken, it was weakened. He wouldn't be able to do much standing for a while.

The realization of what could have happened...what almost happened... It wouldn't leave him. His mind kept flashing back to those incidents. He couldn't help but imagine the water eating away at his sides, spilling out his blood and organs. He couldn't help but imagine the machine ripping his body in half, his insides becoming his outsides, the squishy sloshiness of his internal organs and blood strewn on the ground. He cried harder at these mental images, but they just wouldn't go away.

The man turned his head and looked over at him. Blocky's eyes widened in horror. He watched as the man began to approach him slowly. The things he hard being said...he was going to do something to him. But what? Blocky's racing mind yelled at him to move, to get away. He tried to keep himself still, terrified of the agony that his body was suffering from.

But the unknown of what might happen to him frightened him more.

Blocky began to struggle, tugging at whatever binds that might be holding him. His panic prevented him from knowing for certain if he was held down or not. His struggles didn't even last that long before he was suddenly in the grips of absolute agony.

"Ahhhhh!"

He was horrified by that loud scream, even more so that it was from himself. The sharp pain, it tore through him. His side, it felt like it was in fire. He could feel it being torn apart, the blood spotting along the surface, stinging him. His back jolted in agony, and he could practically feel his spine being ripped up.

In desperation, he began to struggle harder. He tossed himself on the ground, screaming again and again as he tried desperately to get away from the pain. He was suddenly unaware of anyone else with him. He thought he could hear shouts, stern and firm and commanding, yet he could not make out the words. The screams reverberated in his head, intermixing with the pounding agony that quaked his body.

Then he felt something grab him. Was it the man? He opened his eyes, but his tears blurred his vision too much. He caught a glimpse of green. Bouffant? Was that her name? He barely had time to register this before he felt something being pressed against him. He could feel his struggles getting weaker.

Suddenly there was a sharp bolt of pain in his side. His body stiffened up and he inhaled deeply. The scent was awfully familiar. He kicked his legs, struggling to escape, the agony creeping along the back of his head, clawing its way through his body. His sobs increased in volume.

Then fate granted him mercy. Seconds later he felt his body go limp. Darkness descended upon him rapidly, all sense of feeling leaving him. He gave a small smile of relief, the pain completely gone. Then he fell silent, his eyes closed.

sss

Terry growled softly as she pulled the cloth away. It was a good thing that they had more of that stuff laying around. The same stuff used to knock out Blocky in the first place. She didn't think she'd be able to settle him down any other way. The stupid zoner was getting too worked up for his own good. And struggling like that? He was just begging for the pain there.

At least for now, the zoner was knocked out and would not be a bother to her or Von. At least he won't be able to hurt himself more. They would just have to keep an extra eye on him to ensure no future incidents like this. If they had some way to kill the pain afterwards...

Terry began to realize there might not be much of an option now. The only way to ensure that Blocky didn't die from the experiments was to get some medication, and it would have to be from ChalkZone. But how would they be able to do that without anyone realizing it was her doing? Just how well known was she in ChalkZone? How many of the zoners did Rudy tell about her?

Perhaps it was time to set up a trap. Perhaps they should consider bringing in a new zoner into the mix. One that they could use to get what they needed to keep Blocky alive. Someone whom they could control, and perhaps prevent from spilling the beans. Someone who could be easily manipulated...

But what were the odds that she'd find such a zoner? The only way was through interactions, and if she chose the wrong zoner... She would have to make this count. She would make things more complicated than they had to be if she wasn't careful.

Turning to Von, she said, "Come on. We need to alter our plans a little."

Von tilted his head to one side. "Why?"

Terry glared down at the prone form of Blocky. She watched as the zoner took in shaky breaths, his face still showing some signs of pain despite being knocked out. He was encased in a large, glass prison with some holes for air. The lid had been opened up, allowing her to reach inside with the cloth to knock him out with.

"Because we can't keep this up. Sooner or later, he's going to expire, if not by your stupid experiments, then by lack of food and water." Terry said, disgruntled. She still had a hard time believing the direction all of this had gone. "We need a zoner accomplice."

"I doubt any of zem would willingly work for uz." Doctor Von Doktor pointed out, raising a finger. "Zo I zuppoze you are zuggesting zat we forze a deal out of zem. Blackmail."

"Precisely. I'm sure we can think of...something to make them cooperate with us." Terry said, turning her head to look at Von. "We will need to make sure that they don't get any ideas and do something we don't want. But I think it's possible to find a way." She closed the lid, sealing Blocky back inside his containment unite. "Even if it means some less than...pleasant things."

Terry didn't want to take this too far. She had to be careful with what threats she chose for this. Even against the zoners, if her threat was too severe, she might get into trouble. She didn't know what the zoners were fully capable of, and some might be downright dangerous. She didn't need to look through the portal, only to meet a very pissed off zoner on the other side. So whatever threat she decided, she would have to keep it confined to just the zoner she chose, a zoner who would be too weak to fight back, and more easily controlled, like Blocky.

Of course, she also couldn't threaten Rudy or Penny. Despite her hatred for them, going after them would be a huge mistake. Jail time didn't suit her very well, and it would completely ruin her plans. She would much rather avoid that.

And it wasn't like she had a lot to worry from Penny anyway. Rudy, she would be more cautious around. He and Snap were the ones who stopped her after all. Penny? She hardly did anything, it seemed. Yeah, all she was to the group was the chick, perhaps doing whatever Rudy told her to do. She might be a bit smarter, but that ultimately didn't mean much if she wasn't much of a contributer.

Yeah, Penny wasn't much of a threat. She shouldn't worry about her. Penny was worthless.

"All right, zen... I will let you take care of zat." Dr. Von Doktor said.

Terry looked over at Von, giving him a soft glare. "Who said I was going to do that?" She pointed at Von. "You were the one who captured Blocky. You can take responsibility of getting the next one, too."

Von shook his head. "Zeze zoners are your department, mizz. You know zem better zan me."

Terry raised up an eyebrow. What was he talking about? She wasn't the one who was performing experiments and writing them down. He must have a bit more knowledge than her when it came to zoner's physiology. Surely he could come up with a good trap for one based on this knowledge, couldn't he? She couldn't see why he could not.

And who was he to order her around, anyway? She had been allowing it to happen off and on, her mind more focused on the plan than anything else. Now it was starting to grate on her. Did the man forget who was really in charge here?

She then realized the man's point. Maybe she was the one better off to do this. Von might screw things up. He might say the wrong thing or be too reckless. He didn't seem to be all that cautious, and that was going to cost them big time if they weren't careful. Her mind flashbacked to how Blocky nearly died as a result of his experiments. She flinched at the uncomfortable memories. Yeah...perhaps she should take this. Knowing Von, he would accidentally kill whatever zoner he was trying to catch.

"Where did you put the chalkboard?"

Von waved to her, gesturing her to follow. "I'll take you zere. I wouldn't want you to get lozt."

Terry growled at this. It angered her a bit that this man thought that she was so incompetent that she would get lost in this facility. She wasn't blind or stupid. But she didn't address it beyond a glare. It didn't really matter in the end, anyway. And she needed to keep her energy focused on this.

Without saying a word, not even a retort, she merely nodded her head and she proceeded to follow Doctor Von Doktor. When they reached the door way, she stopped for a moment and looked back at Blocky. She was confident that he was not going to try to get out. Even if he did, his wounds would prevent him from getting too far. She hoped for his sake that he won't be foolish and try getting out of his enclosure.

Well, if it did come to that, then at least the body will be easily disposed of. Just add some water, and his body would disintegrate, like it was nothing more than a pile of ash. Not too much of a mess left after that.

The two adults disappeared out of the room and went down the hallway.

sss

Penny climbed out of the portal. Picking up the eraser, she turned around and got rid of the portal quickly. It was a good thing, too, for she had heard her mother call out to her as soon as she came in. Talk about perfect timing.

"I'm coming!"

Penny wiped off the chalk stains that clung to her fingers. She wiped off any remaining dust off her shirt and pants. She set the eraser down and turned to head towards the door. Although she could not hear her mother coming up the steps, she knew that she could not let her guard down. Her mother could be quite quiet if she really wanted to be, and catch her off guard. This nearly caused ChalkZone's exposure a couple of times in the past. Thankfully, they were rare and far apart.

Penny headed down the upper level hallway and towards the stairs that would lead her to her mother, whom she was certain was waiting in either the living room or the kitchen to speak with her. She wondered what she wanted. Perhaps another check up on her to make sure she was okay. Her mother had been pretty spooked by her having stopped breathing for a short time. Not that she could blame her. Penny could feel her heart clench at the mere thought of that happening again.

She hoped that she would be able to get back into ChalkZone soon to speak more with Snap, and hopefully Rudy and fill him in on what has been going on. She felt bad that he was being kept out of the loop. Hopefully, later today after he settles things with his aunt, he would be able to at least meet with her, if not head into ChalkZone, so he can be on the up and up on the plan.

Rapsheeba promised to organize a search party to help find Blocky as well as that portal. Being a well known zoner, she knew a ton of people, and there would be so many that would be willing to follow her orders. Penny was glad that Rapsheeba was willing to take on this responsibility. She knew that it wouldn't be easy trying to lead a search party like this, especially with the threat of ChalkZone's exposure over their heads. Rapsheeba knew how to motivate people, and would be able to keep them calm during the search so that nobody panics and does something stupid or reckless.

Snap promised to help as soon as he was back on his feet again. Despite the doctor wanting him to take it a little easy after he leaves, Snap just couldn't lay down and do nothing. He was willing to give it all he had when it came to searching for the portal and their missing friend. Blocky was like a little brother to him, and he was determined to do whatever it took to find him. Penny couldn't help but smile at the memory of Snap's steadfast desire at locating Blocky.

A pang tugged at her heart as she remembered there was something she needed to talk to Rudy about. It was something that she, Rapsheeba, and Snap hadn't even discussed yet. She had just thought about it when she was returning to her portal. It was related to what they were discussing before, about Terry.

The idea of Terry being more stealthy and just...waiting and being all calculating...it was rather unnerving. She recalled what Rudy and Snap had told her. That, combined with her own experiences, Penny knew just how cunning this woman could be. She could just be waiting until the right moment to strike. She could be buying her time, waiting for a time when she and Rudy surely couldn't do anything to stop her. She might even already spread the word about ChalkZone, ensuring her vengeance against them even if they did manage to stop her. The thought was quite chilly in her head.

Penny had a disturbing thought on her way back. She wished she had thought about it before. She really wanted someone to confide in, and her mother was not going to be of much help.

What if Terry was the one who had Blocky...?

She shuddered at the thought. She didn't want to believe it. It couldn't be possible. But...Blocky's disappearance, along with the portal, in the same day, close together... It seemed too much of a coincidence. They might have been connected. It didn't seem likely that it was all by chance this happened so close in the time frame.

It was very likely that Terry took the portal and used it to capture Blocky. She could have went in while most zoners were in Night Zone sleeping, and grabbed him. She could be holding him hostage somewhere. Blocky could be enduring torment, fear, pain, whatever Terry decided to dish out at her. He could be laying on the ground, calling for help, hoping that his friends would save him. And here they were, not having even started the search party...

Penny shook her head, suddenly realizing how ridiculous that scenario was starting to look. Terry would have been easily spotted if she had gone into ChalkZone. Humans were quite easy to notice. And Terry did not know ChalkZone all that well. She probably didn't even know about the Day and Night Zones, and wouldn't even know where Blocky's night house was. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that maybe Terry wasn't involved in his kidnapping.

It was still important for her to talk to Rudy about it. He might be able to provide more input, and maybe come up with more possibilities based on that. Hopefully, soon, they will have solved this case and begin the journey to setting things right.

Penny was so lost in her thoughts that she failed to realize she had gotten into the living room already. Only a shout from her mother jolted her enough for her to realize where she was. She turned to her mother and gave a small smile. Her mother merely nodded in return and gestured for her to come over. Penny, confused by her mother's lack of a proper greeting, approached her, confused.

Seeing her mother pat her hand against the edge of the couch, Penny immediately climbed up onto the couch and sat down next to her mother. Penny clasped her hands together and looked over the edge of the couch. She remained like this for a few seconds before she looked over at her mother, wondering what was on her mind. Her mother's expression...was something wrong? She felt her heart twist at the possibilities.

After what felt like a forever lasting awkward silence, Penny decided to break it. "So..mom...what did you want to talk to me about...?"

Her mother stared out in front of her, her eyes unfocused. She closed them softly, letting out a long sigh. She then turned her head and looked down at Penny. Her face was contorted in concern and..sadness? Penny fought the urge to reel back. What had gotten her mother so upset? She hoped that this was related to what happened to her and not something else.

"Penita...I...I don't know how to begin this." Her mother said. Her words were hesitant and slightly shaky. "I wish I could break this to you more gently. I mean...I know this has been going on for a while, and I don't want you to get upset with me."

Penny stared at her mother in confusion. What was she going on about? This wasn't related to what happened with Von. But if that wasn't it, then...what was it? Penny's tense thoughts were sifted through in her mind, doing her best to try to figure this out. Her heart tightened at the possibilities. Maybe something happened to a family member. Or perhaps her mother had planned on moving, or...

"I know you must have your reasons."

Penny froze at that statement. Her mind practically turned to ice, the old fluid moving through her veins and arteries. Her previous thoughts of what it could be were instantly shattered, and where concern was, burning horror replaced it. She tried her best to control her breathing, keeping it forcibly calm and slow. Her racing mind tried to make sense of what her mother said. Surely, her mother couldn't have been referring to...

But what else could it be? That was the only thing she had ever been keeping from her mother. That was only thing that she did whatever she could to ensure that her mother never found out.

Then, her mother gave her the horrifying clincher.

"I know about this chalk world..."

Penny stared at her mother in terror. She couldn't even try to deny it. The way her mother looked at her, it felt as though her ability to lie in her face had been zapped, replaced only by cold silence and fear. Her mother's eyes were slightly narrowed, practically boring through her own eyes, leaving her frozen there in shock. Penny tried to speak, but no words could come out. She could feel her heart starting to beat faster, the horrific realization washing over her.

How did this happen? How did her mom find out? How did this all come about? What made her mother try to figure out what was happening? Or did she find out by accident? Who told her, or did no one? Many questions rushed through her head, giving her a constant ache.

At least, she managed to squeak out, "H-How..."

"I got a call from Rudy's aunt earlier today. She had told me what she found out." Her mother explained. Penny's eyes widened. Tilly had told her mom. She couldn't believe it..yet she wasn't surprised. An odd combination. Her mother clarified further, "She wanted me to know about it..since she knew you went into this chalk world as well. She felt it would only be right for me to know where my daughter has been going."

Penny took in a few quick breaths. What was her mother going to do now? She had to say something quickly, and hope that she could convince her mother not to do anything drastic. "Please, mom...It's not what you..."

Her mother cut her off. "I already knew about this place beforehand anyway."

"Y-You..you what..?" Penny froze at this. "You did..?" A single nod from her mother. "B-But I thought that..."

"Penny, did you forget about that big speech you did?" Her mother raised an eyebrow. "When you were supposedly so nervous that you kept slipping up your words?"

Penny nodded her had stiffly. "I would never forget that day."

"I saw Rudy push your head into the chalkboard, Penny. I saw the opening."

Penny widened her eyes at this. She leaned away from her mother. She couldn't even speak. She didn't know how to respond to that. She and Rudy thought they were alone. Her mother had seen it? And she didn't say anything? Why?

"I dismissed it as a trick of my mind. Of course, I did think it was...really strange how you suddenly started to speak normally again. I didn't question it, though. I thought I was just seeing things and I didn't want you to think I was crazy." Her mother gave a small smile at this. "I thought I was just really stressed out, so I dismissed it."

That would explain why her mother never brought it up with her. Penny now began to worry how many times their parents had spotted them going into or from a portal. Had they not been as careful as they thought they were? Had their parents known more than they let on, and just didn't say anything to them?

Penny couldn't help but feel a bit of anger. She wished her mother had told her about this before. She wished she had confronted her. They could have sorted this whole thing out. Now she was left wondering, panicking, over how many people may have saw them.

"That hadn't been the only time."

With wide eyes, Penny looked up at her mom. "I-It wasn't..?"

Her mom shook her head. "No, it wasn't. There was another time after that, and this time, I was certain that what I had seen was real." She clenched her teeth, sucking a quick breath of air through them. "When I took you to that concert, I saw Rudy come out of that chalkboard up on stage...and then disappear right back into it."

"Those were special effects..." Penny said quickly.

Her mom narrowed her eyes. "I know they weren't, Penny. I had checked his equipment beforehand, in case you forgot. I know that chalkboard did not have that capability." She paused for a moment. Her expression softened up. "Look, Penita...why don't you tell me what's really going on here? I think it's about time you and I had a nice, long chat about this place."

Penny felt her mind racing. She wanted to look around for an exit. She wanted to get away and pretend all of this was just a bad dream. The fact that her mother knew about ChalkZone, and said not a word... what else did she know? Did anyone else know?

Realizing she had no choice, Penny could only lower her head and nod her head numbly. "Okay..." She looked back up at her mom. "I..I hope you're not mad."

Her mother frowned at this. "I am disappointed in you." Penny flinched at this. Her mother softened her glare. "But...like I said, I think you might have a good reason. So..." She stared at Penny expectantly. "Let's chat."

sss

Howdy couldn't believe what had happened lately. First the tornado, now this.

The news of Blocky's disappearance had already spread like wildfire. He was in utter shock that something like this could have happened to someone like that. He hadn't interacted too much with Blocky himself, but based on what he himself had encountered, Blocky was a really nice zoner. How could someone as nice as that suffer such a terrifying fate?

Howdy had immediately volunteered to help when Rapsheeba talked about organizing a search party to find him. Howdy had dropped all upcoming acts he had planned to help find the lost zoner. He felt bad about having to do that, but right now, he knew finding Blocky was more important.

The poor guy must be lost and so scared... Howdy knew what that felt like. He remembered what it was like for him when he was trapped in the Real World. Even if it was brief, it was scary, being chased by that gigantic dog. And then being licked to death... He shuddered, his body still crying out from the pain. Even though it had been a long time since then, he could still feel the echoes of agony.

That was why he just had to help find Blocky. He had to find him and make sure he was okay. He understood what it felt like being scared, and he wanted to do what he could to comfort him.

The small puppet zoner wandered around ChalkZone, constantly calling out Blocky's name. He looked around the outskirts of town just in case he had made it there. But no luck. So he ventured out further, going to lesser visited regions. This was not something he normally did as he preferred to stay with someone, especially after his incident with Dumpster. He challenged his fear of being alone for the sake of finding Blocky.

He eventually found himself getting close to the Night Zone. He hadn't been to this particular one before. It looked relatively new. He didn't really see too many zoners in it, at least from where he was standing. It looked to be some kind of jungle, with some small mountains intermixed with it. The mountains were jagged in some places, smooth in others, a jarring transition. The trees themselves looked like a cross between candy canes and...what did Penny call them... weeping willows. The branches, sharp and uninviting, hung over in large bunches, creating darkened shades.

Normally, such a place would make Blocky turn away, but something compelled him to stay. He looked at this place up and down, noting the gloomy colors, the jagged places, the cracks in the ground. He wondered..could Blocky have gotten lost in here? It certainly seemed possible. Blocky might be thin, but all these sharp edges...any of them could easily rip him apart. And that place in the center, all those sharp edges, so dark...maybe he was trapped in there.

The small zoner took in a deep breath and, mustering as much strength as he could, wandered into the Night Zone.

He shuddered as his feet touched the ground. Sloshy, and there was a slight hissing sound as he lifted up his foot. He felt cold shivers move through his body as he wandered in deeper. He looked left and right, unable to stop himself from whimpering when he saw the jagged shapes all around him, some of them even seeming to form large faces, glaring at him, taunting him.

Despite that, he still kept going. He knew he had to do this. If he didn't do it, then who would? He was a small zoner and the best one suited for going through these tight, sharp places. And that's what he continued to do, putting his hands together and calling out Blocky's name.

But no matter how long he searched, no matter how far he traveled in, he still saw no sign of Blocky. He began to wonder if he really wasn't in here. Or maybe he was, but he had been hurt. Maybe he was unconscious and bleeding to death. This horrific thought caused his own blood to cool, prompting him to quicken his search.

Eventually, his throat got so sore that he just had to stop. He laid himself against one of the trees. He ignored how hard and cold it felt as he rested himself there. He took in slow breaths, trying not to panic. Maybe Blocky wasn't hurt. Maybe he was just tired and had fallen asleep in here. Maybe he was exhausted from his attempts to get out, or maybe he wasn't even here.

Howdy closed his eyes and attempted to relax. Maybe after a quick rest, he could resume the search and he would find Blocky, safe and sound. Yeah, everything was going to be okay.

If only he had seen the pair of eyes watching him... If only he had seen the hand reaching out for him...

By the time he realized anything, it was too late.

A cloth on his face.

An arm around his body.

A smell.

He struggled, but it was only briefly. Darkness gripped him, and he fell silent.


	15. Findings

Pieces always fall together. What matters is if they fall in time.

sss

Come on...

Almost there...

Rudy pulled as hard as he could. His fingers gripped the bottom of the window, his fingernails pressing against it. He gritted his teeth, mustering up as much strength as he could to try to lift the window.

Just a little more... Just a bit more strength... Coming closer...

This had to work. It just has to. He didn't have a lot of time with this. He had a feeling his aunt was going to come up any second. He had to be out of here before she came. He just needed a bit more time to get this open. Then he could make his get away. He could get to Penny's place and tell her what had happened.

Soon, he could feel the window opening. It wasn't by much, but it was still something. He let go of the window for a few seconds, letting his arms rest at his sides as he took in a few quick breaths. He stared at the door, a look of triumph on his face. He had been working at this for what felt like an hour, and to finally move it... He couldn't describe the feeling of victory rising up inside of him.

He gripped the window again and pulled on it more. With part of the window now open, the rest seemed to follow suit. Gradually, the window began to open even further. With a loud creak, the window slid upwards, gaining speed the longer he pulled. With a strained grunt, Rudy managed to open the window all the way, hearing it thud as it hit the ceiling above him. He immediately let go and fell on his knees, panting.

His arms...they felt almost like they were on fire. He could feel the muscles ache, practically burning from the unwanted exercise. He stared towards the result of his success: an opening that he could now fit through. He licked his dry lips and began to ponder his next move.

Looking outside, it didn't seem like jumping out was a good idea. He was pretty high above the ground. He wasn't too keen on getting a shatttered ankle. He wouldn't be able to do much then, and it may prompt his aunt into more extreme actions against him. He gritted his teeth, wishing that his aunt could have made things easier for him. But he had no time to waste on that now. He had to get out of here and speak to Penny.

Remaining at the edge, he looked around, wondering how he was going to get down from here. He couldn't just... or could he? He had seen it in the movies, but would it work here? He looked behind him, staring at his bed. After a moment, he shook his head. They were too thick to work. There would be no way he could tie his bed sheets into knots like that, and even if he did, they wouldn't be long enough to be anchored to anything to be of use. He needed another way down.

He then noticed the door below him. He remembered the door leading into his house had a ridge on it. A small protrusion that formed a sharp arch. He wondered... could he use this to get down? A risk, but he felt it was worth taking it.

He began to ease himself out of the window. He reached down cautiously with one foot. He placed it carefully on the slope knowing that one slip up was all it was going to take to get himself badly hurt. Once he had secured one foot, he began to bring out his other one, using one hand to grip the protrusion while the other held onto the window sill. Once he had both his feet out, he began to gently slide backwards, preventing gravity from having a nasty toll on him. Rudy did his best to ignore the friction pain of having the hard surface rub up against his stomach, or the stiff ridge edge pressing against his stomach.

Soon he was dangling on the side of his window, his hands still gripping the edge of the protrusion. He was still a bit of a distance above the ground, his feet swinging back and forth, but it was doable. Taking in a deep breath, he let go, allowing himself to fall. He let out a grunt as his feet landed on the ground, his knees bending at the whim of force and gravity.

Rudy soon straightened himself up and looked up at the window. He felt a sense of pride of being able to get out of there without having to break down his own door, which he knew likely wasn't going to happen. With him now outside, he can make his getaway and head to Penny's house. He hoped he would be able to reach her before Aunt Tilly would stop him.

He felt a fleeting pang of fear when he remembered that he didn't shut the door. But perhaps that would have been for the best; she would probably think he found another way into ChalkZone, and opt to guard him herself so he couldn't get in.

He didn't stay for long. He gave one last look at the window before he turned in the direction he knew Penny's house was in. Without looking back again, he sprinted away, running as fast as he could.

sss

Tilly let out a soft sigh as she sat in the living room. Sophie was laying down next to her, sleeping. She could hear the little girl's snoring despite that it wasn't her bedtime yet, nor a nap time. She smiled down at her sleeping daughter, stroking her blonde hair a few times. The smile could not remain on her face for long as her thoughts shifted to her nephew.

She wondered how Rudy was doing. Perhaps he was laying down resting right now. Or perhaps working on a latest art project. Looking out the window like a caged animal...

She shook her head. No, no, no... She shouldn't think like that. She was doing Rudy a favor. She was just doing whatever she could to keep him safe. He had no idea the kind of trouble he could have gotten himself into with that world. He should be thankful that she found out when she did, and was taking the appropriate steps to deal with it. She had even alerted Mrs. Sanchez about what was going on. After all, as her mother, she had the right to know, right?

Still, she couldn't help but feel a sense of..guilt over what she had done. She had shoved Rudy into his room and locked him in there. She had imposed the ultimate grounding, where he wasn't allowed to even use the bathroom without her permission and without her being present. He must feel so trapped right now, unable to even sneeze without her being present. She wondered if she was going a bit too far with all of this.

No, she wasn't. Rudy was the one who went too far, she reminded herself. He had been parading around this world, treating these creatures as if they were human, being their 'guardian' or whatever he had called himself, and hadn't told anyone about it. The world was filled with hidden dangers, both familiar and the strange and bizarre. Rudy really could have gotten hurt in that world if he wasn't careful, and judging from what he had told her, she wouldn't be surprised if there were already several close calls. And the fact that her own daughter had been in this world...

She did her best not to let her old anger rise up. She took in a deep breath and sighed softly. She had taken care of it already. There was nothing to fear. Soon, everything would be straightened out, and that world would be properly dealt with.

Exactly what she would end up doing, she wasn't sure. The first thing that came to her mind after she locked Rudy up was genocide. Complete destruction of that world. She then realized how crazy that seemed. She had no idea how large this place was, and if the human race were to declare such a thing... Wouldn't that provoke the natives to fight back...? A full blown war with unknown entities was not something she would want brought onto the world.

Since attacking the world was not an option, the only thing she could personally think of was locking the children out. Since chalkboards were the source of entry, perhaps the easiest solution was to cut off all their access to them. Remove them from their houses and perhaps force them to be home schooled, away from the chalkboards at their elementary school. She knew this was not a decision Rudy was going to enjoy, but regardless if he liked it or not, it would be for his own good.

Rudy was only ten years old. He didn't fully understand such dangers. To him, everything was probably fun and whimsical. Well...that might be a bit of a stretch. She didn't want to imply that her nephew was stupid which she knew he wasn't. But at the same time, she knew he was too young to fully comprehend some things, and he may not be fully realizing just how dangerous this chalk world could be.

She knew that, while Rudy was angry right now, he would come to understand her in time, perhaps even thank her for protecting him. She was only doing what she knew was right in order to keep him safe. She trusted that Mrs. Sanchez would have similar luck with her daughter. Perhaps even more so; Penny did seem like a reasonable kind of person and might come to understand their point of view much quicker. Then, after she informed her sister and Joe about this, they could talk more about what they were going to do with it.

She would call her sister, but she didn't want to ruin her vacation with her husband. Plus, this was something much easier discussed in person. At least there wasn't too long left to wait. Just about two days left, and that was it.

Tilly hoped that this whole thing would blow over soon. She hoped that they could return back to the way they were after all of this had been properly dealt with. She didn't like being Rudy's enemy. She didn't like doing this to him. She hated having to put him under such an extreme lock down. But how else was she supposed to keep him safe? How else was she to ensure that this..this chalk world wasn't going to hurt him? Rudy insisted that everything was fine, but her more seasoned mind told her otherwise.

What really got her wound up was the fact that he was risking his life going into this place just to help these..chalk creatures. These zoners... Why? Couldn't they take care of themselves? Why should Rudy bother caring about them or helping them? They weren't even truly alive... They were just drawings come to life, and Rudy was projecting humanity onto them. He was taking this make believe too far.

And despite not being fully alive, they were still dangerous. From what Rudy told her, a number of zoners could be malicious and lethal. He had even admitted that a few zoners had a grudge against him, which helped further solidify her decision to isolate him from that place.

Rudy needed to learn a harsh lesson. Just because something seems alive and seems sentient like a human doesn't make it so. She could name a few incidents where this was the case. ...okay perhaps not. This was brand new to her. It was a new lesson that she herself had just learned. And she would make sure that Rudy learned it as well. The zoners weren't his friends. They were just using him for whatever they want, and were acting on pure instinct. Rudy thinks of himself as their hero, but the reality was he was more likely just a pawn they were using for entertainment or something.

Perhaps she was being irrational about this. But she would rather be irrational than to take a chance with the zoners and risk losing Rudy or Sophie to them. She would rather be safe than sorry.

She turned her head and looked towards the steps. She again found herself wondering how Rudy was doing. Being locked up in his room certainly wasn't fun, she imagined. She wondered if he had tried to get out of his room. Perhaps...but it would have been futile as, even if he did succeed in unlocking the door, she would hear it and stop him.

The boy, if he wasn't trying to cheer himself up through art, was likely sitting on the ground or the window sill, groaning about how 'unfair' and 'uncooperative' she was being, despite the fact that he was the one who had been keeping this world a secret for two years and was resisting her attempts at trying to make him see reason. He would see things her way in time. He just needed a bit of time to cooldown, that was all.

She thought about going upstairs to check on him, but soon decided against it. Rudy could use a bit more time to himself to think about what he's done. Perhaps, after a bit of time has passed, he'd be more willing to speak to her and try to work things out.

She looked back at the television, which was shut off at the moment. She might as well put the TV back on and find something to watch. She lifted up the remote, pressed the power button, and began to skim the channels. Sophie stirred a little in her sleep, but soon began relaxed again, resuming her peaceful slumber.

Tilly hoped that things won't be so difficult for Mrs. Sanchez. She was certain she was speaking to Penny right now. She wished them the best of luck.

sss

Penny remained silent as she remained where she was, sitting down next to her mother on the couch. She had just finished talking with her mother about ChalkZone. She had told her mom what she wanted to know. She only told her just enough to help her understand, although on occassion, her mother pressed her on, getting her to tell more things than she had intended. Now that this part was over, all that was left was the aftermath. All Penny could do now was wait and see what her mother's decision was.

She felt scared. She had no idea what her mother was going to decide after this. There were several options available to her, and most of them were...less than pleasant, to say the last. She could only hope that her mother comes to understand her point of view, and doesn't do anything too drastic.

Her mother's decision wasn't the only thing that had her scared. There was also the fact that other people may have noticed something regarding ChalkZone, like her mother had, and was just keeping it a secret. Her mother didn't elaborate further on that, and Penny couldn't tell if her mom just didn't know or if she was deliberately witholding information. That didn't seem like something she'd do, but then she remembered how her mom had hidden the fact that she had seen a portal twice from her...

She was able to keep herself from hyperventilating, but just barely. Her mind was racing, no matter how hard she tried to keep it calm. She couldn't help but continuously ask herself many questions. Like... what were she and Rudy going to do if more people knew about ChalkZone? How would they keep them out? What would happen if these people teamed up to force the information out of them?

What if their own family aided them in this endeavor?

She shook her head. She had to try to stay more positive than that. She was certain that, if she just gave her mom a chance, she would listen. She was her mother, after all. Surely, she would listen to reason. Rudy's aunt and parents...they would eventually listen, right?

"So...this world really means that much to you?" Her mother's voice cut through the silence. Penny looked up at her mother and nodded her head. "I see.." Her mother turned her gaze towards the ground. "This is going to be a difficult decision for me to make..."

"Please, mom..." Penny said in a soft voice. "You have to..."

"I know how you must feel, Penny. I would probably feel the same way, too, if I were in your shoes. This world might not be too bad... Maybe you are right and it's safe." Her mom closed her eyes. "However, I cannot overlook the fact that this world, as you described, does have its dangers. And the fact you kept it a secret from me for months... I still find it hard to believe that you wouldn't trust your own mother."

"It wasn't about trust..." Penny tried to explain.

"As you have told me already. I still don't quite understand." Her mother let out a soft sigh, interlocking her fingers together. "Penita... whatever decision I make, I hope that you know that I only made it out of love. I don't want to lose you." She looked down at her daughter, her eyes filled with compassion and concern. "I don't want to see you get hurt..." She wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Penny hesitated, then hugged her mother back. "I know, mom..." She whispered softly. "I just...hope that you listened to what I had to say. I hope you know just how much I care about that place. I..I don't want to be separated from my friends there, mom. Please...I..."

Her mother let her go and placed her hands on her shoulders. The two of them stared into each other's eyes before Penny lowered her gaze. She soon felt a hand on her chin and, gently, her head was tilted upwards and she found herself looking into her mother's eyes once more, noting the small smile on her face.

"I will...need some time to think about this. But I promise you, Penny, I will take every word you told me into consideration." She gently stroked her cheek. "I'm sure that, whatever decision I make, you will agree that it was the right one. ...even if you don't agree with me right away."

Penny's eyes widened at this implication. "Mom...!"

"You can go up into your room and wait for me. I won't be too long." Her mom said. She paused for a moment. "And dear, please do not go into this... ChalkZone as you call it. Not until I make up my mind. Do you understand me?"

"I..." Penny hung her head. "I understand..."

"Good girl." Her mother said with a small, saddened smile on her face. "Now head up into your room. I will be up there in about an hour. I promise you that, by then, I'll have made up my mind."

sss

Howdy shivered in fright, having no idea where he was. He had woken up a few minutes ago, and though his senses had cleared up, he was unable to recognize his surroundings. Looking left and right, nothing seemed familiar to him. All he could see were a bunch of grey walls, a couple of shelves, and a single light over his head.

He was strapped in a chair, his hands bound against the arms of it. He attempted to get himself free, but immediately winced when he realized that there was something sharp underneath the bands. In horror, he realized that if he struggled too much, his arms would get sliced up. Shivering in fear, he realized quickly that he was trapped.

What happened? How did he get here? The last he remembered, he was looking in that forest... The name at the moment slipped his mind, but he recalled it was one of the newer ones. Then...nothing. His mind continuously drew a blank. He bit his lip, his eyes shifting from side to side. He wished he could remember what happened. The fact that he didn't... It weighed down heavily on him. There...just had to be a reason why he couldn't remember. But all the possibilities only led him to become even more worried.

A chill went up his spine. What if he had been captured by one of Rudy's enemies? Skrawl wouldn't be above using hostages, he didn't think. From what Rudy had told him, Skrawl would do whatever it took to seize power and control. If he were so inclined, he would capture someone to try to force Rudy into submission. Had this been what happened? Was he just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

No, something didn't add up with that. This didn't look like Skrawl's place. These books... They seemed...too scientific for him. Not that he'd know what that means. Just that...some of the words seemed too big, and... Howdy wasn't suer what it was, but something about this place seemed...off.

It didn't take him long before he was about to recieve his answer.

Suddenly, the room became more well lit. Not from any light in the room itself, but from a floating light source in front of him. The zoner had to shut his eyes and turn his head to allow himself time to adjust to the sudden brightness. He was not able to see why the light was floating at first. Only when his eyes adjusted did he look over and was able to see for himself what had happened.

There was a tall shadow before him, almost obscured in blackness. The light was held out in front of the figure, glowing brightly, casting them in the darkness. The figure slouched slightly, and the round head suggested either really smooth hair or they were bald.

The figure approached swiftly, and Blocky thought they could see a quick flash where the eyes were. The figure appeared to be wearing glasses. He thought he could see part of their face and a smile. And not a pleasant one. Before he could say anything, the lantern was placed right in front of him, allowing him to feel the heat of the light. Blocky gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, turning his head to the side.

"You were pretty eazy to capture, I muzt zay..."

Blocky winced at this. He didn't recognize the voice, but he already could tell this person was not friendly. The voice was...cold, icy professionalism. Not truly devoid of emotion, but any he could detect only made him feel more afraid.

The figure began to walk around him. The lantern was moved around, along his side. The zoner could feel the warmth creeping along, going from one side to the other. He kept his eyes shut, save for a small sliver where he looked around, trying to keep track of where the person was going. If it weren't for the uncomfortable heat that clung to his skin, or the brightness that ate away even with his eyes shut, he wouldn't know where the man was.

"I zot you would have put up more of a fight." A bitter chuckle. "Are all of you this eazy to capture?"

Blocky shuddered at this question. Even though the man hadn't elaborated, the intention was pretty clear. This man seemed like he was willing to capture more zoners, or...

Blocky resisted the urge to widen his eyes at this chilling realization. This man...could he have captured more zoners in the past? How many had he caught? Was...was he the one who...?

He let out a yelp of surprise when he felt a hand gripping the center of his chest, fingers pressing against his shirt collar. He was yanked forward. He flinched at the feeling of something sharp scraping against his wrists. He kept his head turned away, even as he felt the hot breath of his captor against his face. Slowly, he forced himself to open up one eye. In that instant, he could see the face of the person who captured him.

Old man. Bald with wrinkles upon his forehead. A pair of glasses setting on his face. Cold, dark eyes staring down at him. A white lab coat reminiscent of a scientist. But one thing struck Blocky the most.

It was a human...

That was enough to make his blood run cold. A human. A creator. The implications of that... The small zoner felt his heart pound against his chest. It was in that moment that he realized that he was in the Real World.

Flashes swept through his head, subjecting him to the horrors that he experienced the last time he was in the Real World. The dog... The being slurped to death, the being chased around.. It all came back to him, and for a moment, he was frozen in terror. He shivered as he stared at the man in the eyes, unable to turn away.

The man smiled at this. "I zee you realize your zituation. Zat is good. I would hate to have to wazte time teaching you the rulez." The man set the lantern on the ground next to the chair Howdy was strapped down on. "Now, maybe we can get ztarted, yez?"

Howdy took in a few quick breaths, trying to make sense of the situation he was. What did this man want with him? What was he going to do? How many had he gone after? What did he want?

The man blinked a few times before he leaned back. "Oh I zee. I forgot to introduze myzelf. I apologize about zat." He placed a hand against himself. "I am Doctor Von Doktor."

Howdy took in a sharp intake of breath. That name... Rudy warned him about this guy. He felt his body shaking harder. When he gained the courage to speak, he said, "I-It's y-y-you... B-But..."

"Ah, zo you have heard of me. Zat makez zings eazier. I don't have to tell you more about myzelf. I'm sure that...child told you all about me, right?"

Howdy swallowed hard. He wanted to say something else, anything. He wanted to beg the man to let him go. He wanted to ask him what was going on. He wanted to do something other than sit here and be quiet. But no words would come. He found himself simply staring at him out of fear, the chilling realization of who he was keeping him in place. Numbly, sucking on his lip, he nodded his head shakingly.

Von nodded his head. "Of courze he did. But..enough of him..." Von walked around behind Howdy. The puppet zoner looked up at him, his eyes widening further. "I want to talk about you."

"Wh-What do you want with me...?" Howdy whimpered. "I-I-I didn't do anything... I don't know why you..."

"Oh it'z nothing zat you did. It'z juzt zat.. My partner and I require a little...help."

"Help?" Questioned Howdy.

"Yes." With a few quick nods, Von moved around to Howdy's other side. He leaned a little closely. "You zee, we have been conducting experimentz. But we are..mizzing zome zingz. And it iz..complicating zingz to zay the leazt." He placed a hand on Howdy's shoulder. He squeezed it gently, making the zoner cringe. "We need zomeone to...be our delivery boy. Zomeone we can truzt to give uz zome goodz zo we can continue without risking...an unfortunate aczident."

Experiments? Unfortunate accident? What was he... Oh no... Howdy's eyes bulged wide as he stared at the man. The stretching smile on his face only cemented the zoner's growing terror of what the man was implying.

Howdy attempted to struggle. He tugged at his arms, trying to yank them out of the sharp, metal cuffs. He only succeeded in slashing one of his arms up a little. He yelped and cringed back. He could feel warm blood seeping down his arm. Trembling, he looked over at the cuff itself, noting that there was now red fluid staining his arm. Realizing that there was no way he could break through, he stopped.

"We would do it ourzelvez, but...you could underztand why we can't." Von said. "We can't have anyone trying to ztop uz. We have zome...planz."

"What are you going to do?" Howdy whispered.

Von cocked up an eyebrow. "Zat izn't your conzern right now, zoner." He released Blocky and moved around in front of him. "What I would be more conzerned about, if I were you, iz your...friend."

Howdy felt his heart skip a beat. "M-My friend...?" After a moment, he leaned slightly forward. "A-Are you the one who...?"

"Guilty az charged." Von said with a grin. "Oh he waz a handful at firzt. I do zink he won't be too much of a problem right now."

"What have you done to him?!" Howdy cried, his body shaking harder. "Tell me! What did you do?!"

"My...getting excited, aren't we? You should relax. Don't get yourzelf worked up over zomething like ziz." The man narrowed his eyes slightly, tilting his head to one side. "And az for what I did... I will not bore you with the detailz. I'll juzt zay I merely did zome teztz on him." He softened his expression, his smile returning. "And don't worry zo much. He iz alive."

"Where is he?" Demanded Howdy.

Von narrowed his eyes slightly at this demand. "You will zee him when I dezide you can. For now, you will ztay here. We have zome zingz to dizcuzz."

Howdy turned his head away. "What do you want from me?"

"Blocky iz getting pretty weak."

Howdy shot him a horrified expression. At this, Von chuckled, a grin spreading across his face.

"No, not like zat. He iz juzt..hungry and needz water. Unfortunately, he can't have anyzing here." The scientist folded his arms behind his back. He paced around in front of Howdy. "Terry Bouffant and I can't very well have a dead tezt zubject...and we have more planz with him. We have to make sure he stayz alive. But we can't juzt waltz into ChalkZone, even with zee portal that we have. We need zomeone to be our errand boy. And you..." He pointed a finger at Howdy. "...are going to be juzt zat."

"Me...?" Howdy spoke in a questioned voice.

"Yez, you." Von confirmed, nodding his head. "You will be the one who will fetch uz zome medizine, food, and water zat we can use for Blocky, so zat he will not die while he iz with uz."

Howdy couldn't believe it. This man... He..he was the one who had kidnapped Blocky. He was the one who had kept him locked away from his friends. Was this were Blocky was this whole time? In the Real World? Experimented on...? What did this awful man and Terry do to him? Was he hurt badly? How far had this awful man gone with him? Did he need help?

Howdy felt a burning sensation eat away at his stomach. He had no idea just what Blocky was subjected to. All he knew is that, whatever it was, it would be far too horrible for the poor guy to be put through. Something that he did not deserve. Howdy could just picture Blocky now, laying on the ground, in pain, begging for help. Trembling in his chair, a mixture of anger and horror rising up inside of him, Howdy resisted any temptation to yell at the man before him, knowing that nothing he said will help the situation.

This man had Blocky. If he made one wrong move, then he could just kill him and then switch to him. Howdy didn't want that. Not that he wouldn't trade places with him, but he did not want the poor zoner to be killed. He..he didn't deserve that.

"All I azk of you iz to use zee portal to go back into your world, get the ztuff I ask for, and bring it to uz. You will be assuring zee zurvival of your friend if you agree to help. He will live longer. If you don't..I cannot guarantee how long he will remain alive. I can only do so much here." The man shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. It was clear that he did not really care if Blocky lived or died. To him, he was just a test subject, something to be experimented on, tested on, and nothing more. "It would be...unfortunate if he diez. I would hate to wazte time finding another zpecimen." He looked intently at Howdy. "I do hope that you will help ensure zat won't happen."

"Y-You want me to help you...?" Howdy asked in a low voice. "I-I can't help someone who is hurting my friend..." He wanted to struggle. The memory of his wrist getting cut was the only thing that kept him from doing so. "Wh-Why can't you just let him go?"

Von raised an eyebrow at this. "Why no..I can't do zat. Not after all zee trouble I went zrough in order to obtain a tezt zubject." He walked to Howdy's right side. He angled himself, bending his side as he positioned his head next to Howdy's side, his side to his back. "I know you wouldn't help me continue my experimentz. But I did zink that you would want to keep your friend from dying." With a swift movement, he exchanged sides, now towards Howdy's left. "You don't want zat, now do you? Or do you not care what happenz to him?"

Howdy struggled a little. "No! Please!"

"Ah, zo you do care." Von said with a darkened smile. "Well zen... I'm sure that you know what you muzt do." He moved out in front of Howdy. With his back turned to him, he said, "You have a choize. Either you agree to help uz, and give uz zee meanz to keep him alive..." He turned his head, looking at Howdy over his shoulders. "...or you will be witnezz to hiz death when zee time comez. The choize iz up to you."

Howdy remained silent, staring at the man for a few seconds in shock. He broke his gaze from him, lowing his head and looking left and right. He breathed heavily. His mind swirled, racing with many thoughts. What...what was he going to do?

He had been placed in a situation he didn't think he could win. He was given such a sadistic choice... His heart clenced at the thought. He could feel all his muscles aching for him to jump free and get away. He could feel the back of his mind trying to get him to act on instinct. He really wanted to run away from here, find Blocky, and get him out of this awful place. He was here somewhere. Scared, alone, hurt...

What was he going to do? His only options are either give food, water, and medicine to this man to ensure Blocky didn't die, or just let Blocky die from whatever got to him first.

In short, his choice would either kill Blocky, or prolong his suffering.

He shivered at the thought. He didn't want to make Blocky continuously suffer. If he had a choice, he would rather end his pain, but...given the type of person that he was, that type of option was out of his reach. He'd..he'd never want anything like that to happen. He wanted Blocky to live. He wanted him to be taken out of here, returned home with his friends, who loved him. He didn't deserve to be treated like some kind of lab rat, forced to endure experiments all for the sick desire of this man.

But..what options did he have? He had only two. Neither of them were something he would choose, but..he had to pick something, right? Maybe if he agreed to bring the medicine and such, he would be allowed to go back into ChalkZone. Yeah..then he could tell someone about what was going on. Then a rescue mission could be arranged.

"All right then..." Howdy hung his head in submission. "...as long as you promise you won't kill him...or do anything wreckless... I'll give you want you need."

Von grinned. "Exzellent. Oh and..." Judging from his expression, it seemed that the man had noticed something...but what? "If you try to tell anyone what happened..."

Howdy gulped as the man moved closer. He had known what he was going to do? What clued him in? Was it his expression? He leaned away as the man got very close to him, his hand squeezing his shoulder again. A finger pressed against his chin, tilting his head upwards slightly.

"Well, let'z juzt zay you will not like the resultz of zat..."

Howdy shivered at the man's cold threat. He shrank back in the chair, staring at him in fear. How was this man going to ensure that he didn't tell anyone? He wanted to ask, but his voice had left him. All he could do was stare at him in fear. The man smiled, moving his hand away. As soon as he did, Howdy turned his head to the side, gritting his teeth.

"I will take zat az a mutual underztanding..." The old man said. He straightened himself out, folding his hands and arms behind his back. "I take it we are now in agreement. Correct?" Howdy shut his eyes and nodded his head, not even bothering to try to argue. "Good." The man turned around. "I will leave you here for now. I will let Terry know, and she will take you to zee portal. Get whater she zayz and bring it back here."

Howdy didn't bother replying as he watched the man walk away. The door was shut, the hinges clanging, leaning him alone. He stared out ahead for a few seconds, his mind going through what had just happened. He gave a quick shiver, lowering his head. Realizing what he had just agreed to, the zoner couldn't help but shed a few tears.

Oh gawd...what did he... no... Why didn't he resist more? Why didn't he try for another option...? Why didn't he try to get the man to see reason? Why did he agree to this..? He..he had just agreed to prolong his friend's suffering... Oh gawd..he was a horrible person. He..he couldn't believe that he...

Tears cascaded down his cheeks, stinging them. He could feel his nose getting stuffy. His vision blurred, making it hard for him to see anything. He blinked a few times, the warm tears spilling out of them. He gritted his teeth, the chilling thoughts of what he did entering his mind. With a few shaky breaths, he shut his eyes tightly, sniffling. Blocky... He hoped that he would forgive him.

After a few moments, Blocky tried to settle himself down. He had to remain as calm as he could. He..he would find a way out of this. He just had to believe in himself. He couldn't let himself lose hope. He had found a way to get Dumpster to not hurt him. He would find a way out of this situation as well.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps outside the door. He lifted up his head. His blurred vision could detect shapes moving, and he heard the sound of the door opening. Green and red greeted his vision. This was not the same person before.

"You're Terry, aren't you...?" Howdy croaked, giving a loud sniffle. The woman froze, as if surprised. "I-I was told you were coming..."

"I see. Well yes, I am Terry Bouffant." She folded her arms against her chest. His vision was still too blurry to tell what kind of expression she was giving. "So...you are the one Doctor Von Doktor chose to be...the deliveray person?" She moved her head up and down, as if to give him a quick examination. "How pathetic..."

Howdy resisted the urge to glare at her. He blinked his eyes a few times, trying to flush away his tears. "Are you going to take me to the portal or what?" He paused for a moment. "I'm sure you don't want your test subject to die..." He tried to hide his bitterness, not wanting to make the situation worse.

Terry nodded her head up and down. "That is correct." She walked over towards him. "I will release you from your binds." Her voice darkened. "But no funny business. Remember, you are trapped here. You have nowhere to go. If you try to escape, if you do anything to cross us, then we will not hesitate to get you..." The woman took out an object from her pocket. She brought it up to Howdy's face. "...with this."

Howdy felt his heart freeze when he saw what the woman was holding. It was an eraser... Howdy stared at it, unable to tear his gaze away from it. He shivered, staring at the seemingly mundane object that appeared deceptively harmless. Howdy knew better. All it would take was a gentle rub from the underside of that thing, and then...

The zoner shivered in fear. The bottom might look smooth, but to him, it was akin to a lot of tiny hooks, scraping away at his flesh through mere touch. It would be like when that dog licked him to death. Only this time, there would be no coming back into ChalkZone. No second chances... It would be over for him.

"I-I understand..." The puppet zoner choked out.

Terry smiled darkly at this. "Good. Still..." She looked down at the eraser. "I will keep this with me...just in case. After all, you might get some idea and..." She glared into the zoner's eyes, as if she wanted to drive the point home. After seeing Howdy cringe, she relented, softening her gaze. "I'm glad that you understand. Makes things a lot...easier."

Terry reached over and undid the cuffs that held Howdy in place. One by one, they came off. Howdy remained still and quiet as they were removed. As soon as the last one came off, he lurched forward with the pressure suddenly gone. He was hardly given any chance to recover when Terry grabbed onto his arm and yanked him out. The zoner gave a yelp of surprise and soon found himself dangling in the air.

Terry glared at him softly. "Now...come along with me." She released him, watching as he hit the ground with a thud. "And do not diddle dally. We do not have all the time in the world. ...well your friend doesn't anyway." She tilted her head to one side. "Got it?"

Howdy could only nod numbly. Without another word, Terry began to lead him down the hallway.


	16. Arguments

It is true what they say. The smallest thing can yield the biggest changes.

sss

Rudy panted heavily as he moved down the street quickly. He had no idea if his aunt realized he was gone or not. He didn't dare look behind him. He didn't dare try to see if there was any vehicle following him. His aunt would know right away where he had gone to. It would take no complicated deduction for her to realize he was going to Penny's, the person he wasn't allowed to see yet.

He moved himself as quickly as he could, not wanting to waste any time. He wasn't sure if Mrs. Sanchez knew anything about ChalkZone. He prayed that she didn't, that Aunt Tilly hadn't called and told her. It would complicate things otherwise.

What would Mrs. Sanchez think of him if she found out? Would she get angry at him for letting her daughter roam around this supposedly dangerous world? Would she forbid Penny from seeing him at all? Would she oust Rudy as some kind of...traitor? Okay, that seems a bit farfetched. Still, he knew the woman was not going to be happy if she found out, and he dreaded to know what her reaction towards him in particular was going to be.

A bit of anger boiled in his blood over this whole ordeal. He couldn't believe just how much time had been wasted here. He hadn't gotten a chance to head into ChalkZone yet. He needed to speak with Snap about what happened. He needed to go in and talk to some zoners again to see if there was any new word on what happened with Blocky. He needed to know if there were any unusual activities that would indicate Terry was making a move. There was just a bunch of stuff that he needed to know. And yet here he was, trapped in the Real World, trying to fix this problem.

Again, he felt bitterness towards his aunt. If she had just been more willing to listen, if she hadn't jumped to conclusions...

He shook his head. No, he couldn't continue blaming his aunt. He understood her sentiment and concern. She was just worried about him, and she really didn't know that much about ChalkZone. Being his aunt and Sophie's mother, of course she would be rather cautious and skeptical of this world they had been in. And he did keep this a secret from them for so long, and it may be hard for her to wrap her mind around why he had never spoken up about it before.

He realized that he was just as much to blame anyway. He should have made sure the portal was erased. If he had done that, then Terry wouldn't have her grubby hands on it. Oh...he hoped the zoners were okay. He hoped that Terry hadn't started to use the chalkboard to her advantage. The only comforting thing is that there was no broadcast about this sort of thing yet, indicating that Terry hadn't yet spilled the beans.

Exactly why, he wasn't sure. And at the moment, despite the fear of what she might be planning, he was still glad that she was keeping quiet about it so far. And hopefully one of the zoners would find the portal, and find a way to render it useless somehow.

Without that portal, Terry had nothing. No proof of ChalkZone. No hordes of people wanting to get in. The zoners would be safe.

Rudy stopped in his tracks when he saw Penny's house up ahead. He looked around, seeing no sign of Penny or her mother. He took in a deep breath and walked closer.

The aroma of the animals filled the air. Rudy took in a few sniffs and wrinkled his nose right away. He jerked his head to one side, putting a hand over his mouth and trying to resist the urge to vomit. Oh man... how do those two girls tolerate living like this? He had been here a few times, and he still wasn't entirely used to the smell. This was even worse, which means that...

Rudy widened his eyes as he realized that Mrs. Sanchez was likely coming out to do some late cleaning. He crouched behind a nearby tree as he heard the telltale click of a door opening. He peered over and looked towards the house.

Sure enough, it was Mrs. Sanchez. She had her cleaning outfit on, complete with gloves. Just like he suspected, she was going to do some sanitation work. On the one hand, this would make it harder to get into the house as she would be outside, and might spot him trying to get in. But on the other, she would be pretty busy cleaning and wouldn't be back up for a while. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to speak with Penny, just in case her mom was in on the deal with Aunt Tilly.

The boy moved forward swiftly. He looked over at where the woman was. She currently had her back turned to him. She was using the hose to fill up a large bucket of water, adding in some soap along with it. The suds practically overflowed off the edge. Rudy turned his attention back towards the door. He quickened his pace and opened up the door slowly. He took one more look at Penny's mom to ensure she wasn't looking, then he shut it.

Rudy carefully peered out of the window, keeping his head low. He could see Mrs. Sanchez looking over at the house, her head tilted over her shoulder. She must have heard the door shut. Rudy bit his lip, wondering why he had to be so loud. He felt his heart starting to beat faster when she moved towards the house. Then, after a few moments, she scratched her head and shrugged her shoulders. She turned and went back to do some work.

Rudy looked around the house. He didn't see any sign of Penny yet. She didn't appear to be downstairs at all. The couch looked a little messed up, so he knew she was down here recently. Perhaps she had gone upstairs. With that in mind, he ascended the staircase.

When he walked into her room, he immediately found his friend on her bed. Penny was rested on her back, her face staring up at the ceiling. It was hard to tell if she had even noticed him or not.

And her expression... It seemed like something was wrong. Penny usually didn't have this expression unless something was bothering her. The boy bit his lip, worry rising up in his stomach. He remained quiet for a few moments, his mind running through the possibilities. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it could be. Knowing that he didn't exactly have infinite time, he moved towards her, clearing his throat.

"Penny...?"

The girl tilted her head slightly to the side. She looked over and spotted Rudy. She simply stared at him for a few moments before she gave a small smile and nodded her head. "Hello, Rudy. I was..kind of hoping to see you."

"You were?" Rudy shook his head, realizing how stupid that sounded. "I mean..."

"Don't worry. I understand what you meant." Penny cut him off. "I was hoping to speak to you quickly. I...I need to...tell you something."

Rudy felt his heart clench. From her tone of voice, he knew this was not going to be good news. Well, it wasn't like he had anything good to say, either. At least they wouldn't be alone in that. "Yeah...same here." Penny looked over at him. "Yeah, something...pretty bad happened." He rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't think I'd get another chance to tell you."

Penny gave a small smile. "Are you going to elope with me?"

"What?!" Rudy cried.

"I'm just kidding." Penny gave a quick chuckle. Her smile quickly faded. She turned her gaze upward. "But in all seriousness, Rudy... I'm sure that you know that things have...gotten rather complicated."

"That's putting it mildly. Ever since that portal was stolen by Terry..."

"Not to mention your aunt finding out about ChalkZone..." Penny paused for a moment. Rudy stared at her expectantly. It looked as though she had more to say. She narrowed her eyes slightly, gritting her teeth, looking left and right. With an exasperated sigh, she shot herself up in the bed. She kicked the sides of her feet together as her mind looked as thought it was racing with many thoughts. "Rudy...my mom knows about ChalkZone as well."

At this, Rudy sucked in a quick breath. He stared at Penny in utter horror. He waited, hoping that it was some kind of mistake, or even a sick joke. But Penny's expression never changed. She simply looked at Rudy sadly, allowing the full impact of her words to hit him. Rudy replayed the phrase over and over again in his mind, feeling it practically echo within his own skill. His breathing increasing, he leaned his head back, and felt his blood turn to ice.

Penny's mom knew about ChalkZone... The implications of that... Oh no... How did she find out? How long had she known? Was she angry at him? He immediately turned his head out of the window, feeling his feet propelling him towards it. He scanned the front lawn for any signs of Penny's mother.

Penny seemed to note his distress. "It's okay, Rudy. My mom isn't upset with you."

Rudy felt some relief at this. But that didn't lighten the situation up by much. He looked at her worriedly and asked, "How...how did she find out?"

Penny lowered her gaze, her eyes halfway open. "She...saw a couple of portals in the past."

"What?!" Rudy stiffened up at this, his fingers spreading out. "How? Which ones?" He raised his hands up at his sides. "How could she have seen any of them? We had always been so careful and..."

Penny shook her head. "Not always as careful as we could be." She closed her eyes. "She saw you push my head into the portal after the Mother Tongue incident." Rudy's eyes widened at this. Penny looked at him and added, "And she saw your portal usage at the concert you snuck to."

Rudy felt his heart skip a beat at this, his mind getting a shock of lightning. He flashed back to those incidents. Penny's mom had seen him...? He didn't realize anyone was back there with.. And the concert...He thought everyone had just dismissed it as an act, an illusion. But Penny's mom had seen right through it... Why didn't she say anything earlier?

Penny turned her head to the side. "I'm just as shocked as you were..."

"I-I just..." Rudy clutched his head tightly, digging his fingernails into his scalp. "She never said a... Oh man..." He clinched his eyes shut tightly, baring his teeth. "Please tell me she didn't tell anyone else..."

Penny looked at him sadly. "I really don't know, Rudy. I'm sorry." She placed her hands under her chin. "I wish I could tell you... But she never told me."

Rudy felt like a large weight had just been dropped on them. His legs felt weak and wobbly. He stumbled forward as his strength rapidly left him. He placed his hand against the wall and leaned on it for support. He put a hand on his head and rubbed it. He felt his thoughts going a million miles per hour, his speeding heart keeping up with the pace of his mind. This...this was so much to take in. For a moment, he forgot what he had come here to tell Penny, and he found himself sliding along the ground, his legs giving out. Soon he rested in front of her now shut door, his body bent forward and his head down, his eyes gazing to the ground.

Just great... just perfect... Someone else found out about ChalkZone. And what made this worse was... it wasn't a recent thing. Penny's mom had...she had known... He wasn't sure to what degree, but she knew. And who knows who she might have told in the meantime, or what she had in mind. Just when he thought things couldn't possibly get any worse...

What were they going to do now? Penny's mom was a well respected vet, and knew more people than his aunt did. She certainly had more influence as well. If she had decided to do something about ChalkZone, the citizens of Plainsville would listen to her more readily than Aunt Tilly. And if that happened... Rudy shuddered at the thought of a zoner being experimented on by Penny's own mom.

"She's doing chores right now." Penny said.

"Yeah, I saw. I had to sneak past her to get in." Rudy replied. Penny gave him a soft glare. "Well I had to come see you and I was worried that if I got caught..."

Penny waved her hand out in front of her. "Oh forget about it, Rudy. The point is you're here now." She let out a sigh and clasped her fingers together. "Why don't you tell me what your news is?" She suggested. She raised up a hand in gesture. "Then we can work together to discuss a solution."

Rudy lowered his gaze. "Well, mine isn't as urgent as your mom knowing about ChalkZone..." He felt a cold chill go up his spine at that. "I hope she doesn't make things difficult like my aunt just did."

"I'm sure that my mom will..." Penny's eyes widened, suddenly becoming quiet. What Rudy said appeared to finally click with her. "What...what do you mean, Rudy?" The boy stared at her in sad silence. Penny's eyes furrowed with concern as she leaned forward, placing a hand on her thigh. "What's going on?"

Rudy folded his arms behind his back, shifting his body as though he had done something really wrong. He turned his gaze away for a few seconds. He wasn't sure how he was going to break this to her. He had never had something like this happen between them before. He didn't even know how long it was going to last. But he had to tell her.

Turning his gaze back towards her, he spoke in a small, solemn voice. "My aunt has forbidden me from seeing you."

It took seconds for Rudy's words to click with Penny. "What?! She said that?" Rudy nodded his head numbly. "But..but why...?"

"She wants me to stay away from you..." Rudy turned his head away again. "..and ChalkZone..." He then looked back at her. "..until she talks to my parents about it."

Penny put a hand to her mouth. "Oh...oh my..."

Rudy continued, "She feels my parents have the right to know. She wants to talk to them about this...and decide what to do with ChalkZone."

"Your aunt must be very concerned..." Penny pointed out.

"Well I still wish she could have kept her promise!" Rudy shouted, the old anger returning with a vengeance. Penny raised an arm part way and cringed. "She promised that she wouldn't tell my parents about it! Then she went around and..."

After a few tense moments, Penny asked carefully, "...did she tell your folks yet?"

Rudy shook his head. "So far, no. At least..I don't think she did." Rudy let out a sigh, forcing most of the anger to seep through his fingers. Being angry wasn't going to help him right now. "I just wish that she would listen to reason... She..she has no idea what she is doing. If she would just..." His voice trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

"I understand, Rudy. It can be really frustrating when someone doesn't listen to you. And you and I both knew that this would have been difficult, even if we initiated it. Our folks were going to be upset no matter how gently we broke it to them. I can't blame either of our folks for reacting this way. They must feel so hurt..."

"I know... It's still hard, though. Aunt Tilly made a mess of everything and..." He fell silent, shaking his head. He rubbed his forehead, wondering how they were going to get out of this mess.

"Rudy... your aunt was the one who told my mom about ChalkZone." Penny's voice cut through the silence.

Rudy felt ice shoot through his veins. He looked over at Penny slowly, horror etching on his face. "She...did what...?"

Penny spoke in a solemn voice, "She had called my mom earlier and told her." Rudy stared at her in shock, unable to look away. "To be fair, like I said, my mom already knew about some alternate dimension, but..."

"If she told you..." Rudy's mind became numb at the realization. "..then who else could she have told...?"

Penny sucked on her lip. "I really don't know, Rudy. I hope she hasn't told anyone else. If she did.."

It wasn't necessary for Penny to finish. They both knew exactly what was at stake. If Rudy's aunt did tell more than just Penny's mother, it would mean devastation for ChalkZone. Even if they got their parents to be less suspicious of ChalkZone and more accepting of it, there was no guarantee the same would spread to whoever was told of this place. And what if the word spread further? If Aunt Tilly did something so foolish... who knows how far the news might have spread by now...?

Rudy took in a few quick breaths, gripping his shirt tightly, feeling his heart racing. His mind's thoughts raced through, just as quick as before, as he tried to cope with this new, possible reality.

He had let everyone down... The zoners, he let them all down. If he had just erased the stupid portal... If he had just stopped and made sure it was closed, none of this would have happened. It was his own stupidity that had enabled this to happen and he had no one to blame but himself.

Now all of ChalkZone could be in trouble... Not just Blocky. And poor Blocky..he hadn't even been able to help find him. He had no idea what could have happened to him. There were ideas, and he and Penny thought they had a lead, but nothing concrete. He hoped that, wherever he ultimately was, that he hanging in there.

Then something entered his mind. There was a bit of detail he had almost forgotten about. He had dismissed it at first, but..he wondered something. He turned his attention to Penny, who looked at him with an expression of curiosity.

"There's something I just remembered."

"Oh?" Asked Penny. "What is it?"

"I had overheard something Sophie said. While I was trying to wrap my head around the situation with my aunt, Sophie had kept trying to play with me. She kept talking about green paper and wanting to draw on it." Rudy gritted his teeth as he replayed the scene in his head. He couldn't believe he didn't make the connection until now. "I dismissed it, as my mind was elsewhere, for obvious reasons of course."

Penny nodded her head. "Continue."

Rudy said, "Well...I can't help but wonder..." He paused for a moment. If what he was about to say was true, then that would alter what he and Penny thought might have happened. "What if that green paper...was Blocky?"

Penny's eyes widened at this. "What makes you think it could have been him..?"

"Because he's green, Penny." Rudy pointed out. "And he's flat. He is practically living paper. He's not like Snap, who has dimension unless he's flat against a wall. Blocky's flat all the time." He paused for a moment to let this information sink into Penny's head. Then he continued, "Sophie could have been the one to drag Blocky out into the Real World..."

"But...we would have seen it, right...?" Penny sounded uncertain and wary. "I mean..we couldn't have missed something like that. We..."

Rudy narrowed his eyes softly. "Considering all the chaos that went on, and the confusion, and trying to get everyone to the hospital.. Yeah I can see how we could have overlooked this."

Penny lowered her gaze, her mouth dropping open. "I-I don't believe it..."

"Neither can I, Penny." Rudy clinched his eyes shut tightly. "She must have dragged him into the Real World while we weren't looking!" He felt like kicking the ground. He resisted the urge to do so. "We should have been paying more attention! If that is the case... we have even less of an idea of where Blocky could be! He could be anywhere now!"

Penny looked at Rudy sympathetically. She got up from her bed and swiftly made her way over to him. She knelt down onto one knee and placed a hand on his shoulder. She gently squeezed his shoulder as she kept her gaze leveled with his eyes.

"It's okay, Rudy." She whispered gently. "We will find him. Somehow. Y-You'll see..."

Rudy could detect the slight shakiness of Penny's voice at the end. He didn't bring it up, but it did remind him of how desperate the situation has truly become. All because he didn't close the dang portal...

What was he going to do now? He had no idea how he was going to fix this mess. He grabbed onto his head, digging in his fingernails, and gnashed his teeth together. Despite Penny's comfort, he could feel the guilt eating away at him. Oh if only he hadn't been so stupid... This all could have been easily avoided if he had just been paying attention, if he had just remembered one simple thing...

He took in a few deep breaths, Penny's words of comfort now finally started to get through to him. She was right. He couldn't keep blaming himself for this. What happened has happened and there was nothing he could do about that fact. Right now, they needed to focus on fixing these issues. It was going to be tough, their hardest challenge yet. But they may succeed if they just try hard enough. They have been through tough scraps before. They may rise out of this one as well.

Rudy smiled gratefully at Penny. He was glad to have her around to knock a bit of sense into him. He halted when he noticed her expression now. Not the same comforting one from before, but rather one that was...worried. He bit his lip and leaned towards her. Now it seemed it was going to be his turn to be the comforter.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"There is something else I need to tell you. I have been meaning to bring this up for a while, but with all that's happened... Well anyway, it concerns Doctor Von Doktor."

Rudy felt his heart skip a beat at this. "What about him?"

Penny stared at him in the eyes. "He was over at my place a couple days ago." She paused for a moment, looking left and right. "He...he had been trying to..."

Rudy narrowed his eyes, clenching his teeth. "I can't believe that he would try that same thing again..."

"My mom kicked him out." Penny said. Rudy was glad for that. Penny continued, "He did show up later... I had...stopped breathing somehow..and he saved my life. That is the story he says anyway..."

Rudy stared at Penny, wide-eyed. She had stopped breathing...? The thought caused a chill to shoot down his spine. Immediately, he seized his friend by her shoulders and yanked her towards him. "What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine, really." Penny gently pushed his hands away. "I was just a little...off for a while. That's all."

Rudy said in a stern voice, "Tell me what happened..."

sss

Blocky awoke in great pain. He let out a yelp of pain, the brief reprive he got from being unconscious now completely over. He tried to sit up, but was immediately stopped, a sharp, wrack of pain sweeping through his side. He screamed and he fell flat against the ground once more. He shivered in agony, tears flowing down his face.

Relief...how often had he felt that lately? How often had he been in shere agony, struggling to even take a breath? Not a whole lot, he knew. He had experienced nothing but pain and fear since he got here. And as the pain sharpened his mind, it also brought back more memories of what had transpired here, leaving him no longer confused. But he wasn't sure if he would consider himself all that lucky to remember this stuff.

The zoner looked at his side. It was currently bandaged up. He could feel the warm cloth pressing against it, covering what he knew was a large, water induced gash. He dare not untie the bandage to look, despite curiosity. He knew how he was going to react. The last thing he needed right now was a heart attack.

He took a moment to look around the enclosure that he was in. Lifting up his left arm, he was able to determine that he wasn't strapped down. Either he never was, or the restraints had been moved. There was a fleeting tug in his chest. Was it possible that his captors had felt sorry for him and let him go? But then, with a growing weight in his stomach, he realized that couldn't be the case. After all the trouble they went through to get him...why would they waste all their efforts by releasing him?

It was strange, though, how there didn't seem to be any walls at first. He could see everything pretty clearly, and nothing appeared to be obstructing his view. He shifted himself on the ground, wincing in pain, as he tried to figure out what was going on.

Only after a while did he notice something was up. The vision around him wasn't perfect. It was a little blurred. Was it his own eyes? No... His hands and feet didn't look distorted. He realized that there had to be something in front of him. Only a few seconds were required for him to realize he was trapped in a glass prison of some kind. Left and right, he looked, feeling his heart pound in his chest. He was truly trapped.

At first, he thought he was going to suffocate. He then noticed there were some small holes, allowing air to flow through. He let out a sigh of relief as he realized he was not going to run out of oxygen. He thanked the creators that Real World air was at least manageable to zoners and vice versa.

He stared intently at the opening. He wondered...would he be able to fit in through there? The hole wasn't too small. Perhaps if he could work up the energy, and ignore the pain he was in, he'd be able to fold himself up and squeeze through the hole and get out. His hopes were dashed when he noticed that the holes all had jagged edges to them. They looked like they were carved in manually. It was as though his captors suspected he might try that, even with relatively small holes, and did something about it.

He grabbed his head tightly, rubbing it. There were some things about his encounter here that he did not remember, or only could recall bits and pieces of. He had no doubt in his head that this was the result of whatever they had done to him. He felt no sharp sting of a needle, yet his head was swirling and aching, a feeling that was so familiar. Yes, he had experienced this before. What had they done to him?

He didn't dwell on this too long before his thoughts shifted around to something else. He wondered how his friends were doing. He had been gone for a while now, hasn't he? He no longer remembered, but judging from how hungry and thirsty he felt, he knew it was over twenty-four hours at least. At the thought of this, he licked his try lips a little, feeling his stomach growling. Somehow, he doubted he was going to get a decent meal anytime soon.

He wished he could see his friends again. He didn't want them to worry. He wanted to show them that he was okay, that he was fine. He wanted to go home, reunite with the ones he cared about. He knew they were out there, somewhere, searching for him. He bit his lip, his heart twisting at the thought of his friends being so worried about him. He felt a tear forming in his eye.

He had to find someway out of here. There had to be a way to get out. He just had to suck it up, try to cope with the pain, and find a way out of this glass prison. Maybe if he hit against it hard enough, he could get out and...

But then what? He didn't think he'd be able to get that far without one of the two adults spotting him. With the pain that he was in, he would be hindered, and wouldn't be able to move as fast. He would be caught very easily, and then they would put him in an even stronger prison. Or they could perform a cruel experiment on him for nothing more than punishment. Or perhaps, they would even kill him. Then his friends would have nothing left to find but a...a corpse..

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door opening. With a loud creak and shadows creeping along the ground, Blocky noticed a somewhat tall woman approaching. He let out a small whimper when he realized it was Terry.

The woman was approaching his enclosure with some small bag in her hands. He started to shiver in fright, wondering what he was going to do with her. Was this another of those horrid experiments? He looked up at her pleadingly, begging her not to do it. But she ignored his gaze, continuing to stare at him coldly as she moved even closer. She would be at his enclosure any second, and with too much pain to even ry to fight back, there was no way Blocky could avoid whatever fate this woman had in mind for him.

Blocky begged. "P-Please...don't hurt me..."

"Oh shut up." Terry snarled at him. "Quit your belly aching. I didn't come here to hurt you."

Blocky felt some relief at this. But this was short-lived when confusion began to take hold. "You...weren't?" Terry shook her head. Blocky stared at her for a couple seconds. "Then..what are you here for?"

Terry raised the bag up in her hands. "Feeding time." She shook it, the contents making themselves known. Upon seeing Blocky's expression, she added, "Yes, this food is from ChalkZone. As for how I got it... you do not need to know the details of that right now. Let's just say we had a little...help..."

Blocky had no idea what she meant. He would have tried to ask her, but he knew it would have been useless. She would not speak. So he remained quiet and watched as the woman lifted up the lid on top of his enclosure, which was secured by some locks. He stared up at her, still on his back, still in pain. She glared softly at him, showing no remorse or kindness or anything. She lifted up the bag over him and, with a snarl, she let go.

The bag fell down and, a second later, hit Blocky against his stomach, near his side. He let out a yelp of pain, holding onto his side, seething. The bag rolled off of him, its contents spilling out. Blocky didn't pay attention, his currently locked in pain.

"Enjoy your meal, zoner." Terry hissed before she walked away, leaving him alone.

sss

Rudy stared at his friend. His mind replayed what Penny had said in his head over and over, but he still couldn't make full sense of it.

Von had been over at Penny's house and...saved her life apparently. But why would he do that? Why would Penny suddenly not breathe? Something about the whole thing just felt...wrong to him. Now he wasn't an expert or anything on medical stuff, and Penny's mom didn't really seem to notice anything really all that strange about what the man said. But he still had some suspicion about the whole thing.

It wasn't that he thought that Von would have hurt Penny or anything. It was just that... Von wasn't the kind of person whom he would trust with something like that. He was more the kind of man who would focus on his own problems than focus on others. To him, Von would have just walked by Penny without caring to notice. And didn't it seem really strange that he would just so happened to show up while she was choking?

Yeah, something about this didn't quite add up. Penny agreed as well, as she was feeling a bit suspicious herself. Unfortunately, she was not able to recall enough for Rudy and her to get a better idea of what could have happened. Penny believes that their best bet is to go out in the back where her mom was working and revisit the scene of the crime. But that wouldn't work well; not with her mom out there. They needed some other way.

But Penny insisted it was the only way they can get any information. Despite Rudy's protests and cause for concern, Penny told him that if they are going to get to the bottom of what happened, the only way they would is if they go back to where she remembered waking up.

"But...what about your mom, Penny?" Rudy asked. "Wouldn't she...?"

"I know it's a risk, Rudy." Penny said. "But...Von is up to something. I don't trust him, and neither do you."

"Yeah, but... I don't know if your mom will be happy to see me. And with this whole thing with ChalkZone..." Rudy's voice trailed off. He lowered his head. Although he knew he had his reasons, he still felt a pang of guilt for lying to his folks for so long.

Penny looked at him sympathetically. "It'll be okay, Rudy. We'll just wait my mom comes back into the house."

"What? But..." Rudy started to say, but Penny cut him off.

"My mom goes into the office in the lower level to answer emails and calls from clients, and to crunch in today's data. She'll be in there for a while, which will give us time to look around the back." Penny suggested. Rudy still looked unsure. He knew something could still go wrong. Penny gave him a reassuring smile and touched his shoulder. "It will be fine. I promise." She tilted her head to one side. "You don't think I would lead you astray, now do you?"

Rudy shook his head. "No of course not!" He said quickly.

"Good." Penny folded her arms and smiled. She turned her head towards the window. "My mom should be coming back into the building soon. Once she is, she will be in her office for some time. How long she is there varies." She looked back at Rudy. "But that should still give us a window of opportunity. We can slip out of the house and do a quick look around. Hopefully we will find something out of place."

"But..." Rudy just realized something. "What if we don't find anything? I mean, your mom was out there before, and..." He raised his hands at his sides. "She hasn't found anything yet, has she?"

Penny shook her head. "No... But that's because she wasn't looking. She completely bought Von's story. And she was so worried for my health and focusing on me that she hadn't really spent time checking the accuracy of that man's story."

Rudy frowned his eyes at this. Not that he could blame the woman for worrying so much about her daughter, but he wished that Mrs. Sanchez had shown at least some initiative. It would have been understandable if she were unaware of the man's past actions. But she was no stranger, and she had even been smart enough to kick him out. But her daughter stopping breathing, and the man just happening to be there and reviving her... and she doesn't at all think this is some kind of weird coincidence?

Rudy wasn't sure what the man's motives were for coming. He didn't know what he had up his sleeve in saving Penny like that. But he was going to find out somehow. The man was up to no good. He had tried coming after him and then he went after Penny, and he was certain it had to deal with ChalkZone.

For now, he and Penny would wait until the right time to make their move. He was still nervous about her mother catching him, as he didn't know her whole view on ChalkZone. But he pushed those feelings aside as he tried to focus on the mission at hand. Penny was right. They needed to at least try to get some information, and if she assures him that her mother isn't going to interfere with them, then he should believe her. Penny doesn't lie about that kind of stuff.

Rudy and Penny sat in the room together and waited. They were mostly quiet, listening intently to the partially cracked open window. Rudy waited for Penny to give the word, since she would be the first to realize if her mother was heading back into the house or not. They stayed away from the window, knowing that Rudy's cover could easily be blown if Mrs. Sanchez looked up. They also tried not to make too much noise, not wanting to somehow attract the woman's attention.

During their wait, they did talk a little bit about Blocky. The fact that Sophie may have been the one to drag him into the Real World did shake things up a bit. Rudy had no idea where he was going to start searching now if that is the case. Penny assured him that Blocky wouldn't have gone far, and that perhaps he was waiting around the side of the house, hidden from sight. It was a best case scenario and she admitted it was a bit of wishful thinking. It was one case where, in the end, they both agreed him being captured might be a better option as it meant that they had actual places that they could look.

Rudy felt awful for not trying to look for his friend earlier, in case he was hiding around the house, too afraid to show his face. He wished he had thought of doing that sooner. Penny assured him the best she could, but despite her words, Rudy still felt a level of responsibility.

After a while, Penny raised her head up and looked around. She quickly told Rudy in a low voice that her mother was back in the house. Rudy nodded his head in understanding, and waited silently with Penny, looking to her for the signal. After a few moments of Penny standing near the door, listening intently, she gestured to Rudy to follow.

The two children headed through the house as silently as they could. They descended the staircase silently, their footfalls as light as they could make them. They casted a worried glance at each other once in a while, especially when they heard some noises that suggested Penny's mom was coming back. Nothing happened, but they quickened their pace nonetheless. They soon reached the door. They paused and looked around, making sure that Penny's mom still hadn't heard them. They then shut the door and they headed outside.

Rudy followed Penny as she led him to the back, where the animals were kept. Rudy hunched his shoulders when some of the animals began to make some noise, such as one of the dogs barking. Penny grabbed his arm and hurried him along, assuring him that her mom will likely think nothing of it if he didn't stick around too long to provoke further barking.

Soon they reached the area where Penny claimed to have woken up. Rudy looked up and down, noting that they were behind the massive red barn where the horses were kept. In front was the brown-colored fence and tall trees, keeping the area in some speckled shade.

"This is where you..." Rudy started to say.

"Yes, Rudy. I already told you." Penny said, folding her arms. "Or were you not listening?"

"Sorry. I just want to make sure." He went down onto one knee. He looked around, his eyes scanning the grass around him. He stopped when he realized something. "Uh...what exactly are we looking for again?"

Penny was already on the ground, looking. "For anything suspicious."

That didn't exactly narrow anything down. Rudy didn't know what they could be looking for, what would constitute as suspicious. The ground would have all kinds of marks, different footprints, animal hair, feathers, some...unmentionable things... How would they know when they find something that showed something was off that day? No way to know until they looked, he guessed. So following Penny's lead, he began to scower the ground around the back of the barn.

So far, the searching came up empty. There was nothing too strange about the ground here. Just what they would expect from a house that was also a vet. Still, they searched, covering every drop of ground in front of the barn's back, even going all the way to the fence if they had to.

But nothing was coming up. Rudy, feeling his back and side getting sore, straightened himself up. He put his hands on his hips and looked around. Penny was still searching. Her expression showed that she was having trouble as well, and he was surprised that she was keeping up the pace. Rudy tore his eyes away from her and looked around. He could see the grass bent where he and Penny had walked continuously. And still...nothing.

Rudy was about to say something when a shout from Penny caught his attention. Turning over towards her, the small boy rushed over to her side. The girl was on her knees, staring at something intently. Rudy couldn't see what it was at first and asked Penny over and over what she was staring at. Wordlessly, Penny reached down and grabbed something off the ground with a pair of tweezers. Rudy couldn't see it as Penny lifted it off the ground, squeezed between the metal tips.

"Well...isn't this interesting?" Penny said softly, her eyes glued on something that was practically nonexistent.

"What is it?" Rudy peered as closely as he could. But he still saw nothing. "I don't see anything."

"It's a broken piece of a needle." Penny said. She didn't take her eyes off the thing. Her frown spread across her face. "I think something more than just me passing out happened here..."

Rudy's eyes widened in horror. A needle? He wasn't surprised by the presence of a needle, as Mrs. Sanchez had to use them with her animals. But a broken piece of needle out this way was not something he expected to find. The woman was usually very careful with needles and she did not use them in the back of the barn. The presence of a needle tip in the same place as Penny had passed out painted a very horrifying picture.

They looked at each other at this realization. What this was implying... If that man had... Oh gawd what the fuck did he do...?

Before they could say anything to each other, they heard footsteps approaching them. Fast, energy-filled, the sound of angry panting. The two children froze as the tall shadow of Mrs. Sanchez stood over them, her anger-filled eyes staring down at them.

The two children stared up at her in silence for a few seconds. Penny was the first one to speak.

"H-Hello, mom..." Penny grinnd nervously, her arms behind her back, kicking her leg nervously. "Um...how are you?"

"Don't try playing innocent with me, Penny." Mrs. Sanchez folded her arms behind her back. "I know that you were hiding Rudy in here the whole time."

"What? You...you knew I was here?" Rudy asked softly.

Mrs. Sanchez glared at him and nodded her head. "Oh yes. I heard you come into the house. The only reason I didn't say anything was because I was on a tight schedule." She turned her attention back to Penny. "I am certain that I told you that Rudy's aunt doesn't want you two seeing each other until we get this sorted out."

"Mom..you never told me..."

"Well I am now! Rudy Tabootie..." The woman turned her stern glance at the small boy. "I'm sorry, but you will have to leave. I already called your aunt and informed her of what you did." Rudy's eyes widened. "You can go back and have a chat with her. I'm sure she has a lot to say to you right now."

Rudy felt a cold shiver go down his spine. This was exactly the reaction he hoped he wouldn't get from this woman. She was driving him away, back home, and deliberately informed his aunt of his escape. He could feel his heart beating against his chest. He...he couldn't believe it... What was going to happen now?

He couldn't begin to imagine just what his aunt must be feeling right now. Hurt, anger, betrayal. She must be worried sick about him, and then to know that he had deliberately disobeyed her and went to Penny's... Oh she was going to blow a casket when he got back. He could feel his cheek stinging and he gently touched it, imagining a phantom hand striking him there again. He stared at the woman in silence, quietly begging her to let him stay or at least listen to him. But Mrs. Sanchez's glare never softened and she stared at him, waiting for him to reply or leave.

"No, please mom..." Penny grabbed onto her mother's arm. "Please let him stay. We're trying to figure out something that happened back here and..."

"Whatever it is..." Mrs. Sanchez took a step away from her daughter. "...I'm sure it can wait until after we get this mess with this..this...ChalkZone straightened up." She put her hands on her hips tightly, her glare never leaving her face. She looked at the two children as her frown deepened. "Don't think you two are going to..." Suddenly she stopped for a few seconds, a confused look plastering over her face. Then she spoke again, this time in a soft voice, "What is this...?"

The two children looked at each other in confusion, wondering what she could possibly have meant. They looked back at her in confusion, watching as she took a few steps towards Penny. Her eyes appeared to be looking at something, and when they followed her gaze, they soon saw it was what Penny was holding that caught the woman's attention.

Mrs. Sanchez reached over and took the tweezers from Penny's hand. She held it up towards her face, peering at it closely. A few seconds later, a look of horror washed over her eyes. She immediately turned to Penny.

"Where did you get this...?" Her voice had never been so thick with tension and fear before.

"It was on the ground..." Penny spoke softly. She pointed towards the barn. "Rudy and I were looking around, a-and I found it..."

Mrs. Sanchez stared at the two children in horror. She looked at the needle piece, shifting her gaze rapidly between it and Rudy and Penny. Then, seconds later, her eyes narrowed, a cold, serious look replacing her previous anger. The next words she spoke were through clenched teeth.

"Come with me."

sss

Penny was in absolute shock. She remained frozen where she stood, unable to believe the words that her mother had just spoken.

"You were drugged."

Penny kept her gaze into the ground, her heart nearly frozen, trying to come to terms with this fact. When her mother discovered the needle tip, she had guided her and Rudy into her lab, which was located in the basement of the house. She took the needle and compared it to one of the holes in her neck, previously dismissed as mere bugbites. When it looked as though the needle would fit in, her mother drew the horrifying conclusion.

Suddenly, the pieces began to fall together. Horror swept through her head as she realized what really happened that day.

Dr. Von Doktor hadn't helped her. He had drugged her. He was the reason she had passed out. He had snuck up on her, grabbed her, and drugged her. Memories flooded back, and suddenly Penny could remember distinctly being harrassed. She felt a cold shiver ease up her spine, the full terror of what happened coming to light.

Why did he drug her? Why did he just...inject her like that, and then do nothing? Or did he do something? Penny had several terrifying thoughts of what might of happened, even some less than pleasant things. What was the purpose of drugging her? She couldn't think of any reason that he would. Did he just...forget to take her with him or something?

Penny couldn't believe that she had forgotten about this. She couldn't believe that she wasn't more suspicious of the so-called bugbites on her neck. She should have realized that something was up with them. She knew her mother felt the same way. Her mother looked like she could kick herself in the fact for not noticing something wrong with her daughter, being a vet and all. Penny wanted to reassure her mother, but at the moment, she was too frozen in shock to say anything for a while.

Then her mother made another chilling discovery. After she had taken some blood from her to run a test, Penny started to scratch the back of her neck. When her mom noticed, Penny was forced to tell her that, ever since the incident with Von, she occassionally had an itch there, and thought it was just another bugbite. Now knowing just what Von did to her daughter, her mom insisted on having it looked at.

Penny felt the tension in the room rise when she brought out some kind of...weird device. She had seen her mom use it before, and she was familiar with its functions. She just never could remember the name of it. She held still as her mom moved it up and down her body slowly, the two prongs at the end close to her. After a few moments, her mother had found something.

She had a tracking device in her...

Penny could hardly believe it. Even when her mother confirmed it verbally, even though the device couldn't be wrong, she found it hard to digest. She looked over at Rudy, who was just as horrified as she was about this whole thing. Penny had been injected with a tracking device... She felt her heart rate speeding up. Was...was Von...?

Penny sat down on her bed, her fingers interlocking together. After the uncomfortable conversation they all had about what Von might be doing, Penny was sent up to her room. Rudy was told to go with as well. After what happened with her, her mother didn't want Rudy to also fall victim, or a chance that Von would get her again as well.

She turned her gaze towards the door. She could hear soft speaking from outside. Her mother was speaking with Rudy's aunt about this new piece of information. They were likely talking about calling the police, although Penny didn't know how they were going to prove what happened.

She hadn't spoken a word since they had gotten into the room, and neither did Rudy. They were both silent, each in their own thoughts. Penny occassionally looked at Rudy, seeing his eyes furrowed as he was clearly thinking as hard as she could about this. Penny herself, her mind was a raging whirlpool of thoughts. It was hard...no, impossible to relax.

Von putting a tracking device in her... What could this be implying...? Why would he do that? The only thing that she knew was that he wanted to prove perpetual motion. But how would he do that if he merely tagged her? Did he think that she was going to lead him to some new, great place?

"It was you..."

Penny jerked at this. She turned her head towards Rudy, her eyes widened. She almost never hears Rudy speak in that tone of voice. From that alone, she could tell just how angry and serious he was being.

"Rudy, I..." Penny was confused. She tilted her head. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

Rudy didn't look at her. He kept staring off to the side. His body was stiff, rigid. "You were the one who led him to ChalkZone..."

"What...?" Penny felt ice shoot through her veins. "No, Rudy...I..."

"Don't you lie to me, Penny!" Rudy's body started to shake, anger radiating off of him like smoke. "You had the tracker. He had the device. He tracked you down. You led him to ChalkZone. You're...you're the reason he has that portal..."

"We don't know if he has the portal, Rudy!" Penny protested. "Remember, your aunt said that she sold it to Terry and..."

"...and some old guy, who may have been Doctor Von Doktor!" Rudy snapped. He shot her a glare, his pupils shrinking into dots. "They have the portal now, Penny! They can get into ChalkZone! They are the ones who captured Blocky!" Penny wasn't sure how he could be so certain. There was no proof that he was kidnapped. "And it's all your fault!"

Penny snapped her head back, staring at Rudy. Disbelief swept through her as she stared at her friend. Rudy was glaring at her, his face filled with hostility. The loook in his eyes, it was chillingly familiar. When Michelle seemed to forget to invite her and Rudy to her party, Rudy had just snapped. And now, that same expression was back.

Penny looked left and right, trying to think of something to say to calm down her friend. She raised her hands up, moving them slowly in front of her back and forth. "Now Rudy..take it easy.. Let's think rationally about this. Maybe..."

"Think rationally?! Oh that's good! You should have thought of that when you led them to ChalkZone! Where was your thinking then?!" Rudy shouted at her.

Penny took in a few quick breaths. "Rudy, please..."

But Rudy wasn't done yet. His voice tinged with anger, he continued, "You know what else? I'm sure that you going into ChalkZone from your place and coming over to mine showed Von that an alternate dimension does exist!"

Penny narrowed her eyes slightly. "I doubt he could even get a signal, Rudy..."

"Oh so you admit it?!" Rudy barked at her. Penny's eyes widened at this accusation. "You were aware that you had a tracker in your neck and you did nothing about it?!"

"No! I didn't say that at all!" Penny cried.

"Then what were you going to say?!" Rudy snarled at her.

"Rudy, look...I know what it might seem like... But I swear to you, I didn't know about the tracker!" Penny told him. She hoped that Rudy would listen to reason, but somehow, she had a feeling that he would not. "Please, Rudy. You have to calm down! We're not going to be able to figure anything out if you continue snapping at me like this!"

Rudy snorted at her. He glared harshly at her for a few seconds. Then, after a few moments of silence, he said darkly, "To think..our problems could have been reduced if you hadn't been so...so stupid!"

Penny gasped at this statement. Anger rising up inside of her, she pointed a finger at him and said, "You don't know that, Rudy! Blocky may still have been captured..if he was at all! You don't know if things would have been better or not!"

"And what if they were? What if Blocky had been able to stay in the room with Sophie? What if he wasn't dragged out at all? I'm sure that your little stunt helped Von believe in this place, and if he's working with Ms. Bouffant..." He ground his teeth, making Penny wince. A low growl eminated from his mouth. "Face it, Penny... Had you just been more careful, or actually used that big brain of yours, none of this would have happened!"

"It wasn't my fault, Rudy! And besides, what about you?!" Penny called back to him. At this, Rudy fell silent, his body stiffening at Penny's accusation. "You were the one who left the portal open! You were the one who left the fucking portal open! If anything, you're more responsible than me!" Rudy's eyes widened at this. "If you hadn't left it open, then even if Von and Ms. Bouffant got the chalkboard, they'd still have no portal! If anyone is to blame, it's you!"

Rudy stared at her in shocked silence. He then narrowed his eyes, letting out a soft growl. Penny snarled at him, and they bore their eyes into each other. The tension in the air increased as their bodies began to shake in rhythmn to their intense emotions. Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours. They didn't make a move to each other, didn't say a word. They just..stared, as if this was some kind of dominance display.

Then something tore them from their thoughts.

"Settle down, you two." Penny's mom said as she moved into the room quickly. The two children leaned back in surprise as the skinny woman got in between them, staring at them with a disappointed expression. "I'm surprised with you two. You're supposed to be friends and I know you can act more civil with each other than this." She folded her arms against her chest. "Perhaps Tilly and I should separate you two for a while."

Rudy and Penny lowered their heads in shame. Penny felt a pang of guilt for letting her anger get the better of her. She lifted up her head and looked over at Rudy. She was about to speak her apologies when her mother cut her off.

"Rudy, head down the stairs. Your aunt is waiting for you." Her mother said. Rudy hesitated, glancing over at Penny. "Now, Rudy." Her mom put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. "She wants to see you as soon as possible." She flicked her head. "So get moving."

Penny and Rudy locked eyes with each other for a couple of seconds. For a moment, Rudy glared at Penny, making the girl cringe. The boy turned and walked away, heading out of the room. Penny was about to go after him when her mother put a hand out in front, stopping her.

"Mom..." Penny stared to say. "It's not fair..."

"Penny, you can see Rudy later. This is not going to be a permanent thing." Her mother said. She grabbed onto her daughter and forced her back onto the bed. "And right now, we still more important matters on our hands."

"You're saying Rudy's not important?" Penny asked, her eyes narrowing.

Her mother shook her head. "No, it's not like that." With a concerned expression she continued, "Look, Penita... I'm just worried about you. That tracker..." She bit her lip, a flash of horror going through her eyes. "And I still haven't told you my verdict on ChalkZone."

Penny fell silent.

Her mother lowered her head and gave a soft sigh. "I thought about it. And my decision is..."


	17. Suspicions

Chapter 17: Suspicions

Third rule: uncertainty of a friend is not easy, but sometimes necessary.

sss

Rapsheeba bit her lip, her eyes gazing out towards the horizon before her. She stood on the very edge of ChalkZone City. She ignored the bustling of the zoners behind her, feeling thoughts filling her head, threatening to make it explode. Things hadn't been shaping up as well as they could be, and her worry and tension did nothing but increase since the other day.

She had led a large search party the other day. Countless zoners had joined her, along with Snap, to find Blocky. They had scowered all the lands nearby, and thoroughly searched around the city. No nook was overlooked. No crack skimmed over. Rapsheeba felt as though the search took hours..and in fact it did. From noon to evening, the zoners did nothing but search, some even neglecting their own needs to find their missing friend, as well as the threat to their livelihood: the portal.

The search, however, had turned up empty, much to their horror. They had searched a large many mile radius in all directions. Many zoners showed signs of wear and tear afterwards, collapsing on the ground and groaning in pain and exhaustion. Some drank many cups of water to replenish themselves and others just passed out entirely. And for their efforts, they had come up with nothing. No sign of their friend and no evidence of a portal. This naturally horrified them all.

Well most of them. A handful of zoners were skeptical and wondered if there was even a portal at all. They thought that the other zoners were being overly cautious and said that Blocky was probably so stupid, he went to the other side of ChalkZone to find home. They ignored the scorn they got from those who were Blocky's friends and went off on their own, claiming they had better things to do with their time than waste it looking for some 'green loser' or something.

Rapsheeba was furious with them, but she didn't dwell on it much. Those zoners don't really deserve any time or attention right now. What mattered more is that there were plenty more zoners who were willing to search, even if some of them were only doing so because of the portal issue.

She had led a quick search this morning when some of the zoners had woken up. They double checked in areas they had already been and then spread out their search radius a little more. They wandered in the outskirts of the land, in areas they never been, in hopes of finding any sign of the portal or Blocky. But just like before, they had no such luck.

Rapsheeba did her best to control the anxious feelings rising up inside of her. She knew no good was going to come from getting worked up. She tried to keep herself calm so she wouldn't lose her rational side.

But she didn't know how long she was going to be able to keep it up. As time passed, the horror of what could happen kept clinging in the back of her head, creeping up her neck and chilling her to the bone. Everyone knew the consequences of Blocky being in the Real World, or even just the portal existing at all. And the zoners most affected...

...were the ones who were old enough to remember...those days...

Rapsheeba knew little of these days as she had been lucky to have been created long after the problem was taken care of. Most of the elder zoners don't want to talk about it, and remained mum on the issue. It wasn't until she met Rudy, Penny, and Snap that she had learned the story.

According to Rudy, there was a time when creators were allowed into ChalkZone more freely. But they were out of control and created things at random. The kids likely didn't realize the zoners were truly alive and just did whatever they wanted to, leaving the zoners to clean up the mess. It was a quick description, but it was enough for Rapsheeba to realize just how truly terrifying a time that might have been. No wonder the older zoners were nervous.

And to think it might happen again... Rapsheeba was told that, back then, it had just been kids coming into ChalkZone and thus were easier to kick out, as most kids don't really have much ambition to do worse than 'draw whatever they wanted to'.

But adults...

Rapsheeba heard some sentiments from zoners that adults would be harder to take care of. They might not have the same level energy as children, but they had more intelligence and experience. They had the means and the will and the desire for more direct domination and control. At least some of them. If a human with the intention to take them over were to come, then they would be powerless to stop them.

Rapsheeba could only hope that the portal was found quickly, before it was too late. It was one thing to kick out children. But how would they kick out adults, who, from what she was told, could be a rather stubborn bunch?

Hearing a noise to her side, the female zoner turned her head to see what was going on. In the distance, she could see a small shape moving through the city. She was about to look away and shrug it off as nothing to concern herself with, but she noticed the zoner looked familiar. Her eyes widened when she was able to identify him.

"Howdy...?" She whispered in a soft voice.

The puppet didn't seem to take notice of her. He was holding something in his hands. A bag of some kind. Not a burlap one like in the movies, but a plastic one, as if he had just finished shopping or something. He was looking left and right nervously, biting his lip. Occassionally some of the zoners would appear to ask what was wrong, and whatever Howdy told them, it was enough to deter the zoners into not asking more questions.

Rapsheeba couldn't help but feel a burning sensation in her stomach. Not of anger, but of suspicion. Something just seemed..off about how her friend was behaving. It wasn't all that dramatic; he acted nervous before, like with upcoming performances. But it looked as if he was trying to slip away somewhere without being seen. He was moving through the crowd at an astonishing rate, his eyes focusing intently on something out in front of him. Unable to just stand around and do nothing, Rapsheeba followed him.

She kept out of his sight the best she could, keeping herself in the shadow and along the buildings and moving through the crowds. She watched as Howdy was going towards the edge of the city, which made following him easier. Rapsheeba merely had just one direction to go, and at this rate, she should cut him off soon.

Once Howdy reached the edge of the city, he paused and looked left and right. Rapsheeba hid as well as she could, narrowly missing getting spotted. The puppet zoner, once satisfied with knowing, or rather, believing, that no one was following him, he looked down at his bag. He rummaged through it, and, after a moment, tied it up and headed away from the city.

Rapsheeba recognized this route as being the one that led to his place that he lived in. This would explain why none of the zoners were overtly suspicious. Plus, he was kind of pretty well known and he never really acted in a threatening way before.

Rapsheeba wanted to dismiss it as just Howdy getting his groceries and just being nervous for an upcoming performance. But she couldn't bring herself to do that. She was completely unable to, her mind focused intently on the small zoner. She hated feeling suspicious of her friend, but she just couldn't help herself. Staring at the retreating zoner for a few moments, she took in a deep breath and she started to follow him.

At first, the route the zoner took almost seemed like it was the right way. She had only gone to this place once, so she might be remembering it all wrong. She continued to follow the small zoner, doing her best to keep a distance from him so he wouldn't realize he was being tracked down.

It wasn't until about half way there that Rapsheeba began to realize this wasn't the way to the zoner's house. She wasn't sure when it happened, but at some point, they had gotten turned around. She wondered at first if Howdy forgot which way to go, but that couldn't be it. He knew the way to his own house quite well. So..what was going on here? Where was the zoner headed, if not back to his own place?

Rapsheeba tried to continue following the zoner. She tried to keep up the pace, even as the zoner went through the jungle, and the vines kept tripping her up. It became harder and harder to follow the zoner, and she wound up lagging further and further behind. The paths he was taking, the obstacles that he inadvertantly forced her through, it was starting to add up and soon Howdy was pretty far into the distance.

She didn't want to do it, but she had to no choice. She had to start running if she wanted to regain some ground. Despite the thick vines in front of her, Rapsheeba pushed herself forward. She ran as fast as she could, pushing through the vines and snapping them as she moved through them. She wound up tripping again, letting out a small cry as she did so.

In horror, she realized her mistake. Turning her gaze to here Howdy was, she saw that he had stopped and was looking around for the noise. Rapsheeba widened her eyes and she immediately hid behind one of the tall trees. She was glad, in that moment, that she had fallen behind. From back here, Howdy could not hear her racing heart, or the loud breathing coming from her mouth. She didn't dare look until several moments had passed. Even then, she hesitated, worried that Howdy had spotted her, or would see her if she dared to look. It took all her courage to force herself to look out from behind the tree.

She could see Howdy still standing there. Thankfully, he wasn't looking in her direction. He appeared to be examining the contents of his bag again. This time, he wasn't as careful as he was before. Clearly believing that he was alone, she watched as she took out one of its contents.

Confusion gripped her head. A sandwich? Howdy was cautious over a sandwich? Normally, this would relieve her and she could just go back to her business. But no, something was wrong here. Why would Howdy be so nervous about carrying around a sandwich? And was that a drink there? And...medicine...?

Many thoughts raced through the zoner's head. What was Howdy up to? Why would he need to bring all that stuff here? Determined to find out, she crept closer, doing what she could to keep herself hidden in the shade of the trees. With Howdy holding still, she was able to get much closer to him, and soon Howdy was on the move again, with her following.

Soon, they ended up in the open field again. This filled the female zoner with tension. This was when she was the most vulnerable; if Howdy were to turn around now, she would be caught red-handed.

But Howdy never did look back. Now, more than ever, he seemed filled with determination to get to his destination. He had quickened the pace a little, forcing her to compensate. The puppet zoner moved across the field, looking around for something, his movements increasing in vigor. This filled Rapsheeba's mind with questions, the most prominent being: where was he going in such a hurry?

She soon got her answer. The puppet zoner suddenly came to a stop. She nearly tripped over her own feet as she managed to keep herself from falling forward. She tilted her head up and her eyes widened in horror. She recognized this place. The place was erased without a name, so it never got an official title. Most zoners had been calling it the Pencil Sharpener, mainly due to the structures being so sharp that one could use it like said machine. She winced, imagining the sharp edges hacking off a piece of her skin.

Why would Blocky come here? This would be the last place someone like him should be. He could easily get rippd to shreds in there. Even if she couldn't see his face, she could tell he was scared to enter it as well. Still, the zoner did not hesitate as much as she thought, and he wandered straight in. Her heart skipping a beat, she followed close behind him.

At first, it was pretty easy keeping up with the zoner without getting spotted. Rapsheeba did her best to ignore the knicks she got from some of the edges around here, and managed to avoid stepping into any of the...less inviting areas. Howdy was making his way through pretty quickly, suggesting that he knew where he was going, like he had been here before or something.

Soon, however, it began to get more difficult. The zoner began to trudge through some more complicated areas. The ledges got skinnier and narrower. The safe areas were fewer and far between. Most areas no longer even had a sturdy tree branch for her to hang onto just in case. Each time she took a step, she had to exercise more and more caution, allowing Howdy to get further in front of her.

Then she slipped up. She stepped down on a gooey part of the ground. A loud hissing sound, louder than usual, and her foot got stuck part way. She tugged at her leg, grunting in frustration. Though she freed her leg, she soon stumbled backwards and hit against one of the sharp edges. She emitted a loud scream as her lower back was lacerated, feeling blood dripping down her back. She managed to stand herself up again, but by then, it was too late.

Howdy was looking at her. They locked eyes with one another. The puppet looked competely shocked, his eyes unable to tear away from her. They remained like this, staring at one another, silent, unmoving.

Feeling her heart pounding in her chest, Rapsheeba attempted to reason with the puppet zoner. "Howdy... I just want to..."

Howdy's face paled, and he looked all around him, as if he expected something to happen. He turned back and stared at Rapsheeba. He spoke in a low, haunting voice. "You shouldn't have come. Please...leave..."

"Howdy, what is going on?" Rapsheeba said. She took a step forward, making Howdy cringe and take a step back.

"Please just go..." Howdy pleaded with her.

Rapsheeba gave him a sympathetic expression. "Please Howdy... Whatever is going on..I want to help... Please just..." She took a step closer.

"Just go away!" Cried Howdy before he turned and ran off.

Her eyes widening, Rapsheeba started to run after him. She struggled to catch up with him, shouting at him to stop. She kept tripping over everything, getting herself more cut up in the process. She didn't stop, however. Each time she fell down, she would just get back up again and run after him.

She was soon almost upon him. The singer prepared herself to lunge at him, spreading out her arms. She hoped that, by tackling him and forcing him to stay in one place, she can figure out what he was doing.

But she never got that far.

Howdy grabbed onto one of the longer, sharper branches. He pulled it back as far as he could. Rapsheeba's eyes widened when she realized what was about to happen. She tried to get away, but it was too late. With an apologetic look in his eyes, Howdy released the branch and it slammed against the singer's chest, sending her flying backwards. Rapsheeba grunted in pain as she tumbled across the ground, and soon landed on her side, one arm crossed over the other. She shook her head and looked at where Howdy was.

He was gone. She looked around, trying to see any sign of him or where he could have gone. But he was nowhere here anymore. He had just vanished.

Rapsheeba let out a groan of pain as she sat herself up, feeling warm blood pool from the new injuries she had recieved. She looked at one of her gashes and, though it wasn't terribly deep, she still flinched at the sight of them. She turned her attention back to where Howdy had disappeared in.

What was going on? Why did Howdy run off like that? Why did he knock her away? These questions and more filled her mind. In pursuing the puppet, she had managed to only bring more questions to herself. Questions that she would not rest until they were answered.

sss

Snap stared at Rapsheeba, his eyes wide in shock. It took all his strength to look away from her to take a small bite of his sandwich. He chewed slowly, carefully, swallowing with little force. Then he turned his gaze back towards her. He found a hard time coming to terms, or understanding, what Rapsheeba had said.

It had been a few minutes since she had arrived. Well more like twenty. She had been startled, her face pale, almost like she had seen a ghost. In fact, Snap was about to ask if she found more smudged zoners when she had grabbed onto him and told him about what she had witnessed in the Pencil Sharpener. Snap was horrified that Rapsheeba had gone there and asked her why she would risk her life in such a dangerous place. When he had been informed of what happened, he was left unsure of what to think.

He had no idea why Howdy would go there. Most zoners stayed away and for good reason. Despite the fact that it was a relatively new place, it had already gained such a heinous reputation. He would have thought that Howdy was smart enough to stay away.

But according to Rapsheeba, he had gone there. Willingly, on top of that. No one had chased him in there. Judging from what she had seen, it had been a deliberate act. Howdy had wanted to go there, with a bag of food and water and medicine, too. And the way he had chased away Rapsheeba, injuring her in the process... This did not sound like the Howdy he knew. If he didn't hear this from Rapsheeba, he wouldn't have believed it himself.

Why would Howdy go there? Why would he carry around a bag of food and be cautious about it? Why didn't he want anyone to follow him? Why did he knock away Rapsheeba? What was going on here?

Some of the zoners nearby who overheard started to wonder themselves. Snap tried to block out their qustions, but it was difficult. He could hear them asking about Howdy's motivations, some wondering if he had anything to do with what happened, others stating crazy theories.

The idea of Howdy being the culprit shot ice through his veins. He didn't want to think that his own friend, a creation of Rudy's, would do such a thing. That didn't seem at all like Howdy, and Rudy would never create something with malicious intentions. At least, not with out a little...help.

Despite his reservations against the idea of Howdy being responsible, he found it hard to really defend him. He couldn't think of any alternative ideas to why he would go all the way out there. It was just so against his character and what he knew about him. It just didn't seem like him to go to a dangerous place, guarding a bag of food and such. And for him to deliberately knock Rapsheeba down... Considering his non-violent stance, that was definitely out of character for him.

Try as he might, Snap just couldn't think of anything. Except what the others were suggesting... No, he couldn't think like that. He shook his head once, trying to get those nasty thoughts out of his mind. He couldn't accuse his friend of any wrong doing. There had to be a logical explanation. There had to be something to explain Howdy's behavior that didn't ultimately paint him as the bad guy.

But...what could it be?

All around him, he could still hear the voices of some of the more vocal zoners express their opinion. He found it harder and harder to ignore them, especially when their volume increased.

"I think he's working with whoever has that portal. I mean, why else would he disappear?" One zoner suggested.

Another said, "Maybe he is the one who took Blocky. He might not have any kind of portal, but maybe he hid Blocky in there. That would explain the food and water."

A third shook her head. "I don't know why he'd want to kidnap that loser anyway. Not like Blocky was a threat to him at all."

"Well he was chased by a dog in the Real World and pretty much killed. Maybe he was psychologically scarred and it's just finally starting to show through." A fourth male zoner said.

Snap shot a glare in their direction. None of the zoners paid attention to him. He watched as the small group continued their discussion, each making a more outlandish accusation than the last.

A pang of worry tugged at his heart. He hoped that this wasn't going to be the start of a gossip brigade against Howdy. He hoped that they would at least give him the benefit of the doubt and not make any wild accusations to him. Howdy should at least be given the opportunity to speak and explain his actions. Certainly, there had to be a good reason for why he did this.

He turned to look at Rapsheeba. A bit of anger rose up inside of him as he looked at the wounds that adorned her body. They weren't bad, but the fact that they were bleeding... The blood dripping down one of her more severe wounds mimicked the warmth that moved through his arms and legs.

He sure hoped that Howdy had a good expanation for all of this. For his sake.

"What do you think is the best course of action, Snap?" Rapsheeba asked.

Snap stared at her in surprise, not expecting such a question. He hesitated for a moment, trying to think of an answer. Good question... What should they do about this? It was obvious action needed to be taken but...how should they go about this?

He would feel awful accusing his friend like that, and he wanted to avoid it. Yet he knew he needed to confront him regardless of how he felt. Howdy wouldn't be able to deny it; Rapsheeba could vouch for him. She had the marks to prove it. If Howdy lied about it... No, he wouldn't lie. That wasn't like him. But if they tried to confront him, what if he were to run away? He didn't want to waste time chasing him. He was a slippery little guy after all.

But there was one another option they could take. It would be easier than trying to run after him. It would enable them to trap him with nowhere to go without any need to be rough with him. But if he was going to pull it off, he needed to be selective about who to bring. He did not want a fight to be started.

"We go to his house." Snap said after a few more moments of ponderous silence. "We hide and wait for him to come home. Once he is, we trap him." He slammed a fist against his palm. "I'm not sure how yet, but I'll think of something. It will be easier trapping him in his own home than chasing him outside, that's for sure."

Rapsheeba furrowed her eyes slightly. "Trap him...?"

Snap realized how that must have sounded and he backtracked a little. "Well what I mean by that is... well, we can't have him trying to escape. You saw what he did, remember? You tried to speak with him and he freaked out and ran. We need to deprive him of that option. Then..." His eyes narrowed in determination. "We can get him to talk. We need to know what is going on, and if this has anything to do with the portal...or Blocky..."

"I know... It would be awful if he were hiding such information." Rapsheeba said, nodding her head in agreement. "I do hope that we won't have to expect the worse from him."

"Same here..." Snap said, his voice trailing off.

It was hard to imagine his friend doing anything hostile like that, and he still wanted to believe the best of Howdy. In the end, though, the only way to find out was to talk to him. If they have to trap him in his own home and interrogate him...then they will have to do it. Even if it killed him on the inside.

Hearing some of the things the zoners were saying, Snap couldn't help but turn to glare at thim, his lip raising up. It was going to be difficult discussing anything here. He was glad that none of the zoners appeared to hear what they were saying, but he didn't want to take that risk. The last thing he wanted was for any of these foul-mouthed zoners to show up.

Looking back at Rapsheeba, he said, "Let's meet at my place. I don't think it'll be a good idea to continue our discussion here out in the open." He casted a worried glance left and right. "Let's go somewhere more...private."

"Agreed." Rapsheeba said as she finished up her drink.

Without saying another word, the two zoners threw away what remained of their food and drink and they headed out of the restaurant. They did their best to ignore the comments some of the zoners were saying about Howdy. They both hoped that, in time, the truth would be revealed.

sss

"Are you sure this is a good idea...?" Whispered a small, meek zoner. He fumbled his hands together nervously, giving his companion a worried look. "I mean, it's probably better off if we just..."

"Oh hush up!" Snarled his companion, the same female zoner who had doubted Howdy's involvement with Blocky's kidnapping. "We're lucky that they didn't see us following them, and we have come this far, so quit your belly aching and follow me!"

The meek zoner did as he was told. With a few quick nods, he slunk closer to her, keeping his body low, a submissive posture. The female, larger, and clearly more aggressive, with even her eyes glowing in dominance, towered over him. She glared at him as she waited for him to get closer. Only when he was inches away from her side did she continue on.

The two zoners had been careful not to get spotted by Rapsheeba or Snap. They had overheard parts of their conversation, and when Snap had mentioned wanting to talk it out alone... Well, the meek zoner thought it was just a private matter, but the more dominant zoner had her suspicions and was rather curious.

After all, if this matter had to do with Howdy, and what he potentially did or didn't do, wouldn't it be much better to just make their intentions known? What could they possibly be hiding? Not that either zoner wanted to think that the two were doing any kind of conspiring. Yet...they didn't want to take the risk.

At least, the female one didn't. The male wanted to avoid the issue. After all, Snap was such a nice zoner and had shown that he was trustworthy. The female, however, felt that something could still go wrong, and merely wanted to keep tabs on them. They wouldn't really be disrupting them or anything. All she wanted was to hear enough information to know what they were planning so she could inform the zoners in case it was something rather...suspicious.

Snap's house was up ahead. They were almost there. The two zoners crept closure, being as quiet as they could. They didn't see Snap or Rapsheeba near the window, but that didn't mean that they weren't there, or somehow able to watch them. The female didn't stop regardless, and moved as quickly as she could to one of the bushes. The male froze, unsure. A quick glare from the female prompted him to move.

The two crawled further into the bushes. There wasn't much room. Crowded, so full of branches, poking them. The male ended up being pressed against the female. She snarled at him, baring her teeth, causing him to cringe away, and lower his head in submission. She growled at him for a few more moments before she turned her attention to the nearest window. She leaned forward and peered inside. Able to see what they came here for, she nudged the meek male and got him to look as well.

There was Snap and Rapsheeba. And what luck, their backs were turned to them. As they spoke, they could hear the words being said; the window was open. This made it much easier to understand what was being said. But it also meant that...

After hearing a nervous whimper from the male, the female shot him a glare and hissed, "Shut up...! We can't have them knowing what we are here...!"

"Sorry." The male said, keeping his gaze downcast.

The female merely growled at him, and then turned her attention back to the two zoners. She and the male leaned in, waiting to hear exactly what they had to say.

sss

Snap looked at the list that Rapsheeba just wrote. She took a bit of time writing it, having to pause to think for a moment, tapping the side of her face with the pen. She then handed it to him, finally allowing him to see the words she had put on the paper.

Snap skimmed through the list. It wasn't too long. A part of him was disappointed, but another was glad. Too long of a list might have complicated things, now that he thought about it. After a moment, he turned his head to Rapsheeba.

"These are the people you decided should come?" He asked.

Rapsheeba nodded. "Yeah. They could be trusted with this. They know Blocky pretty well, and they wouldn't think ill of Howdy."

"Yeah, that's true." Snap looked through the list again. "Some of these are even from people who love his work. They would be hard pressed to think that he was doing anything bad." Snap set the list down on the table. "But are you sure that they are all good choices?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you put down Butch. No offense, Rapsheeba, but I think he'd be one of the last people we should turn to for help. If not for his disgruntled nature or the fact that he likes to beat up everyone in sight, then for his dimwitted personality. He's not exactly the brightest bulb in the block."

Snap flinched when he said that, remembering what happened the last time he had insulted Butch. He looked from side to side, only relaxing when he realized he was in the comfort of his own home. He let out a sigh of relief, but he still remained tense, knowing what could happen to him if Butch just so happened to find out what he had said about him.

He looked back at the list. There weren't too many zoners here he didn't know, though most he hardly really spoke to. Lars and Bathtub Granny were a few of the ones he had seen more regularly. And for some reason, the shark was on here. Wasn't he restricted to a tank? Well, maybe they could tie him up on the rope or something and have him dangle... Oh that sounded stupid. He scratched that idea out of his head.

But those were just minor complaints that he had. He could just simply remove the zoners that he felt would not work and just gather the ones that would. They didn't need too many zoners. They needed some able-bodied ones stationed outside, and then just a couple in the house. They could all round up on him once they have Howdy trapped in the house.

"I know how you might feel about Butch..." Rapsheeba said. Snap nodded his head slowly, a frown spreading across his face. That was an understatemeent. "But he might be a good pick for this. He is large and strong. His size alone may be enough to block the main entrance at the very least. We do need at least one muscle zoner in on this, in case Howdy tries to..."

"He's not that big, though." Snap pointed out. "He wouldn't be that difficult to hold onto once he's caught." He rubbed his hand on the underneath of his chin. "What we need is a zoner who is fast. Someone who could catch him with no problem. Someone like..."

"Like you."

Snap looked over at Rapsheeba. "Huh?"

Rapsheeba smiled at him. "Well you are pretty fast on your feet, Snap. You could easily out pace Howdy I'm sure."

Snap thought about this. Rapsheeba did make a good point. He was pretty quick. Not the fastest zoner for sure, but she was right. He could easily catch up to Howdy if he tried hard enough. And he wasn't too large, so he didn't have to worry as much about accidentally hurting him. Not like Butch, who would most likely crush the poor guy to death. Yeah, he was liking Rapsheeba's suggestion.

"Well that takes care of that then." Snap said, making a mental note of that. He folded the piece of paper in his hands and pushed it into his pocket. "Now we just need to round up those zoners and see if they are willing to help us. Then we can assign them spots and we just wait for Howdy."

"When?" Rapsheeba looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. "Do you think that we should wait an hour or two?"

Snap shook his head. "The sooner we do this, the better." He held his hand out. "We don't know when Howdy is coming back. It's best that we get this...trap..." He disliked the bitter taste on his tongue when he said that word. "...ready as quickly as possible. I don't know how long we will end up waiting, but it'll be worth it in the end." Noticing Rapsheeba's uncertain frown, Snap smiled, trying to reassure the zoner the best that he could. "Come on, it'll work. Trust me. I'm sure Howdy won't be gone that long."

Rapsheeba folded her arms against her chest. "I hope that we don't end up scaring the living daylights out of him..."

Snap looked at her sympathetically. "Yeah... I hate surprising Howdy like this and trying to catch him..." He frowned softly, memories of what Rapsheeba told him flooding back. "But he has a lot to answer to. If he isn't going to tell us willingly, then we will force it out of him."

Rapsheeba nodded solemnly, saying not a word. The two friends stared at each other in silence, both realizing just what they were being forced into. The idea of trapping a friend was not something they felt comfortable with, and wished they could avoid it. But with what was going on... They had to figure out what that zoner was up to. If there was a possibility that Howdy was being forced into something against his will...they had to know about it.

But first and foremost, they would have to get Howdy first. With other zoners already getting suspicious, Snap knew that they had to get him before they do. The other zoners may not be as kind with him, and possibly more forceful. They might even end up getting false information out of Howdy if they weren't good enough at proper interrogation.

Glancing up at the clock, he turned back to Rapsheeba and got up out of his chair. "Let's get going, Queeny. We need to find these zoners on the list." He lifted up the piece of paper in his hands and slapped his hand against it. "Hopefully we can talk them into helping us."

"Don't worry. I'm sure they will." Rapsheeba said.

Snap smiled at her. But worry still filled his gut. He hoped that his friend was right.

sss

A twinkle flashed in the female zoner's eye. She kept staring through the window, using the bush to keep herself hidden. She and the meek male hadn't turned their gaze away during this whole time. Though both were cramped and sore from standing still for so long, it was worth it to get this inside information.

"So... They want to interrogate the little bugger..." She spoke, her voice dripping with authority. "I'm surprised that they didn't ask me to come. I would have been perfect!" She slapped herself in the chest.

"Well, they probably didn't because you're too..." The meek male started to say. He was silenced when the dominant female lowered her head towards him and let out a loud hiss. He put his arm over his head and whimpered, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The female glared at him. She watched as he shivered in fright, looking like he was just about to pee himself. Only then did she look away. Keeping herself sttraightened up in a clear show of dominance, she grabbed onto the male and thrust him forward. The male stumbled, and eventually managed to regain his footing.

"Come on!" The female zoner barked. "We have to relay this information to the others!"

The male stood, looking over his shoulder and staring at her, shivering. He gulped and nodded his head. He hunched his body lower when she walked up to him. She stood beside him, staring down at him with a single eye. He cringed away, averting full on direct eye contact, save for a quick upward glance. "Y-Yes m-m-ma'am..."

Without another word, the two zoners turned and fled from the house. They didn't bother stopping and looking behind them. Right now, speed was of importance. They had to get back and tell the others what they found out. If Snap needed help in catching this guy, then some would be more than happy to oblige.

Neither of them really thought that Howdy was up to no good. But both, even the meek male who may not show it, were offended that he wasn't speaking up, that he might be hiding something that they all needed to know. If he knew who took Blocky, by any chance, then they all deserved to know. After all, any of them could become the next target.

And neither of them, especially not the dominant female of the pair, was about to go down that easily. These kidnappers want a fight, then she will tear out their throats.

sss

Howdy felt awful about the whole thing. He kept his head low as he continued to walk, his mind flashing back to what had transpired not too long ago.

He couldn't believe he had just done that. He had knocked Rapsheeba down with one of the sharp branches. He hadn't meant to do that. He just needed away to keep her from following him, and that was the only thing he could think of. He acted on blindness, and now that he thought back to what he did, he couldn't help but feel his stomach churn. Poor Rapsheeba... She must be so hurt and confused by what he had done...

But he didn't have a choice. He needed to make sure that she didn't follow him. He didn't want himself to get hurt, nor did he want her to get dragged into it. He had no idea how Terry or Von would have reacted to him bringing in another zoner. Would they decide to experiment on her next? Would they kill her to ensure that there would be no witnesses?

Either way, it send a cold shiver down his spine. He didn't want any of the other zoners caught up in this. He had put himself into this position because he had been stupid. He went to a place that he knew zoners didn't go to. He had been asking for trouble. This was his own fault.

Now, he had no choice but to do what they said. It wasn't just his own life he was worried about. If that had been the case, then it would be easier for him to back out. No, the reason he keeps going is for Blocky's sake. He didn't like the idea of helping to prolong his pain by helping him get fed and get something to drink, but he also didn't want him to die. At least in this way, he was helping to increase the amount of time that the others had to find him.

He bit his lip. He hoped that Blocky was doing okay. He hadn't exactly been allowed to see him. Neither of the adults would take him to him, and they didn't really fully explain what he had gone through. This did little to comfort him, the unknown wrapping around his head, filling him with images of what might be doing on.

He shook the chilling thoughts out of his head as he focused on walking through the building. He thought back to Von's instructions of where to go. The sensation of being back in the Real World send ice through his body, and he kept looking around cautiously, looking for any sign of a dog or other large animal. And the silence...it was almost thunderous in how thick it was. It was as if this place was dead, a ghost town, and he had been unfortunate enough to wander straight into it.

He froze in his tracks when he heard a loud howl shoot throug the air, ringing in his ears. Blocky...? The small zoner was tempted to rush forward, but he stopped himself, realizing that there were cameras everywhere. He looked up, eyeing the nearest on in the corner cautiously. Swallowing hard, he continued on his predetermined treck, his heart going out to poor Blocky. Just what were they doing to him...?

After forcing himself to continue walking, the small zoner soon ended up at the intended destination. The door was wide open, a faint light mark indicating a pale light. He remained where he was for a few seconds, his hands tightening around the bag he had brought. He licked his lips nervously and then, after a few seconds, he walked in slowly.

"H-Hello..?" Howdy said in a low voice as he stepped into the room, cautiously turning his head from one side to the other. "I-I brought more of the stuff you asked for..."

The room appeared empty at first. He didn't see much in here, save for a table and a chalkboard. The sight of the chalkboard made him freeze, his eyes widening. What he wouldn't give to be home right now...

"So you have come back. Good." A female voice cut through the air. "I thought you had forgotten about us. That would have been a shame, now wouldn't it?"

Howdy froze at the voice. He looked over, his eyes doing another scan of the dusty, mostly dark room. He soon noticed Terry Bouffant, who was positioned in a darker part of the room. She had her arms folded against her chest, sneering down at the zoner as she walked towards him.

It didn't take her long to reach him. Howdy shivered at the massive size difference between them. He knew he was a tiny little thing, but never before had he felt so small. This woman was even taller than Von, making her appear like a giant to him. He wondered if this was how some of the larger zoners feel around Biclops, who was larger than most other zoners.

Not wanting to keep her waiting, he nodded his head quickly and reached out towards her, his hand still gripping the back. "H-Here you go..." He said in a shaky voice.

The red-haired woman's smile broadened at this. "Thank you." There was little honestly in that voice. Howdy had never heard that term used so condenscendingly. The woman seized the bag from him and held it up in the air. She stared at it, peering inside to see its contents. "Good, you remembered everything. And here, I was worried that you might forget."

"How would I forget?" Howdy asked.

"You zoners aren't always the brightest." Replied the woman coldly. "You could have gotten my words mixed up."

Howdy felt a burning pang at that, but resisted the urge to say anything defiant back at her. He simply lowered his head submissively, hoping that what he got would ultimately satisfy her enough that she and her partner wouldn't see it fit to do anything to him or another zoner.

As the woman rummaged through the stuff, Howdy cringed at another wail of agony echoing through the building. He knew that was Blocky. He easily recognized that voice. His blood ran cold as he realized just how much pain he must be in. Whatever Von was doing to him...it must be horrible. Howdy could feel a tear form in his eyes. What were this monsters doing with him right now? What did Blocky ever do to deserve this? He would glare at Terry right now if he weren't so worried about what she might do in response.

Terry had taken notice to the scream. She, too, looked a bit upset by it, but clearly not for the same reasons as him. She looked more annoyed than anything. And any concern she had was not only not as pronounced as his, but it wasn't geared towards the safety of his friend. More like, she didn't want them to lose their test subject. The monster...

"That little brat should try to take it easy. We did all we could for his wounds." Terry grumbled softly. She reached into the bag and pulled out one of the bottles of medicine that Howdy had given her. "Well, this should do the trick."

Howdy tilted his head in confusion at something she said. "You mean that my friend isn't being tortured right now?"

Terry jeered at him, "For now anyway..." Howdy took a step back at that statement. Holding up her hand in a nonchalant way, she said, "Doctor Von Doktor hasn't yet decided on the next experiment. The screams you are hearing are from Blocky not being able to handle the pain from the last experiments." She chuckled and then stared at Howdy intently with one eye. "You should have heard how he sounded before.. without the medicine. Oh man, you would have passed out from fear for sure!"

Howdy let out a whimper at this. Whether or not Terry was being truthful didn't matter. He knew that her words were quite possibly true, based on what he had been told. As he heard another scream, he lifted up his head and looked around. He hoped that what the woman was saying was at least partially true. He hated the idea of his already suffering friend being put through more pain and torment just for the sake of these people's curiosity. He hoped that his friend would be, at least for a time, spared the torment of another experiment.

"You can leave now." Terry said as she made a quick motion with her hand.

"What? No other assignment...?" Howdy muttered under his breath, making no attempt to hide the bitterness that he had for her. When Terry glared at him, he whimpered, realizing his mistake. "I-I mean..."

But instead of shouting at him or hurting him like he had expected, the woman merely smiled at him. "Oh you are right. How silly of me..." She set the bag of food, water, and medicine on the table and walked towards the zoner.

Howdy hucnched his shoulders as he adopted something of a defensive stance. He backed away from the woman, giving off a soft whine as she cornered him against the wall. He pressed his back against the hard surface, his body shaking as he turned his head to the side. Terry lowered herself onto one knee, and even then she towered over him very easily, her shadow creeping over his body.

Terry reached over and cupped Howdy's chin. With a dark smile, she said, "You could... do us a little favor."

"L-Like what..?" Howdy asked, terrified of the answer.

Terry grinned at him. She put her face close to his. She whispered into his ear, "Bring us a piece of magic chalk..."

Howdy's eyes widened in horror at this. "Wh-What..? I-I thought that..."

"I never said we had given up on the magic chalk, you little idiot..." A cold chuckled escaped the woman's throat. "And why are you so upset? I'm only asking for one..." She held up a finger in front of her for emphasis. "It's a really simple request. I'm sure you can think of something." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "After all... Rudy likes to help you guys, right? I'm sure he might give you a piece of you neededi t."

"B-But..he wouldn't... I mean...we zoners can't use it..." Howdy explained.

"Oh that is right. Well...I'm sure you can still figure out something." Terry said, her expression never faltering. "I expect you to bring it to me the next time you bring in the supplies. Whenever we will need them next."

"B-But..." Howdy started to say.

Terry silenced him by grabbing his head and holding his mouth shut. "And if you don't bring us the magic chalk..." She graced a finger along the front of his face, lightly scratching over his right eye. "Well you can still see with one eye, right...?"


	18. Deliverances

Unexpectancies can come from anywhere, be they good or bad.

sss

"Rudy Tabootie..."

Rudy had his head lowered. His eyes focused on the ground. His mind was going a million miles per hour. He bit his lip, trying to think of what's going to happen now.

He had blown it. He shouldn't have left home. He shouldn't have walked all the way to Penny's place. He should have just waited this out and try to talk to his aunt later. Now, he was certain he was going to get punishment for this. There was no way he'd escape this unscathed.

"Rudy!"

He jerked at the sudden shout for his name. He straightened himself up and looked at his aunt. He locked eyes with her for a few seconds before he lowered his head again. He interlocked his fingers together, crossing one leg over the other. He tried to fight back the rising bitterness in his stomach, sucking on his lower lip as he could feel his aunt's angered gaze boring straight through him.

They were back at the house. They had arrived a few mintues ago. She had barely spoken to him when he met up with her. Just a few small questions to make sure he was okay, then any worry left her voice after that. She had hardly looked at him when they drove all the way back home, and the tension around them was just as thick as he would expect with a fight against Skrawl.

For a while, it didn't even feel like he was riding with his aunt. It was like a total stranger had replaced her. He had huddled away from her and did his best not to look at her. There was almost nothing but total silence during their ride home.

When they got back, she had dragged him out of the car, her fingers wrapping around his arm, and pushed him into the house. She had herded him into the living room and forced him to sit down.

And here he still was. He hadn't spoken since they got in, and he barely looked up at her. He knew this angered her. He could tell in her voice that she wasn't liking the fact that he wasn't talking. He just couldn't bare to look at her right now. All that anger that was glowing in her eyes... It was like a knife being jabbed in his direction if he dared to look.

His attempts at looking away were met with a harsh grip on his chin and being forced to look up at her. He took in a sharp breath when he saw just how close and anger-filled her eyes were now. He dropped open his mouth and his pupils shrank a little. He wanted to try to struggle to get away, but he found he could not. Instead, he remained still, staring into his aunt's eyes.

"Do you have any idea just what kind of trouble you are in?" Aunt Tilly said, her voice darker than usual. "Do you?!" Rudy flinched, but said not a word, fearing that he would accidentally make things worse if he tried. Aunt Tilly growled at this, pulling her head back from him. "I told you that you weren't allowed to see Penny until this whole mess was sorted out!"

Penny... At the moment, Rudy could care less if he didn't see her for a while. Mrs. Sanchez was right. It might be best if they stayed away from each other for the time being. He had a feeling that if he saw her now, he would be easily provoked into a physical fight, something he would much rather avoid.

It still boiled his blood just how accusatory Penny was to him. She was the one who led Von and Terry to his place, to ChalkZone. She was the reason that Blocky was captured. She had a tracker in her. Von must have used it to find his place. He must have found out about ChalkZone that way. He had then teamed up with Terry and the two of them took the portal. Had Penny not have that tracker in her, then they wouldn't have had much of a lead, and Blocky and the zoners would have been safe.

But no... Penny just had to let herself get caught like that. She had to let herself be taken victim so easily. Where was the strong girl he knew before? Where did all her cunningness go in that instant? If she had just been more alert or at least more suspicious of Von's presence, then they might have been able to stop their plan before it came into fruition.

And the way she had the gall to accuse him of being the one at fault... How fucking dare she... True he left the portal open. But he did that before without consequence. This would have been another time when leaving the portal open didn't matter had Penny not been so stupid and actually use her brain like she always did. This was entirely her fault.

Aunt Tilly noticed the glare spreading across his face. "You have something you want to tell me?"

Rudy shook his head and looked up at his aunt. "...I was just thinking..."

Aunt Tilly's glare deepened. "I hope it's about what you have done. Rudy, I can't believe you did something so stupid!" She turned her head towards the door. "You climbed out of the window and you could have easily slipped and fallen!" She turned her gaze back to Rudy. "Then you walk all way to your friend's house, during which you could have been harmed by that crazy lunatic who put a tracker in Penny!"

Rudy remained silent. He felt a pang in his chest as he realized just how much he had made his aunt worry about him. He also felt a cold chill when he realized he could have been caught off guard as well, like Penny was.

"How could you have been so stupid?! You could have really gotten yourself badly hurt with this stunt that you pulled! Of all the stupid things you've done, Rudy Tabootie, this is the worst!"

Rudy remained quiet for a few moments. He lowered his head, turning it away from his aunt's face. He tried to fight back against the growing emotion in his chest. He wanted anything to get away from here. He shut his eyes tightly, feeling a small tear push against the back of his eye. Slight, but still there. "I'm sorry..."

Aunt Tilly let out a deep sigh and she rubbed her temples. She remained quiet for a few moments. "Look, I..." She made an effort to sound more calm. She lowered her hand to her side, staring down at the boy. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I didn't mean to do it. I'm just..." She released her nephew and took a step back. She lowered herself on her knee and touched Rudy on he shoulder. "I don't want you to get hurt..."

"I know..." Rudy muttered softly.

The woman's expression softened up a little more. "I know that you care about this world, Rudy. And I know you care about your friend..." She seemed to take note of the anger that crossed his face at the mention of Penny. "...regardless of how you might feel about her right now..." Rudy merely lowered his gaze. "But you have to learn to trust me."

Rudy grumbled, "I do..."

His aunt shook her head. "No, you don't. If you did, you would have told me about this place before. If you did, you wouldn't have run off to speak with Penny. You would have just stayed put until your folks came back so we can all talk about this as a family."

Rudy didn't say a word to that. He kept his gaze averted from his aunt. There was still a tinge of anger in her voice, along with disappointment. She was obviously trying to keep her anger under control, and she was trying to keep herself sounding calm.

Rudy was still unsure of what will happen if his parents found out about ChalkZone. He understood where his aunt was coming from, but at the same time, he knew just how devastating it could be if his parents found out the truth. He wished his aunt would be more reasonable and at least try to better understand why he wanted to keep it secret. She seemed like she was really trying to, but she kept failing. This was part of the reason he did not want any of them to find out.

He couldn't believe that this was happening. For two years, he had managed to keep the world secret from others. For two years, no one, with the exception of Penny recently, had been able to get into ChalkZone. Now all that was falling apart before his eyes. All his effort, all for nothing.

What were his parents going to do? It was a question he found himself constantly asking in his head. He knew there was no sense in constantly asking himself that as he won't actually know until they found out. But at the same time, it was something he wished would never have to be answered. If only his aunt would just listen to him...

"Rudy, dear..." Aunt Tilly sensed his worry. She gently touched his cheek, making him jolt a little in surprise. He stared at her in surprise, his eyes wide. He said nothing as she lightly stroked his cheek back and forth. "I know you are worried about this. I understand. But please...I'm begging you, talk about this with us. Me and your parents. We only want what's best for you."

"If you did, then you would trust me and leave this alone." Rudy's bitter voice came. "You say I don't trust you... but what about you?" His aunt flinched at this. "You say you trust me, and yet when I tell you how safe this world is and why it must be kept secret, you still think that you need to tell my folks about it. Aunt Tilly... why can't you trust me?"

"Why don't you trust us?" Came Aunt Tilly's reply.

Rudy bit his lip. "It's not about trust. I..."

Aunt Tilly cut him off. "You keep saying that, but it doesn't change the situation." She moved her hand away from him. She stood up from him, straightening herself out. Rudy could have sworn he heard her back crack in the process. "I'm sorry, Rudy, but I am still keeping with the decision. Your folks will find out about this place. I will tell them."

"I'll just lie. They will think you're crazy." Rudy said quicly without thinking.

Aunt Tilly narrowed her eyes. "Say that, and I will forbid you from seeing Penny ever again."

Rudy's eyes widened at this. He then narrowed them slightly. He could tell his aunt was just desperate right now. She couldn't really do that to him. She didn't have that much power over him. He would have called her out on it, but he instead remained quiet, glaring at her.

His aunt apparently took that as some sort of victory. She turned herself away from him and took a few steps away, her back turned to him. She appeared to stare off into the distance for a while, and he guessed her mind must be racing with thoughts. He didn't say a word, waiting for her to say something back at him. He wanted to say something during this time, but he couldn't think of the words to say.

His aunt gave another sigh, more exasperated this time. She turned towards him and came back over. She stood in front of him, locking eyes with him. Her eyes narrowed again and Rudy could feel his heart clench, the rising bile reacting to the returning tension in the air.

Thankfully, it was short-lived. With another forced sigh, and a brief moment of closing her eyes, his aunt reached over and patted him on the head gently.

"Look... why don't you go upstairs and play with Sophie? I can see how much this conversation is stressing you out and honestly..." She rubbed the back of her head. "I could use a bit of a coffee break right now." Rudy looked at her with a perplexed expression. He had not expected that kind of response from her. Before he could say anything, she said, "We can resume this in a bit. I just..need some coffee..."

Rudy didn't want to wait on this. He didn't want to sit in his room and wait for his aunt to say more. He didn't want to delay this any longer. It was about time they had fully settled this, and now his aunt wanted to delay it? No, he wouldn't allow that. "Aunt Tilly..." He said as the woman pulled him up from the couch. "Let's talk about this. Please..."

Aunt Tilly ushered him towards the stairs. "We'll resume later, okay? Just...run along and play with Sophie. And no going outside again, understand me?"

"Yes, but... Aunt Tilly..."

"Go!"

Rudy flinched at the force of that voice. He cringed away, staring at Aunt Tilly for a few seconds. He stared at her in the eyes, gritting his teeth. A part of him wanted to say and talk to her more. He didn't want to just leave it at this. They needed to talk more. They needed to sort this out. But another part of him didn't want to challenge his aunt further. He didn't want to run the risk of provoking another fight, similar to what happened before. Perhaps it was best if he just slinked away for now.

He gave his aunt one final glance before he headed up the steps slowly. He found it difficult to take each step. It felt like his legs had hardened and turned into jello. He had to fight to get his legs to move, to continue his ascension up the staircase.

Then finally, after what felt like forever, he reached the top. He looked down at his aunt. She was staring at him sternly. She made a few dismissive gestures with her hand, instructing him to head into his bedroom. Rudy looked at where his room would be and noticed the door was open. Hearing a giggle, he knew that Sophie was already in there. Taking one more glance at his aunt before he continued, he went into his room and shut the door behind him.

sss

Why did she do that? Why did she usher him into his bedroom so quickly like that? Why didn't she just try to finish this discussion once and for all? Why did she have to be such a coward and just...

Tilly let out a soft growl, rubbing her temples. She didn't mean to push Rudy away like that. She didn't mean to silence him and delay the conversation. She had wanted to continue right then. She had wanted to talk to him some more and hopefully end this debate for good. Instead, she had gotten so frustrated and so uncertain of what she was going to say that she forced him to leave, under the guise of her wanting some coffee. She didn't even want to drink the stuff right now; it was nothing more than an excuse.

She knew she was being cowardly. She knew it wasn't the right thing, what she did. She just...didn't want to inadvertantly cause another fight. And what Rudy was saying... She didn't say it up front, but she was having some second thoughts on the whole thing. She had some growing doubt inside of her, and she wanted some time to deal with that.

Why didn't she just tell Rudy about it? She wasn't sure. Maybe she was worried that he might end up bombarding her with more and more stuff and just end up confusing her more. Well whatever the reason, she knew she had to take this time and actually think about her actions and what her choices might be. If she was going to continue having these doubts, then she might as well debate with herself and try to figure out if what he chose before really was the right decision, or perhaps she was simply being too rash.

The woman went over towards the couch and sat down. She leaned back against it, feeling her body touch the softness of the couch itself. Normally, she would feel relaxed here, laying against it, ready to watch television or just simply to read. But not today. Her mind kept sifting through many thoughts, and she knew she couldn't simply rest. Not now.

What was she going to do? She had thought that she was doing the right thing in reporting this incident to Rudy's parents. She didn't feel comfortable with the idea of hiding this from her sister. Oh man, she would feel absolutely awful. What would happen if her sister found out later on and then questioned her on it? She didn't want to seem like she was a traitor, or had purposely betrayed her. She would never do such a thing. That was part of the reason why she had felt it was best to just tell Millie about what was going on. She deserved to know.

That, and she was still worried about this ChalkZone. She was worried about Rudy and what might happen to him. He had insisted to her over and over again that ChalkZone was fine and safe. He had explained it to her repeatedly about what the world was like, and while some of it was reassuring, there were still things that bothered her about it.

Yet...something about this whole thilng just didn't seem right. Despite the fact that she didn't really think the zoners were worth protecting, since they weren't human, there was just something about what Rudy said that gave her reason for pause. Maybe she should reconsider this whole thing, and come up with a different answer.

How could she, though? How could she even think of hiding this from her sister? And yet..how could she hurt Rudy by telling his folks about this place that he obviously cared about? Even if she didn't understand why, she still felt some level of guilt in telling her sister about this place. She remembered the way the boy looked at him, how hurt and desperate he was. Even though she was doing this for his own good, she couldn't help but feel some pang of guilt for doing this.

So what would the end result be? What would she ultimately decide was best? She wasn't sure. Not anymore. She had been certain before, and now all that was torn up. She could only hope that she could think of something soon. She wanted to finish this discussion with Rudy and hopefully get him to accept whatever she decided. There had been enough arguing and debating about this, and regardless of what Rudy thought, in the end, she was only doing this for his own good. She wished he would understand that.

She looked down at the remote and picked it up. She held it gently in her hands. Perhaps some television might help her out. She flipped the television on and immediately muted it. The light shined on her face, despite the room already being pretty well lit since it was still daytime right now. She flipped through the channels, looking at what was going on.

News...

A comedy show...

Some old cartoon...

Educational programming..

She barely paid attention to what was happening on the screen. She tried to, but she found herself unable to simply relax and watch television. Whatever was going on simply went over her head, and she was barely able to recount what had happened. After a few moments, she dropped the remote, leaving it on some murder show.

Even with all the gory details being played before her, she hardly reacted. Her eyes remained part way open and she rested her arm against the end of the chair, her body pressing into it. She could barley register the actions on the screen as she tried to handle the raging pool of thoughts inside her cranium. She could feel her heard start to ache. She had never had to make a decision this hard before. She had never had to fight with herself about this for so long about one thing.

She was tempted to just go back with her original plan, to just tell her sister about what she found out and be done with it. She knew that Rudy would be upset, but he should at least understand she was doing it for his own good. She wanted him to be safe, and he would never be safe if he conitnued to run amok in this world; there was always a chance that something will happen to him.

She also felt bad for trying to isolate him from Penny. It wasn't something she had ever done before, and even her sister and her husband were unwilling to perform that kind of punishment on Rudy unless he had done something really bad. It wasn't because of anything Penny did; she just wanted Rudy's undivided attention and she wanted Penny's mom to be able to speak to her daughter unhindered as well. Hopefully this whole thing is sorted out before anything really awful would happen that would just make the situation much worse.

Yet...why did she feel this hesitation? Her earlier conversation with Rudy had her hesitate for the first time since...well whenever this discussion had been originally settled. She had never felt this level of indecisiveness before and she wasn't entirely sure why she felt this way.

Maybe she should let him continue going in this world... After all, he had gone there for the past couple years and he never seemed to return with injury. Her sister never brought it up and she hadn't noticed anything. Maybe she was taking things a little too far. Rudy did seem as though he could handle himself there. Perhaps she should...

...but what about her sister? Could she really lie to her own flesh and blood about this? She still felt hesitant about the idea. She wasn't sure if she could keep a straight face if she had to lie to Millie. She would feel like such an awful sister...

She needed a bit of time to think. Yeah, that's all. After this show was over, she will know what to do...she hoped. She lifted up the remote and turned up the volume. But no matter how high she turned it up, she could not drown out her own internal arguments.

Well...here's to hoping that she can figure out something.

sss

Rudy tried his best to smile as Sophie showed him another drawing she conjured up in his notebook. "Great work, Soph."

He flinched at the lack of enthusiasm he had shown in that voice. It didn't seem to bother Sophie. His little cousin just squealed in happiness, throwing her hands in the air and then running over to get another crayon. Rudy watched as his cousin began to scribble another picture, this time using a blue crayon instead of a read one.

Looking at it reminded him, with some amusement, of that rally Penny went to that did not allow crayons. He had forgotten what it was about, and it wasn't even like Penny hated crayons. It was just a silly little thing.

He felt a pang, though, when he remembered that it was also the time when he had screwed up big time. He had tried to help some zoners who hadn't been erased yet, and he ended up making things worse. He had thought that he was doing the right thing and he thought he had a sixth sense about these kinds of stuff. Boy was he wrong. He had learned quite a bit that day, and he had even earned the zoners' forgiveness. Still, he felt bad about what happened, and he had been extra cautious since then.

His mind shifted back to his aunt. He wondered what he was going to tell her after her coffee break was done. He didn't even know how long he had. He didn't know how long it was going to be before Aunt Tilly had finished her break. For all he knew, she was coming up the stairs right now. That gave him more of a reason to concentrate on what he was going to say to her.

But what was the point? It wasn't like she was going to actually listen to him. With bitterness clinging to his heart, he couldn't help but think of their past interactions with her. She didn't seem like she was fully willing to listen. She had jumped to conclusions about ChalkZone and she had broken a promise, and she was going to tell his parents about it. He had tried to reaosn with her again and again, and yet she still didn't seem like she was willing to listen to him. She was too busy thinking about what she thinks might be going on, not bothering to consider what he had told her.

Okay, that seemed rather unfair to her. He shouldn't think badly of his aunt like that. He just..couldn't help it. ChalkZone's very livelihood was at stake. If her aunt told his parents, and if they believed her... He shuddered at the thought. If he could just convince her why it needs to remain secret, then maybe...

"Rudy! Rudy!" Sophie cried at him, hopping up and down. "Lookie!"

Rudy looked down at the drawing she made this time. More scribbles, although they appeared to take more shape this time. He smiled the best he could at his cousin. "That's really nice."

Sophie smiled, but this time, instead of running off like before, she merely moved closer to him. Rudy's eyes widened in surprise when he felt his cousin cuddle up against him. He could feel her head press against his chest, and he found himself looping an arm over her body, holding her against himself.

"Love you." The little girl whispered as she smiled at him.

Rudy widened his eyes at this comment. He then smiled at his cousin and hugged her tighter. "I love you, too, Soph..."

Sophie opened her mouth and let out a yawn. She smacked her lips together and closed her eyes. Rudy was surprised to see that his cousin was tired. Then again, she was only two and still had naps. Perhaps it was close to one of those times. He leaned against the wall, his arms still wrapped around his little cousin. He pressed his head against the wall and relaxed, feeling Sophie's warmth against him.

As he listened to his little cousin's relaxed breathing, Rudy tried to think of what he was going to tell his aunt. How was he going to get her to listen to reason? How was he going to get her to realize just how much of a mistake it is to tell his folks about ChalkZone?

He had a feeling it was going to be really hard to convince her. He knew he had to try. He had kept failing in the past, whether it was due to not being able to convince her, or not being able to come up with anything to say himself. But he would keep trying. It was the least he could do to help ChalkZone. Despite Penny's contribution to the mess, he still felt some level of guilt for leaving the portal open, and he felt obligued to do something about it.

Speaking of Penny, he wondered how she was doing. Last he remembered, her mom knew about ChalkZone as well. Was she going to have better luck than him when it came to protecting ChalkZone? Odds her, she might. Despite his worry, he knew that Mrs. Sanchez was a more level headed woman than his aunt, considering all the stress she puts herself through and still managing not to crack. She might listen to reason more readily than his aunt and be more likely to make the right decision.

He had cooled down some since his talk with his aunt. Only a few minutes, sure. Ten or fifteen tops. But he had found himself relaxing more quickly than he thought. His cousin's boundless enthusiasm and wanting to share her art probably helped. This didn't mean he was no longer angry at Penny. He was. But he did hope that things do work out for her with her mother.

He thought back to their earlier fight. Was he right to accuse her like that? Yeah...it was kind of Penny's fault since she had the tracker in her and yet... did she really mean it? No. And she had only snapped at him because he had been rounding on her. A pang tugged at his chest at this realization. Yeah, he did go a little too far. Maybe later on, whenever they are able to see each other again, he should talk to her about that. No...he definitely would.

He lifted up his head when he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Faint, but still noticeable. He looked towards the door, expecting to see his aunt walk in. Instead, the steps went right past, and he realized that his aunt was just looking for the bathroom. He sighed softly, not sure if he wanted to feel relief or disappointment at this.

He could feel squirming in his arms. He looked down, noticing that Sophie was trying to get up. Confused, Rudy released her and watched as she went over to get something else to draw. Had she not been so tired after all? Or had he kept her up due to his hypertension?

Sophie looked over at him, still smiling, but there was something more there. Understanding perhaps? Sophie was smart at times. Maybe she merely picked up the emotion that he was feeling. Perhaps she was trying to cheer him up.

Sophie held a green crayon this time. Rudy kept quiet as Sophie began to draw a picture on the notebook. It didn't take her long to finish it. She tore the paper out of the notebook and walked up to him. She held it up to him, waiting for him to take it. Rudy took it and unfolded the paper. His eyes widened at what he saw.

It was Blocky...

Rudy felt a sting in his heart. Poor Blocky.. He hoped that, wherever he was, that he was safe and sound. He hadn't seen him in a few days and he really missed him. It was hard to believe that things started out fine. He had a big birthday party and then...things just took a turn for the worst.

He then took a sharp intake of breath. Was there a reason Sophie drew his picture? She did allude to him earlier, and she had seen him more than once. She would know what he looked like. And the fact that she had put in so much effort into this drawing... Yeah there had to be a reason for it. He turned to Sophie. He didn't know what kind of answer to expect, but..he had to ask it.

Then he managed to speak the question he wished he had done so before.

"Sophie...did you see Blocky...?"

The girl didn't respond at first. She merely looked at him almost in confusion, as if she didn't know what he was saying. Rudy was about to backtrack and reword his question when he saw the little girl nod her head. Rudy widened his eyes at this.

"You did?" Rudy said softly.

Sophie nodded her head. "Green paper!"

Rudy realized that Sophie may have been talking about what happened in ChalkZone. She had met Blocky then. So he decided to be a little more specific with his next question. "Did you see him outside of ChalkZone?" Sophie was confused by this. Rudy realized she may not understand the full concept of alternate dimensions. So he elaborated a little more. "Did you see him in this room?" He motioned with his hand. "My bedroom?"

At this, Sophie grinned and nodded. "Here! Play!"

Rudy felt some elation rise up inside of him. Finally, they were actually getting somewhere. No more simple guessing or interpretations. He was finally going to get some actual answers to what happened. Now that he had confirmation that Blocky had indeed come into the Real World, he pressed on, hoping to narrow down the possibilities.

"Did you see your mom take the chalkboard?" A nod. "Did Blocky...er..the green paper..follow?"

Sophie nodded again. "Follow! Over there! Follow!"

So...when his aunt had come in to take the chalkboard, Blocky must have been in the room. He was probably hiding from her. Maybe under the bed or elsewhere. And when he had seen her take the portal, he had followed her.

He had thought about talking to his cousin more, but what else could he ask her? She wouldn't have followed Blocky outside; she knows better than that. She knows to stay in the house. So what else might have happened? Rudy thought about what his aunt had said. She had sold his chalkboard to these people, who were parked across the street. Von and Terry. Blocky might have snuck around to the front and tried to get to them.

But no..that didn't make much sense. It may have been a less busy time, but someone would have seen him. If not anyone in the street, then Von or Terry would have. They would have seen him and realized what he was and take him with them.

But how would they have captured him? Blocky wouldn't have been stupid enough to cross the street like that and his flat body would have made him hard to catch. He would have hidden himself, or at least gone back into the house. How would they have...

His eyes bulged open as he remembered something. He recalled that Von had knocked out Penny quite easily, grabbing her from behind and injecting her. If Von had been able to do that in daylight, would he have been able to do the same with his friend? The realization creeped along the back of his head, leaving behind a chilly sensation. At long last, a more accurate, concise image of what happened played in his head.

He felt a cold lightning bold through his body, making his stomach hurt. If that were the case, then... If Blocky had been trapped in the Real World this whole time, then... Oh no... what about food and water? Well they did have the portal, but he wouldn't know if they knew how to use it.

And even without the food issue, what about what those two adults wanted him for? Terry, he wasn't as worried about as she probably would just want to put him on television. But what of Von..? He was a scientist...

Rudy felt a lump appear in his throat. He knew what scientists liked to do. They liked to figure things out. And Von... he didn't follow the complete scientific protocol. The things he could and would do to Blocky all in the name of curiosity...

He was frozen in shock unable to move. It had only been mere speculation before that Blocky was with them, and now that he knew for certain... The full realization of what that entailed, of what kind of danger his friend was in, struck him with full force, the impact far reaching. What was he going to do now?

He was about to speak more to Sophie when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." He said softly.

In seconds, his aunt pushed the door open and stepped into the room. "Hey, Rudy." Sophie jumped up and squeeled, rushing towards her mother. "Hello there, honey." She scooped up her small daughter in one arm. "Have some fun with Rudy?"

"Rudy! Rudy! Draw!" Sophie squealed as she held onto her mother.

Rudy smiled at this, but his smile soon faded as he remembered the predicament that his friend was in. He looked down at the piece of paper, depicting a drawing of his friend. He stared at it long and hard, his heart aching as he thought of all the horrible things being done to him. He gently moved his hand over the picture, biting his lip. Poor Blocky...

"Is this your friend?"

Rudy jerked in surprise and looked up at his aunt. She was starting intently at the drawing. "Y-Yeah... He's been kidnapped.. I need to find him."

"Why?" His aunt asked.

Rudy resisted the temptation to glare at her. "He's one of my creations. I know you don't understand, but..I have to help him." He looked up at Aunt Tilly, tears forming in his eyes. "Please, I... I have to help him. I love him so much, Aunt Tilly. Please, I..."

"Relax, Rudy." Aunt Tilly set Sophie on the ground. She reached over and touched his shoulder. "I thought about what you said before, and during my coffee break, I started to reconsider my decision."

Rudy's eyes brightened at this. "Y-You did..?"

Aunt Tilly smiled at him and nodded her head. "And I believe I have finally come to a conclusion."

Rudy felt positive emotion begin to rise inside, a pleasurable feeling moving through his limbs. But there was still some caution. He didn't know what decision his aunt made or if it was any better than before. He bit his lip nervously, staring at her for a few seconds. Then, he managed to squeak out a question, "What did you decide...?"

Aunt Tilly let out a soft sigh. "It wasn't an easy decision for me to make, honestly. I'm still not entirely sure if I made the right choice." She shook her head. "But that's life. You won't always make a decision that you will particularly enjoy."

Rudy felt his heart sink at this. He lowered his head slightly.

"But I feel more confident in this decision. I'm not sure how, but..."

"Just spill it." Rudy said. He closed his eyes and waited for the answer that he knew was coming.

His aunt paused or a moment, and then, out of the corner of his eye, she nodded her head. "Very well, then. Rudy Tabootie, after careful consideration, I have decided to..."

Here it goes. The decision. He already knew what it was going to be. She might as well get it over with. He was never going to be able to convince her. She was never going to listen. She was just going to...

"..not tell your parents about ChalkZone."

sss

Although Penny would have wanted to talk to her mother more, she was glad that they had worked out the situation with ChalkZone together. The advantage she had over Rudy is that it was her mom, and not some other relative, who found out, so they could kick out the conversation much quicker. Her mother had ultimately decided to let her keep going into ChalkZone, but with a limitation: for the moment, she was only permitted two hours total in the day, meaning less time to spend with her friend and less time to help.

Oh well, at least it was better than being locked out. Despite her anger with Rudy, she did still feel sadness for him as he was currently locked out of the place. Unless his aunt decided to change her mind, there was no way Rudy woudl be able to come into ChalkZone anytime soon.

That meant that she was the only available creator to help find Blocky and that portal.

She wasn't entirely sure if she was the right person for the job. Despite showing skill with drawing in the past and despite knowing that she was the one that usually comes up with the plans, Penny still felt a level of uncertainty. She didn't have a high level of confidence within herself. She would feel better if Rudy were here.

She wanted to slap herself. She mentally told herself to get a grip. She had shown that she was quite capable in the past, like when she helped to save the zoners and her friends from that taffy avalanche, or when she had screwed around with Skrawl and managed to trick him. And she was getting worried about not being good enough? She needed to stop whining about that and focus on the mission ahead of her.

She was getting worried about what the zoners were up to. She wasn't really sure how to feel about it. She had wanted to voice her concerns, but she didn't know exactly how to say it. And Snap and Rapsheeba did make a convincing argument for it.

When she had arrived in ChalkZone, she had run into one of the zoners that were going to Howdy's place. She was confused and didn't fully understand why. She had thought that, maybe, he was hosting some kind of party to help cheer up the zoners. That seemed like something he would do. She was about to turn away to being her own solo search for the portal when she overheard one of the zoners commenting something about Howdy and what he may have done. A pang in her heart, Penny talked to one of the zoners about this.

It turned out that Howdy had been seen acting strangely. Holding a bag of unknowns, deliberately venturing into a less explored, dangerous area, pushing away Rapsheeba when she got too close...

Admittingly, Penny thought that was rather strange. That wasn't like Howdy. However, she didn't jump to the same conclusions as some of the zoners did. She didn't want to think the worst of her friend. Howdy wasn't drawn to be a malicious zoner, and based on what she had seen, she couldn't very well imagine him changing for the worse like that. She had a feeling that Howdy might be in some kind of trouble. Perhaps another zoner was pulling his strings. As much as she would have liked to resume her search for the portal, she also wanted to make sure that Howdy would be okay, so she had followed the zoners to his place.

Upon arriving, she noticed that Rapsheeba and Snap were trying to shoo away some of the zoners. Penny was confused at first, thinking they wanted all the help they could get to ensure Howdy wouldn't try to get away. Once she managed to squeeze through the crowd and reached her friends, she asked them what was going on.

According to Snap, they had only wanted a select few zoners to be present. Ones that they could trust and wouldn't overreact or do anything rash. Taking a look around, Penny could tell that a lot of these zoners looked ready to tear into Howdy if they had seen him. She understood, in that moment, why Snap and Rapsheeba would not want them involved in the interrogation.

Then something came to her head. She had started to wonder just how so many zoners could have shown up if Rapsheeba and Snap weren't going to call forth too many of them. One of the zoners, a grumpy female, admitted to eavesdropping and that she and her shy male partner had spread the word to the other zoners. She didn't seem very apologetic about it, but Penny decided it was best to pay her no mind.

She went into the front of the crowd and cleared her throat. She tried to muster up as much courage as she could, and, thinking for a moment how Rudy would handle the situation, she asked most of the zoners to leave, explaining to them that their presence could compromise the interrogation and make it harder for Howdy to speak. She promised to inform them of the updated situation once they were able to talk to Howdy. The zoners grumbled, especially that grumpy female, but they did obligue and left. Only the zoners that Snap and Rapsheeba wanted there, including Lars and Bathtub Granny, remained behind.

Snap expressed joy that Penny was there, but they didn't have much time to get updated. They would have to save that for later. For the time being, they had to get ready for Howdy. They had just one shot at this. If they slipped up, then they would not get another chance; Howdy would be too on high alert in that case.

Snap and Rapsheeba already figured out a game plan. They would hide some of the zoners on the outside, where the windows and doors were, while a handful would be inside. The ones on the outside would be the swiftest, just in case Howdy manages to get out and run. The ones on the inside would be the strongest, and keep the doorways and hallways blocked. Snap was originally going to be placed on the outside to chase Howdy, but it was later decided that Rapsheeba would fill that role better.

Penny offered to help by luring Howdy back to his home, under the guise of wanting to help with his next performance. She felt awful about lying to him, and she would prefer just being straightforward. But if he had knocked away Rapsheeba like that... Yeah this was the only way.

The two zoners did not argue with her decision. Rapsheeba informed her of which direction she had seen Howdy go in. Writing them down on a piece of chalk paper, Penny waved to her friends and promised them, and the rest of the zoners, that she will be back for Howdy. As she left, she heard some mumbling behind her as the zoners prepared for the trap.

She could not believe that it had to come to this. She didn't like the idea of trapping Howdy to get information from him. This was something she would normally be against, and now here she was, helping them do it. But it wasn't like they wanted to either. She could see the regret in Snap and Rapsheeba's eyes. They, too, wished for another way. But if Howdy was going to remain uncooperative... She could only hope that Howdy realizes how silly he had been and try to speak to them.

She couldn't fathom why he would do something like this. Why would Howdy knock down Rapsheeba and make a run for it? Why would he go somewhere that he must have known was dangerous? What was in that bag he was supposedly carrying, and why was he sneaking around with it? Just what was going on? They had to find out what it was. If Howdy was hiding something...

She shook her head. She tried not to think too bad of her friend. Yeah she was upset that he appeared to be hiding information from them, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. She was certain that he had some good reason for what he was doing. She just...couldn't think of anything yet.

Penny looked out in front of her, pausing as she stared at her destination. In the distance, she could see some portions of the dangerous place Howdy went to. What did the zoners call it again? Ah yes, Pencil Sharpener. She snorted at the weird name, but that was short-lived. Dread filled her heart as she was reminded of how dangerous this place supposedly was. She licked her lips slowly. Then, with great hesitation, she resumed her walking.

She approached the forest slowly. No matter how slow she went, it still felt as though the forest, or swamp or whatever it was, was getting closer. The pointy mountains towered over her, their very presence in a mostly flat surrounding rather jarring to the eyes. The tall, pointy trees looked very foreboding, as if they were ready to claw at her the moment she stepped in. The land was covered some kind of steamy mud. When a piece of sharp tree broke off and landed, she couldn't help but stop and cringe, gritting her teeth, at the sound of loud popping and sizzling.

She soon reached it. She paused and looked at the ground. Some of the gooey stuff appeared to have hardened. They still had the sizzle property, but it was much less pronounced and scary-sounding than the areas that were still wet. She wasn't sure just where this goo stuff came from, and right now, she couldn't dwell on that. Slowly, she pressed her foot on the ground. She winced at the hissing, then, gathering up more courage, she pushed herself to walk into the Pencil Sharpener forest.

There was a strong feeling of dread when she entered here. She rubbed her hands together nervously as she looked left and right. She could feel the sharp, angled shadows covering her, and she could have sworn someone was watching her. A cold chill rose up inside of her, and she had to fight the instinct to run. She pushed herself forward, looking left and right, trying to find any sign of the puppet zoner.

For a while, she turned up empty. She couldn't hear the little guy, nor see him. Perhaps it was because of how small he was. Howdy could easily slip by without her even seeing him. There was plenty of cover around here. So maybe he saw her coming and tried to go around her.

That didn't stop her from still looking, however. Even if Howdy could have already slipped passed her, there was still the possibility that he was still in the forest. She had to keep looking, no matter how she felt about this place.

Her stubbornness paid off.

In the distance, she could see a shape forming, a shadow crawling along the ground. She recognized that shape anywhere. It was Howdy. Penny thought at first about hiding, but then, remembering the plan, she remained firm. As long as she did not indicate that she knew anything, she should be fine.

Howdy froze as soon as he saw her. His wide eyes stared at her, and his body tensed up slightly. Penny couldn't tell if it was from the desire to run or from the confusion of her being there. She took a step back and waved to him.

"Oh, there are you are, Howdy!"

Howdy stared at her for a few seconds. Then he managed to smile back and waved his hand slowly. "H-Hello, Penny! What..what brings you here..?"

"Oh I was trying to find you. You see..." She rubbed the back of her head nervously. "I was wondering if you could..well... Let me help you with your next performance?" Howdy blinked his eyes a few times at this. "I had some ideas and..."

"Sure, I'd like to see them." Howdy motioned his hand towards her. "We can go to my place."

"That's exactly what I was thinking, yeah." Penny said quickly, nodding her head. Realizing that she had startled Howdy, she slowed herself down and grinned nervously. "S-Sorry about that. It's just that...your performances are quite good. I'm just excited to be a part of it."

Howdy remained silent, making Penny wonder if he had seen through her lie. She did her best to keep smiling, however, not wanting to give Howdy any ideas of what was going on. Then, a smile spreading across his face, the zoner gave a nod. He motioned for Penny to walk with him. Penny resisted the urge to sigh with relief and she began to follow Howdy.

She couldn't believe her luck. She had found Howdy a lot faster than she had expected. And she had managed to convince him sooner than she thought. She would have thought that it would take more time to convince him. The zoner had been quite nervous, she could tell. She half expected him to run away from her, deliberately choosing a more difficult and dangerous path in order to make her slow down. At least he had seemed to listen to reason now, allowing them to make the trip back quicker. The sooner they got this over with, the better.

As they walked, she couldn't help but glance down at Howdy. The zoner was smiling, but he still looked cautious and nervous. It was quick and sometimes she missed it, but he darted his eyes from side to side once in a while, as if looking for something. This made Penny's heart clench. Was...was someone watching...?

The ten year old took this moment to look around herself. She didn't see anything, just the uninviting surroundings of the Pencil Sharpener. Regardless, she couldn't fight off the feeling of dread. There was just something...wrong about this place. But she couldn't quite put her finger on as to why.

Then, without warning, Howdy stopped. Penny nearly stepped right into him. She managed to stop herself, and she stared down at the puppet zoner in confusion. What happened? Why did he stop? And why was he looking at her that way...?

His eyes.. filled with something familiar, yet unfamiliar for the little guy. Regret...remorse... Realizing what this might mean, Penny took a step back and opened her mouth.

"Howdy..."

Howdy bit his lip, his eyes widening with more sadness. "I-I'm sorry, Penny." He whispered softly. His body trembled as he pulled out something. A gun... "Forgive me.. I never wanted to do this..."

Her heart freezing, Penny began to rush towards him. "Howdy! No!"

He pulled the trigger. Penny was struck by a tentacle of pale yellow light. It wrapped around her, pumping energy through her body. Penny's eyes widened and she screamed loudly. In seconds, she crumpled to the ground. She laid there on her side, her unfocused eyes looking around her. She could make out the blurry shape of Howdy approaching her.

"Wh-Why...?" Penny managed to choke out, a tear dripping from her eye.

Howdy merely stared at her. The blurriness of her vision prevented her from seeing what his expression looked like. Before she blacked out, she could hear his distorted, regret-filled voice say, "I'm so sorry, Penny..."

sss

"Ah so you did complete your task. Very good, little runt." Terry said, a nasty grin spread across her face. "Good thing you listened, otherwise I would have been forced to make a...modification to your face. But don't worry; I'm sure you would have looked just fine either way."

Howdy grimaced at this. He lowered his head, averting gaze with the crazed woman. Dread filled his mind and heart, feeling a burning sensation as he was unable to come to terms with he had just done. He thought back to Penny, and he clenched his teeth. He had knocked her out and had just left her... He hoped she was going to be okay.

In his hand, he clutched the magic chalk that this woman so desired. He was tempted to crush it in his hands so she couldn't be able to use it. He thought better of that and merely held it out in front of him. He kept his gaze away, and he was unable to see her evil smile as she grabbed it from him. He turned his head slightly, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see her raise the chalk up in the air, cradling it with one hand.

The puppet zoner could feel the guilt rising up inside of him. He couldn't believe what he was doing. He was helping this woman... He knew she did not have the best intentions for ChalkZone, and yet he stilled helped her. He had knocked down Rapsheeba and attacked Penny.. How could he have done that? How could he have allowed himself to be drawn into this?

It was fear. He knew that fully well. He was afraid of what might be done to him. He was afraid of what this woman might do to Blocky if he resisted. Unable to think of anything to say, he merely kept his head lowered, showing submission to this woman.

If only he had more strength... If only he had more courage... If only he wasn't afraid to show this...this bitch exactly what he thought about her...

"C-Can I see my friend now...?" Howdy whispered softly.

Terry stared down at him for a few moments. Howdy looked up at her, meeting her eyes with an upward gaze. He said not a word as she contemplated an answer. Then with a shrug, she said, "Sure, I suppose so. I guess you earned it."

Howdy's eyes brighted by a little bit. He opened his mouth to speak, but kept it shut, fearful of getting her to change her mind.

Terry motioned with her finger. "Follow me."

With his head remaining low, Howdy followed the vile woman through the hallways. He hardly paid attention to where they were going. He merely kept his eyes on the back of the woman as she led him to where his friend was being held. There were no screams this time, but that did little to cheer him up. In fact, it only filled him with more dread, as the silenced could mean a number of things.

Howdy could feel a shiver move through his body. The longer he stayed in here, the more terrified he felt. Just the mere thought of knowing that he was in a science laboratory... Sometimes, as they passed by open doors, he could catch a glimpse of some of the machines around here. Each one looked more dangerous than the last. He had no idea what they were for. He didn't ask about anything of them, however. Just keeping his mouth shut and averting gaze.

Soon they reached an unfamiliar part of the building. He thought he heard the whirring of a machine, but he realized it was just his imagination. The heavy silence of this hallway got to him, messed with his head, made him wonder just what could be hiding around here. He slowed down, looking cautiously around him. He suddenly found himself propelled forward by a hand against his back.

"Don't slow down!" Terry snarled at him. "Or you will lose your chance to see your precious friend!"

Howdy nodded his head slowly. "I-I understand..."

Terry smirked at him in satisfaction. He led the little guy towards one of the rooms. The door was closed, and it appeared to be unmarked. Terry opened it up and, with a kick of her foot, the door swung open all the way. Terry motioned with her hands, giving off an uncomfortable smile. "Well...? Go on in... He's in there."

Howdy stared at her with uncertainty. Her smile was doing nothing to make him want to go in there faster. He turned his attention to the open door. He licked his lips nervously. Then, with a nervous swallow, he moved forward.

Upon entering the room, he took notice of what looked like a large, glass container. It appeared completely solid at first until he noticed, from a new angle, it was actually hollow. There were a series of small openings in it. Not a lot, but enough to let some air into the container. This was enough of a clue for him to realize, even before he saw him, that this must be where Blocky was being kept.

When he got close enough, he realized that his idea was correct. He could see the familiar green form in the container. He winced when he saw the bandage wrapped around him, and the blood stains. Oh Blocky.. What had they done to him...?

As if sensing someone was there, Blocky raised his head up. He gave a soft whimper, his eyes clinched tightly, face contorting in pain. "N-No..please... No more..." Howdy felt his heart break when he heard just how broken his friend was. "I can't take it. No more...Please I..." The rectangular zoner froze when he realized who stood before him in the room. "H-H-Howdy...?"

Howdy gave a small, reassuring smile. "Hey.."

"D-Did they capture you, too?" Blocky asked.

Howdy shook his head. "No. They let me see you."

"What..what do you mean...?" Blocky was about to speak more when a wrack of pain froze him, making him whimper.

Howdy looked at him sympathetically. "Please..take it easy, Blocky. It...It's going to be fine."

Blocky stared at him with uncertainty. "How do you...kn-know..?"

"I..I don't know." Howdy admitted. "But maybe things will work out. You'll see..."

"Maybe..." Blocky coughed a few times. He sat himself up. Howdy couldn't help but take in a sharp in take of air when he saw just how badly hurt his friend was. "So why...why are you here? What happened...?"

Howdy cleared his throat and began to explain the situation to his friend.

"It's...it's like this..."

sss

The Smooch kept her wings open, feeling the current pushing up against her to keep her aloft. She didn't remember how long she had been flying, but for the moment, she didn't really care. She was just enjoying herself, allowing the breeze to carry her over the land.

It wasn't often that she left her island. She didn't feel comfortable being anywhere but there and with the Haha Men. That was her home, where she was created and lived for years. Anywhere else just felt...strange to her. The different sights and surroundings... It sometimes confused her when she looked out and didn't see any of those dancing trees, or any of the Haha Men playing their catchy songs.

But once in a while, she did get herself to leave for a brief flight. It let her get an idea of how things may have changed, plus some of the scenery, even if confusing, was still pretty to look at. At least she was high above the ground, so most things that might be dangerous wouldn't be able to reach her.

She recognized this place. She had been here before. The Smooch knew she was getting somewhat close to ChalkZone City. Well not quite; it was still some ways off, and she would have to make a turn if she wanted to go there. She had no interest, though. The smog wasn't her thing. Maybe it wasn't smoggy, but she didn't want to take the chance. She was much happier here, in the outskirts and open plains.

That comfortable feeling went away when she noticed something below her. She was approaching some spooky looking forest. It was enough to make her stop and reconsider the direction she was flying in. Hovering up above, she looked down, slowly flapping her wings to keep herself from falling down.

This place looked rather spikey. The hills were tall and pointed and almost looked out of place. There was some kind of weird fog coming out one end of it, and the way the land seemed to suddenly shift, from whatever this dark forest was made of and how different the land around it was... She tried to push back her nervous thoughts as she lowered herself a little more. She knew it was against her better judgment, but she felt she had to explore this place. Curiosity was getting the best of her, something that rarely happens.

The Smooch flinched as she tried to fly through the trees. They raked against her, the sharp tips threatening to tear up her wings. She stopped and looked all around. She began to wonder why it was such a good idea to come down here in the first place. She tried to fly upwards, but ended up hitting against one of the thicker branches. With a grunt, she was tossed towards the ground.

Squawking in terror, she flapped in desperation. She tried to gain some levitivity, but unfortunately, she was not quick enough. She let out a pained squawk as she hit the ground, her legs sprawling out into a painful split. She shut her eyes, shutting a few tears.

She remained this way for a few moments. Horrible pain shot through her legs and hips, and she did her best not to squeal. Slowly, she started to climb back up to her feet. Her stance was wobbly and her legs felt like jello. She stumbled forward a little, flapping her scratched up wings to avoid falling over. When she managed to regain her footing, she stood there, panting a little as she looked at her surroundings.

This was one scary place. She had never seen a forest like this in ChalkZone before. It was such a start contrast of her own home. Instead of being warm, happy, and inviting, this place was dark, twisted, and foreboding. She couldn't fathom what kind of creator would make a place like this. Seeing the way the branches curved in above her, blocking much of the light, The Smooth decided that maybe it was best not to try to fly out of here. She did find it much easier to walk anyway. Gathering up whatever courage she had left, she started to make her way through the spooky forest.

Walking along here was quite unnerving. The hissing sounds... She flapped in surprise when she first heard that. She thought, at first, there was something underneath the ground trying to cook her alive. She was not interested in becoming anyone's poultry meal. She relaxed when she realized that the ground was not hot at all. She didn't know what could be causing the hissing then, but she didn't want to dwell on it. The sooner she got out of here, the sooner she could get back home safe and sound. She had enough flying around for one day.

After a few minutes of flying, she stopped when she noticed something in the distance. Some small form on the ground. She squinted her eyes to try to get a better look. There was something very familiar about this being...

She began to approach the figure slowly. She knew they were still alive; she could see their chests inhale and exhale with each intake of breath. She wondered what they were doing in this forest. Were they a resident or were they simply lost? The only way to find out was to get a little closer and examine. She wouldn't be able to do much talking; she was never given that ability by her creator.

When she got close enough, she began to recognize the individual. The outfit was unfamiliar, but the overall shape of the body, the size, that hair, the glasses... The Smooch widened her eyes in recognition. It was that little girl, one of the three who had visited her a few months ago. Friend of the blue boy she had kissed as part of the ritual.

The Smooch wondered what the girl was doing out here, and all by herself at that. Where were her friends? Turning her head left and right, she could see no sign of anyone else here. Just this girl. Had she come all this way just to get some peace and quiet? A weird place to choose, but...

Then she noticed something was wrong with the girl. There were injuries on her. Scratches and a few burn marks. The Smooch widened her eyes in horror at this. It was then she realized that this poor little girl was hurt. With cold blood in her body, she realized that the one who attacked her might still be lurking around. Hunching her body defensively, she looked around. She didn't see any sign of anyone there, but perhaps they were hiding, waiting to strike...

She looked back down at the girl. She lowered her head and gently pushed it against her. She nudged the girl a few times, but got no response. Furrowing her eyes with concern, she tried again, this time with more force and accompanying it with a loud squawk. This time, the girl opened her eyes a little and stared up at her. They were unfocused and she couldn't tell if the girl even realized she was there.

The girl let out a soft moan, and attempted to crawl forward. "N-No...don't...please..." She collapsed back down, her eyes shutting softly.

The Smooch stared down at her worriedly. She knew she had to do something for her and fast. She craned her head up. She wanted so much to just fly away, but with this girl's injuries... No, that would be a bad idea. And what if she fell? The last thing this poor girl needed was to get even more hurt.

There was only one thing she could think of. Lowering herself towards the ground with her long, black pantyhosed legs to the ground, being careful of where she stepped with her red high heals, she gently scooped the girl up in her wings. She gently placed her on her back, letting the girl sprawl across her, her arms and legs hanging off the edge.

Then, making sure the girl was nice and secured, The Smooch picked the direction she remembered ChalkZone City being in. Knowing the girl might need a doctor to look at her, even if it was one not from her home world, she took off in that direction.


	19. Colds

When you place your hand on my skin, it shall have turned to ice.

sss

Howdy gagged when the angered human seized him by his neck. He was lifted roughly into the air. He tried to strike back at them, swinging a fist again and again. Thankfully, Von had his head pulled back, and the runt wasn't able to get an attack in edge wise.

He wasn't sure what possessed Terry to allow him to see his friend. All that did was increase his willingness to save them. He knew that, if zoners were like humans enough, Howdy here would have tried whatever he could to get Blocky out. If he hadn't come into the room in time to see the puppet try to tilt the enclosure over...

He did his best to hide his anger from Terry. He couldn't believe the woman had been stupid enough to leave the puppet zoner in the room unintended while she went out doing...whatever it is she wanted to do. In doing so, she had given the zoner enough time to formulate a plan and try to get his friend out. Terry said she didn't think that he'd try it, and that the enclosure was too heavy for him. She apparently didn't account for Howdy using some items in the room to gain leverage...

The fact that he had only managed to push the glass enclosure a few inches didn't really cheer him up all that much. If given enough time, Howdy would have succeeded. He growled softly to himself. He began to wonder if Terry really was the best person to be his partner. Perhaps he should do something about her.

He would deal with her later, though. At the moment, he needed to take care of this squirming zoner. Howdy was still trying to fight back. He kicked his legs wildly, continuously trying to attack him. Despite his disadvantage, he was still trying to defend himself. How cute... Dr. Von Doktor looked towards the glass enclosure where Blocky was still being kept. Perhaps now was a good time for him to move onto the next experiment. Only this time, there was going to be a witness.

He tightened his grip on the zoner's neck, listening to him gag, feeling his fingers try to pry his hand off. Howdy glared at him, but his attempts to hide his feelings were in vain. The man could easily see the fear in his eyes.

"Zince you were zo generous in trying to ruin our planz..." Von took a quick, accusatory glare at Terry, who stood nearby. The woman folded her arms and glared back, giving him a 'what did I do' expression. He smiled at Howdy. "Perhapz we will allow you firzt row zeat. It is zee leazt we can do." He patted the zoner on the head gently.

Howdy growled, confusion edging on his voice. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh it'z quite easy to understand if you zink about it." Von said as he walked towards one of the chairs that were nearby. He held Howdy out in front of him, letting him get a look at it. "We wouldn't want you to mizz out. And maybe...who knowz..? Maybe you will learn a zing or two about how we do zingz around here."

"Doctor, I don't know why you're bothering wasting your time with that thing." Terry said. She ignored the insulted glare she got from Howdy. "Just punish him already and send him back to ChalkZone." She glared intently into Howdy's eyes. "He's still our little delivery boy. He mustn't forget that."

"Oh don't worry." Von grinned. "After ziz, zere would be no way he'd forget zat."

Howdy's eyes widened slowly at this. He looked up at Von, the confusion turning into apprehension. Von merely smiled at him, refusing to say anything more. He would rather just hint at his fate rather than tell him anything directly. The zoner would probably figure it out eventually. He just needed a bit more of a clue, and then he could watch the fun begin.

Dr. Von Doktor forced Howdy into the chair. He motioned for Terry to come over. The woman gave a disgusted snort, but still went along with what he wanted anyway. She aided Von, grabbing some rope and bringing it over to him. Von pulled Howdy's hands behind the chair roughly, through the empty spaces on the back plate. Terry tied up his hands there, making sure it was good and tight. Von then held down Howdy's legs, allowing Terry to bind them to the chair's bars. The final touch was a few more loops around his chest and stomach, and then he was secured good and tight.

Von smiled down at the zoner, putting his hands on his hips. "I zuppose you want to know what we are going to do with you now?" Howdy didn't bother to answer. He just jerked himself from side to side. Von merely smiled at this. He could already tell how much fun this was going to be. He reached down and put his finger on Howdy's chin, tilting it up. "Well I promize you zat we won't hurt you...phyzically. But I wonder...how much can your mind take...?"

Terry looked down at Von, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting that we...?" She groaned when Von raised up his hand to silence her. She rolled her eyes and looked away.

"Let me go!" Howdy snarled at him. He pulled on the ropes as hard as he could. Von was impressed by his repeated attempts. Even when the ropes clearly started to hurt him, Howdy still tugged and pulled, clearly determined to get away. "I swear, if you don't let me go...!"

Von chuckled coldly at this. "My, aren't you getting overly excited? Well zorry, but you ain't going anywhere." Von stroked the top of Howdy's head. "Not until after your little punishment."

Howdy spat, "To the eraser with your punishment!"

Dr. Von Doktor widened his eyes at that bold statement. He couldn't help but smile at the zoner's determination. Gone was the submissive zoner who didn't want his friend to get hurt. Present was a bold little guy whose anger was becoming the driving force of his actions. How interesting... But he knew he couldn't let him stay this way for long. The little chalk creature could ruin their plans. Time to crush the little guy's spirit, and he knew exactly how he was going to do that.

Von seized the zoner by his chin, holding him in place. Howdy glared at him, trying in vain to hide the fear that he was clearly feeling. "Say, little guy... Do you want to watch a movie? Well, it's kind of a movie but... Well, let's just say it'll star someone who might be able to tame this little temper of yours..."

Howdy's eyes widened for a millisecond before he reacted on instinct. Opening his mouth wide, he bit down on the scientist's hand. Von's eyes bulged open at this, and he released a scream from his mouth. He recoiled back, yanking away his hand. He flinched when Howdy's teeth managed to scrape some of the skin, leaving behind a mark. Clutching his hand to himself, Von stared at it, noting some blood marks on it. The little runt had broken some of the skin.

He shot a glare at the zoner. Howdy, in that moment, appeared to realize what he had just done and what that had meant. He tried to struggle to get away. The ropes held him in place as the angered doctor stared at him with an expression of rage.

Froming a fist, he snarled, "You little...!" He struck forward, but stopped dead short of actually hitting the zoner. Howdy turned his head to the side, his teeth clenched and body shaking in fear. He looked at the man expectantly, wondering if he was going to finish his attack or what. Slowly, as the man regained his composure, he smiled, "No... I'll do something elze instead." He turned to Terry. "Bring me more rope."

Howdy's eyes widened at this. "What..what are you..?"

Von sneered down at the zoner, feeling a sense of pleasure that the zoner had lost some of his edge. He was finally starting to understand. He heard the approaching footsteps of Terry and he grabbed the rope from her. "I will make sure you don't get a chance to do zat again. Be glad I am not going for a more..permanent zolution..."

Howdy's head was held in place by Terry was Von circled the rope around his head. As the tightened them, Howdy let out a surprised yelp. Perhaps he bit his tongue. Oh well, who cares... He continued wrapping the rope around until he figured he had enough to keep the zoner from opening his jaws. He tied a knot at the top. He would have stopped right there, but he wanted to go a step further, using a piece of cloth to cover up the zoner's mouth.

Now Howdy was unable to make much noise. Just some mumbled sounds mostly. He kept trying to cry out in protest, but any word he tried to say was distorted and nearly muted by the rope and cloth. With no worry of being bitten again, the man placed his hand on Howdy's cheek.

"Well...shall we begin now?" Von asked. He stared into Howdy's terrified eyes. "Like I zaid, we won't hurt your body. But your mind..." Von slowly turned his gaze to the enclosure, smirking at Blocky, who was looking on in horror. "Zat is a whole different ztory."

As if realizing exactly what Von had in mind, Howdy began to let out muffled screams of protest. His struggling increased in vigor. If the chair were made of lighter material, the zoner would probably be knocking it from side to side right now. But just in case, he'd have Terry do something about it.

Ignoring the zoner's quieted pleas, Von picked up the chair, easily transferring the small zoner to where he wanted him to be. He carried him towards the hallway. He looked over his shoulder, staring towards Terry. He gestured towards the enclosure. Even without saying a word, the woman acted right away. She walked over towards the enclosure to fetch Howdy.

"Where am I taking him?" She asked.

Von's smile spread across his face. "To the freezer."

sss

Blocky tried to struggle. He tried to twist his body around, make the woman let go of him. She would not relent. He didn't even dare try to bite her, lest he suffer the same fate as Howdy. As they approached the door, as he started to feel the chilling effects, dread spread through his body.

No... No, they couldn't do this to him. This wasn't right... Were they really this heartless...?

Blocky continued to writhe in the woman's arms. He ignored the pain of being rolled up like some old news paper. He tried to free one of his arms. Any of them. If he could just make her loosen her grip, then he may have a chance of escape. But no amtter how hard he tried, he couldn't move. His arms were firmly pinned against his body, pressed there by himself.

The woman continued her trek down the hallway. In front of her was Dr. Von Doktor. The man was leading them to his current destination. He was taking him to the freezer. Even without being in there, the zoner was already shivering, his body unable to control itself. He couldn't believe this was happening. Von... could he really be this cruel? He was bad enough beore, but now...

The man stopped in front of the large, metal door. He set Howdy on the ground. Blocky watched the zoner hopefully, praying that the puppet could get free and stop these humans from what they were about to do. Please..he didn't want this... Blocky couldn't stop the tears of fear from dripping down his face.

Von stared down at Howdy in annoyance. Without saying a word or hesitation, he raised up his foot and pushed against Howdy. The chair went tumbling back and hit the ground in a thud. Blocky looked on in horror, hoping that his friend was all right. The puppet zoner let out a soft groan, but other than that, he didn't appear to be hurt. He managed to shoot a glare at Terry, who merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh don't complain." She said, raising a hand up as if she didn't understand what his problem was. "He will be fine." She pointed a finger at him. "It is yourself I'd be more concerned about."

At this, Blocky tried to speak, but he stopped himself, knowing that anything he said could be used as a means of doing worse to him or his friend. He looked over at Von, feeling his heart tighten as the man opened up the door. Out pillowed a white cloud-like substance, the same stuff that would be present in an area that was super cold. His teeth chattered in resposne, feeling the chill already creep along his skin from here.

Von motioned for Terry, his hands indicating the door. "Drop him in zere."

"And you are sure this is nonlethal? Need I remind you that we cannot..." Terry started to say.

"Don't worry, he won't die from ziz." Von turned to give an eerie smile at Blocky. "...but he'z going to wish it did kill him..."

Blocky felt his heart freeze at this, ice shooting through his body. He gulped and let out a few whimpers of protest. He got no looks of sympathy from his captors, and Howdy was unable to show any comfort to him while he was on the ground.

"And he won't be able to get out?" Now the woman's eyes were on the ground, the edge part where the door would be over once closed. "No chance of him sleeping through?"

"Not even remotely. Zee door is airtight. He would never be able to get out. Bezides..." Von took a moment to look at Blocky in the eyes. There was a brief reflection of knowing in there, as if the man was sending him a silent message. "...he'z going to be a little too...busy, if you know what I mean."

Terry nodded her head. "Yeah, I suppose you're right on that." Replied Terry. "So let's get this show on the road."

His heart pounding against his chest, Blocky tried to get himself free. He was unable to do anything, totally helpless, as the red-haired woman carried him nonchalantly over to the door. As soon as she reached it, she unfolded him, holding him up painfully by his head.

Squirming and thrashing in the air, trying to pry her hands off, he pleaded, "No! Please! Not this! No!"

Ignoring him completely, Terry threw him into the room. The small zoner crashed into the ground painfully. He whimpered as the ground was so cold, it was nearly burning. He scrambled up to his feet, meeting the cold gaze of the two humans. He rushed over slipping on the ice, but he was not fast enough.

The door was slammed in his face. He hit his head against it, staggering back. Darkness immediately descended upon him for a few seconds, making him unable to see anything. He rubbed his sore face as the cold began to swirl around his body. He trembled, wrapping his arms around himself. He looked around, trying to see what his surroundings were like.

A sudden flash of light above him illuminated the room. He raised up a hand, gritting his teeth as he tried to adjust to the light. Despite the brightness that was now bestowed upon him, this did little to provide any kind of warmth.

All around him were shelves of various items that needed to be frozen. He wasn't sure what they were. Some appeared to be food, but maybe that was just his imagination. There was a thin sheet of ice on multiple places, including the ground itself. Some snow-like substance clung to the walls, and icicles hung from the ceiling, some of them so long that he'd run into them if he weren't careful.

The zoner walked towards the middle of the room, taking in where he was and his predicament. He could see the gust of white, realizing that more cold air was being pumped into here. He could already feel the incredibly low temperatures plummet further, making him rub himself to try to generate some kind of friction heat.

Looking up, he could see a few cameras placed in here. About four. No matter where he went, there was a camera in place, watching his every move. He glared at the cameras, but there was little energy to it. He didn't have enough strength to be defiant, the cold zapping him of his strength.

Blocky lowered himself to the ground, positioning himself in front of the door where the temperatures were at their highest. That wasn't saying much, though. He curled up against the wall, shivering hard, his teeth chattering. Despite his efforts to stay warm, he could already feel his core body temperature dropping rapidly. It was at this time that he realized that his incredibly thin body was about to become his greatest enemy.

sss

Rudy didn't know how long he had been hugging his aunt. He didn't know how long he had been shedding tears of joy. All he was aware of was holding onto the woman, pressing his face against her shoulder. He could feel her arm gently rubbing his back, whispering soft words to him. Rudy would feel Sophie holding onto him, hugging his legs, as if she understood just what this moment meant to him.

He wondered if he was dreaming. He was so tempting to pinch himself to offer himself some kind of reassurance that everything happenign right now was a real, and not some kind of dream. A part him expected to wake up at any moment, drowning out any hope of this being real. But the other... The longer he held onto his aunt, the more convinced he became that this was reality.

Positive emotion began to well up inside of him, creating a burning sensation. But a good kind, one that filled him with excitement, even energy to fuel his motivation to find his lost friend and the portal. He couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face, the grin almost reaching insanity levels. He couldn't help it. The emotion was just rushing through him like a tsunami, and it was carrying him with it.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..." He choked out, sniffling loudly.

His aunt didn't answer him. She instead responded by holding him a little tighter. Rudy nuzzled Aunt Tilly against her shoulder, ignoring the tears that were staining her shirt. He continued to hold on, wanting to prove to himself that this was really happening.

His aunt... She understood. She appeared to finally understand... She had retracted her earlier statement of revealing this to his parents. He..he couldn't begin to tell her just how happy that made him feel. His body was doing all the talking for him, with his increased heart rate and the excitement, the energy running through his nerves. If he had to run a marathon he would be able to do that in a heartbeat.

Finally, after the long, grueling days that passed, it seemed that the situation with his aunt was finally coming to a close. The danger of ChalkZone being revealed by a family member was coming to an end. If his aunt was true to her words...and she was. He knew her long enough to know how sincere she was being. The fact that she was being sincere about this only further fueled the energy that was making him feel giddy.

He didn't know what made her change her made. He didn't now what the clincher was. He had tried so much to get her to change her mind, and here she did it on her own... What happened while she was down here? What entered her mind and made her realize that what she was doing was wrong? At the moment, he didn't care to know. Right now, he just wanted to celebrate this moment.

After what felt like several more minutes, he broke free from his aunt. The two of them looked at each other in the eyes, smiling. Rudy looked over and saw Sophie moving to his side. She gave him her classic smile before she went up to him and hugged him again, the side of her face pressed against him. Rudy, unable to resist, hugged her back, locking her in a comforting hug.

"As I told you..." Rudy looked up at his aunt as she started to speak. "It wasn't easy to come up with the decision, and a part of me is still in doubt.." Aunt Tilly lowered her gaze, fumbling with her fingers. "I can't explain exactly how I came to this conclusion, but..I did feel bad about how sad I was making you..and I started to wonder if telling your folks really was the best thing. But I also had to think of my sister...and your dad.."

Rudy let go of Sophie and looked up at his aunt, nodding his head in understanding. "It's okay, Aunt Tilly. I know what you mean." Aunt Tilly looked down at him expectantly. "It's not easy for me to keep this a secret from my parents. I know that if they ever find out, they would be hurt." He lowered his head, feeling guilt wash over him. "I don't do it to hurt them, though. I just..want to keep this place safe. I want them to know I still trust them..." He looked up at his aunt. "And..despite our..misgivings earlier..." He winced as he remembered when his aunt had struck him. "I still trust you as well. Please...don't take me hiding this world as evidence that I don't trust you. You're my aunt. I always will trust you."

Aunt Tilly smiled at him. She lowered herself down and pulled her nephew into a hug. "I'm sure you do, Rudy..." She moved away from him and placed her hand on his shoulders. "You know..I may never fully understand this world and why it must be kept secret. But... you're right." She stroked his brown hair gently. "I was the one who didn't trust enough. I'm sorry it took me this long to realize that."

Rudy's smile broadened. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault." He pressed himself against her, feeling the warmth of her arms wrap around him. "I'm just glad we finally have this settled."

"Me, too." Replied Aunt Tilly.

Rudy continued to hold onto his aunt for a few more moments, further cementing that things were finally turning for the better. Only after a few minutes did he release her. He kept quiet, taking a few moments to let all of this truly sink in.

However, the moment of happiness didn't last forever. His aunt looked at him with concern as his smile faded. She attempted to ask him what was wrong, but Rudy kept his mouth clenched shut. He turned his back to her, taking a few steps away from her. He could feel Sophie tugging on him. He pulled his hand away from her, letting out a soft grunt. He felt bad for the way he was acting right now, but for the moment, he just...needed a little breathing room.

There was still the situation with Blocky and the portal. Even though his aunt had said she would not reveal ChalkZone to his parents, that only removed one problelm. There were others he needed to take care of first. He had to find that portal..and his friend. They were both out there, somewhere, waiting for him, for someone. He had no idea what was going on with Blocky. If he had been taken by Terry and Von...

He knew what his next destination had to be. There was only one move left he had now. He needed to head back into ChalkZone. He needed to find his friends and figure out a game plan.

But...would it be enough? Would they be able to come up with a plan that would take them to where the portal and Blocky were? If only there was some kind of clue... He could try looking outside, look around the house... But that wouldn't do him much good. There was little reason to suspect that he'd find any clues there. He needed something else. Perhaps one of the zoners might have... No, they had been looking and he heard nothing knew from Penny. But he refused to give up. There had to be something that he could do.

If anything happened to Blocky or ChalkZone, he'd never forgive himself. It was his duty to keep that place safe and he..he almost blew it all sky high. And even if his aunt wasn't going to tell his parents this time, though he still had some wariness about the whole thing, that didn't change the fact that there was an open portal somewhere, and the fact that it very well could be in the clutches of those...those criminals...

"Rudy, dear...what is it?" He heard his aunt say.

Rudy turned to face her. He gave her a soft expression, etched in worry. This was enough to make her widen his eyes, and she took a step back as she appeared to realize what was going through the boy's head. Silently, he turned away from her, and stared up towards the stairs.

What was he going to do if they still had found no clues? Where would they begin? Sure, there was that lab that he was taken to before. But there was no guarantee that Von would use that same place again. He might have found a different location. And even if he was still there, he couldn't forget that Von realized that children bypassed his security system. He may have beefed it up to ensure that none of them would be able to get in.

And then there was the chance that Von was not responsible for Blocky's disappearance. If Rudy spent all this time breaking into a place, only to find who he was looking for wasn't there... He could feel his stomach burn. He would hate to waste time like that. Blocky could be in serious danger. If he...

"Rudy." Aunt Tilly placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you are worried. I can see it in your eyes." She turned Rudy around, forcing him to look at her. He could feel his shoulders being gently squeezed. He looked up at her, locking eye contact with her. "I may not understand why you feel the need to do this... But...if it's important to you, then it's important to me."

Rudy lowered his head. He gave a soft sniffle, a few tears forming in his eyes. "I just..hope he's okay..."

Aunt Tilly lowered herself onto her knee. She reached over and gently stroked away a tear from his eyes. "It's all right. You'll find him... I know you will."

"And the portal..." Rudy said, keeping his head turned away from her. "If I don't find it... So many zoners..they might.."

"Don't worry, Rudy. I'm sure you'll be able to figure all of this out. You're a smart boy. I know you can do it." Aunt Tilly pulled Rudy into another hug. She rested her chin on his head, gently patting him on the back. "Don't give up. Keep on trying. You can do it, Rudy. You'll find a way."

Rudy smiled at this, hugging his aunt back. Again, he found himself encased in her arms. Again he could feel Sophie cuddling up with him. The smile never left his face. The bitterness began to leave, replaced with a burning sensation of determination. "Yeah...you're right..."

Rudy knew that his aunt was right. He would be able to do this. He never gave up before, and he wasn't about to start now. He faced tough challenge in the past, and he managed to rise above them. Even in situations where it looked like there was no way out, he found something to light the way. The situation may look dire right now, but he mustn't lose faith in himself. He must keep trying. He had to do it, for the same of his friend...and for the sake of ChalkZone.

He swore to himself, if those bastards did anything to hurt his friend...he will make them pay. He may not be violent enough to hurt them, but he would not show them mercy. They would be dealt with like the criminals they were. He would ensure their proper place in prison. Terry and Von... He hoped they were enjoying their final moments of freedom... because if they hurt his friend, if they tortured him, it will be the last bits of freedom they will ever have. He didn't know how he was going to get them arrested, but he'd find a way. He wouldn't even have to try; he trusted that they would slip up on their own.

But enough thinking about that. He wouldn't be able to do anything unless he tried to find them. He looked at his aunt expectantly, hoping that she will not try to bar him from that world. If she understood how he felt, then she would let him go. Looking into her eyes, he could see no sign of protest, and a warm sensation filled up his stomach.

"I take it you want to go back into ChalkZone?" Aunt Tilly asked.

Rudy nodded his head. "I need to catch up with my friends."

"...all right then..." Rudy smiled at this, glad that his aunt really was being understanding this time. Aunt Tilly closed her eyes. "I can't stop you, and I won't try. I know how much this world means to you." She reopened them, smiling gently at her nephew. "Just..do me one favor."

"What is it?" Asked Rudy.

"Do be careful." Aunt Tilly stroked his hair gently, running her fingers through. "And watch your step."

Rudy smiled. "Don't worry. I will."

sss

Howdy tried to scream as loud as he could. He tried to make his words heard. He tried to call out to his friend. He watched in horror, his eyes unable to tear away from the video screen. He couldn't even turn his head, even if he wanted to. He could feel the evil man's grip on him, forcing him to look at the screen, forced him to watch the horrific scene playing out before him.

On the screen, he could see Blocky. The poor green zoner was curled up in a ball against the door. He was shivering violently, fighting to keep some kind of warmth. He could see the zoner's breath every time he inhaled and exhaled. He was rubbing himself frantically, desperately trying to create some kind of warmth for himself. Once in a while, Blocky would look up at one of the cameras, and Howdy could feel his heart skip a beat. The look in his eyes... he looked so...desperate... So devoid of energy...

No.. This couldn't be happening. What were these monsters doing to him? Why would they put him through this much pain and misery? Blocky didn't deserve this.

But there was little he could do to protest. His jaws had been tied shut. He couldn't speak a word. He couldn't even scream or get his captors' attention. Terry and Von stood beside him, and they didn't bother to look down at him. Their eyes were solely on the cameras, watching their friend suffer like it was some source of grand entertainment. How disgusting...

Howdy noticed there were some monitors along the walls. They were measuring the life readings of his friend, he realized. He didn't know much about anatomy, but he still flinched when he saw the readings on the machines. They just seemed so...low... And they were decreasing as time passed. Another machine noted the temperature. Howdy stifled a shocked intake of breath when he noted just how low the temperature was in there. It was twenty degrees, and it was still dropping.

He struggled against his binds, hoping that, by some miracle, he'd be able to get out. He jerked himself from side to side. He tugged at his arms and legs. He tried to get something free. Yet all he managed to do was nearly pull one of his muscles. He hissed and let out a soft whimper. His heart stung when he realized he couldn't escaped from this. All his time as a performer did little to prepare himself for this kind of situation.

He looked out in front of him, unwillingly watching as his friend was being tortured before his eyes. He was horrified when he saw Terry, on Von's prompting, turn the knob down, lowering the temperature further. He could practically hear his friend's pitiful gasps and teeth chattering as he tried whatever he could to keep warm. And the vital signs just kept on dropping.

What was this man trying to prove? Why was he doing this to Blocky? What was the point? This was just..plain cruel and heartless... They were nearly freezing Blocky to death and all for what? Learning?

He turned his eyes up and stared at Von bitterly. The man wore a sickening smile, staring at the monitors in satisfaction. The fact that this man was actually pleased with this... It was sickening. He wished he could do something to teach this man a lesson, but his current predicament and fear prevented him from even trying. He hoped that this man and his partner would get what was coming to them.

To his horror, Blocky appeared to be taking on a worse condition. He was getting up now, and he was trying to move around. But his movements... They were so slow, so inhibited... His eyes were unfocused, and he couldn't tell if the zoner could still see clearly. He stumbled forward, his legs easily giving out below him. Howdy felt tears form in his eyes as he saw just how badly his friend was suffering. The cold's effects were becoming very apparent on him. And then when Blocky's shaking started to lose energy...

Howdy screamed into his gag...or rather, he tried to. All he could manage was a few loud groans of protest. He tried to be as loud as he could, even in spite of the gag. His attempts at getting their attention paid off when he felt one of them strike him. It was Terry.

"Shut up!" Terry hissed at him. "Be glad that he isn't going to die from this!"

Howdy glared hatefully at her. He grumbled into his gag, showing her that he had no intention of being quiet. This infuriated Terry. She looked like she was ready to striek him when she was stopped by Von, who raised his hand up.

"Now now, let'z not be too hasty. Zee little creature iz juzt worried about hiz little friend." Von said in a cool, calm voice. Howdy winced at just how collected he could be when someone's life was on the line. "I assure you, Howdy, everyzing iz going to be fine. We will let your friend out when zee experiment iz over."

Howdy tried to speak, but his voice remained silenced. However, Von appeared to understand what hew as trying to say.

"Just a few more minutez. I want to zee how much cold he can take." Von looked nonchalantly at the cameras, showing no real concern as Blocky collapsed back into the ground. "It won't be too much longer. Judging from ziz, he haz a little more time left."

Howdy muffled in protest. He struggled against the ropes holding him down. He tried to free himself, tried to get over to his friend, who was in big trouble. He had to get out of here. He just had to...

Suddenly, he found himself falling back into the ground. The force was so sudden and great that he tried to let out a scream, only to be hampered by the ropes on his jaws. He looked up and he saw Terry glaring down at him, holding her hands into fists. The only thing holding her back was Von, who had a hand on her shoulder and was glaring softly at her. This did little to stop Terry from giving off a few threats to him to be quiet.

Howdy fell silent. Not from fear of what Terry was going to do to him, but from worry over Blocky. He looked up at the monitor. Though it was hard to see from this angle, he could tell that his condition was entering the critical mode. He couldn't help but shed some more tears. When were these monsters going to let him out? Was Blocky going to be permanently damaged from all of this? Blocky... He had to be okay...

Howdy gave off a frightened whimper when he saw Howdy's expression. He barely had enough energy to turn his head to look at the cameras now, and when he did, Howdy could see just how...dead he looked. He was losing much of his color, the cold practically forming ice along his skin. His shivering was very weak now, hardly detectable. Howdy shouted in his gag the best he could, trying to get Blocky to keep his eyes open, even though he would never be able to hear him from in here.

Blocky looked as if he was trying to find someone. He was blinking his eyes a few times, looking left and right. He attempted to climb back up to his feet. It was useless; his legs were no longer strong enough to hold his weight. He slipped down, and fell onto his knees. He lowered his head and appeared to groan, though without sound, it was hard to tell. Blocky turned again to the camera, his droopy eyes filling with horror. He gave off a silent plea, hoping that his captors would show some mercy on him. Howdy was glad that Blocky did not see the uncompassionate looks that these humans were giving him.

Then, to Howdy's horror, Blocky appeared to give out. His eyes rolled in the back of his head and he collapsed on the ground. Howdy struggled in his chair, letting out a series of muffled cries, begging Blocky to get up. But the zoner remained motionless on the ground. Even the shivering had stopped. The only signs of life were the very shallow breathing he could just barely detect.

"Hmm...that went faster than expected..." Terry's voice had a tone of disappointment in it, much to Howdy's disgust. "I was hoping it would be a little longer."

"I wazn't zurprized. Zee zoner waz very thin... Zere waz no way he could keep much body heat in him for long. I am more zurprized zat he lazted az long az he did." Von walked towards the screen. He put his hand over it, running his fingertips lightly across the screen. "I will write ziz down in my notez." He turned his head to the red-haired woman. "Go and get zee zoner back in hiz enclosure."

Terry looked down at Howdy. "What about him?"

"Leave him with me." Dr. Von Doktor said. "I will need to zpeak to him and ensure zat we are ztill on agreement. I wouldn't want him getting any ideaz on zaving hiz little friend."

Terry looked a little annoyed. It was clear that she had a better idea on what they could do. But she didn't seem all that interested in arguing with the man. She looked down at Howdy, giving him a scowl as she righted him up, placing the chair back in its original orientation. Howdy flinched as he looked into Terry's angered eyes. He let out a soft mumble and nothing more. He listened to the woman leave, and in seconds, it was just him and Von.

He looked over at the man, who stood in front of the monitors now, a notebook in his hand as he wrote down all the vital readings of his friend. Howdy couldn't believe how calm he could be during this. He had nearly killed his friend, and all he was worried about were some statistics? Howdy could feel his stomach burning up. If only he could get himself free...

After a few minutes, Von appeared to be done with the note taking. He stuffed it in his pocket and he turned to smile at Howdy. He folded his arms behind his back and he approached him slowly.

"Your friend really iz quite amazing. I didn't expect him to lazt zat long." Von said in a soft voice. He walked around Howdy, positioned himself behind the puppet zoner. "Truly a remarkable zpezimen. Of courze I need to be a little more careful..." Von showed the notebook to Howdy, pointing to one of the life readings that were very low. "I almozt lozt him..."

Howdy glared at the man and tried to shout at him. His attempts were in vain. All the man did in response was chuckle at him. Howdy watched as the man walked away. The man glanced back over at the monitor, smiling darkly.

Howdy found himself staring at the screen. He could see Blocky still laying there, his body still covered in those..those things that helped the man to monitor him on some level. Blocky's skin was so pale now, it was almost white. The sight of this horrified Howdy. He found himself struggling more when he saw Terry walk into the room.

"Ah, lookz like she made it already." Commented Dr. Von Doktor.

Howdy was helpless as he watched Terry pick up Blocky, making no attempt to be gentle. She slung him over her shoulder. Howdy flinched at how rigid he was, almost like he was partially frozen. And were those...red marks...? Howdy's eyes snapped open in shock when he realized that there was ice in that room. Frozen Real World water...

"Perhapz using a freezer waz not zee bezt idea." Von appeared to notice this as well. He didn't sound particularly worried about it. "Well, at leazt it didn't eat away too much of him." Turning his attention to Howdy, he said, "You are not going to leave here juzt yet."

Howdy narrowed his eyes. If this man was thinking of doing the same thing to him...

"I need you to get your friend zere warmed up."

Howdy stared at the man in shock. He was going to let him stay with Blocky? While Howdy did want to leave this place and get away from these awful people, he also didn't want to leave Blocky here alone. After what happened to him, the poor guy deserved some comforting. Glaring softly at the man, he gave a slow nod of the head.

"I knew you would agree. I know how much you wanted to zee your friend...without being blocked of course." Von said. "Now, I'll take you down zere, but only if you do not attempt to ezcape. Do zo, and I will..." His voice trailed off, as if he had forgotten what he was going to say.

Howdy spoke the best he could in a muffled voice, "I...understand..."

Although his words were heavily muffled and distorted, it was enough for the man to understand. "Good..." With that, the man began to untie Howdy. With the final ropes undone, minus the ones on his head, Howdy climbed out of the chair and lowered his head in submission. "Come along with me..."

sss

Howdy did his best to hold back his tears. He stared down at the prone form of his friend. He had only recently started to shiver again, but he still lacked so much energy. And the low, constant whimpers... Howdy kept himself over Blocky's body, trying to provide him with as much body heat as he could.

Blocky's skin was so cold... So icy.. Even when he tried to warm him up by rubbing his back, it didn't seem to do anything to change how his skin felt. It was as though ice had been pumped into his friend's body, completely replacing the blood. The only thing that comforted Howdy was the fact that Von did offer a heating blanket to help get his core body temperature back up. That was as much credit as he could give him, though.

The poor zoner was covered in several small burns. Some of them had bled a little. The room he was trapped in had a lot of frozen Real World water in it. Even if it didn't soak all the way through, the effects were very obvious. Poor Blocky... It must have been like standing on hardened lava. He couldn't imagine the pain he must have been through...

Howdy tried not to let his anger towards the man get to him. He couldn't focus on that now. He did his best to forget that he was trapped with Blocky at the moment. He tried to forget that he and Blocky were being watched by Von and Terry. He tried to ignore the eyes that were boring straight through him. For the moment, he focused on Blocky, whispering soft, comforting words to him.

He couldn't tell if Blocky was that much aware of what was going on. He seemed to almost forget where he was. His eyes were looking around, but he barely had any recognition in them. Howdy bit his lip at this. He wondered how long this confusion was going to last. He wished he knew what to do for Blocky. He never had to help someone with hypothermia before...

"Oh don't you worry. He'll be fine." Terry said in her cold voice. Howdy glared at her, watching her stare at him with her arms folded against her chest. "By tomorrow, he'll have regained some of his strength. You are more than welcome to stay the night here if you are so worried about him."

Howdy didn't bother to answer her. With a snarl, he shifted his head away from her, trying to pretend that she wasn't there. But he knew he couldn't forget that. As much as he wanted to, the reality of where he was made itself known all around him.

He listened to the whimpers of his friend. He could feel his body shivering underneath him, wrapped around in that electric blanket. The setting was on low. Something about how you shouldn't heat up someone with hypothermia too quickly. Howdy didn't know if this was true or not, but he did not want to mess around with the settings and risk hurting his friend. He cuddled up with Blocky, hoping that he would regain some of his strength soon.

He could hear footsteps approaching. He let out a soft growl, no longer stopped by the ropes around his head, which were removed along with the cloth gag. He turned his head, baring his teeth as he watched Von approach.

Couldn't this man leave them alone? Couldn't he provide them with some sense of privacy? Why did he have to torment them while Blocky was recovering?

Dr. Von Doktor merely smiled down at them, showing now indication he felt remorse for what he had done. This irritated Howdy further. He wanted to say something to him, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he positioned himself in front of his friend, a weak attempt to shield him from the man's sights.

Behind him, Howdy could hear a soft groan. He looked behind and saw that Blocky had raised up his head. He was fully awake now..or at least, as awake as his condition would let him be. His unfocused eyes seemed to finally realize where he was, and when he saw Von, he let out a whine. Devoid of any energy, but still managing to be filled with so much emotion. It made Howdy's eyes water.

"You've been zuch a good zport." Dr. Von Doktor said. He pulled out a small piece of paper, reading it. Howdy recognized it as the results from before. "Very interezting resultz... But you know... Ziz remindz me of zomething else." He took a few steps towards the enclosure. "I now know what you are capable of in zee cold. Which izn't much. But with zat zin body of yourz..." He grinned nastily and he tilted his head to one side. "...how are you in the heat...?"

Blocky's eyes widened and he let out a series of weak whimpers. Howdy held onto him, doing his best to comfort him. He shot a hateful glare at the scientist, who merely chuckled and walked away.


	20. Deadends

Twists and turns, twists and turns. Careful which way you go, for life is filled with so many ways to make you stop moving.

sss

Howdy couldn't believe he had left Blocky behind. He had been offered to stay the night, but instead he chose to leave... Well it wasn't like he was staying away forever. He simply wanted to get some more water for the test that Blocky was going to be forced to take. If that monster was going to put his friend through heat... Well Howdy might not be able to stop it, but he can lessen the effects afterwards.

He just hoped that Blocky would be okay alone for a few hours. He had been so scared and frightened... And he felt so bad about leaving him at that dreadful place. He promised that he'd be back as soon as he could, and the fiends did promise not to hurt him until he got back.

Howdy would go back quicker. It wouldn't take that long to get the water. But he had a sneaking suspicion that his actions were drawing attention, and he needed to make himself look less suspicious. He remembered how he had been forced to knock away Rapsheeba and knock out Penny. Neither actions he was proud of. But it was either that, or something worse would happen. He'd hate to think of how angry those humans would be if he dragged someone else with him.

Besides, the zoners would understand, right? If they learned the truth about what was going on, after all this was over, they'd understand..or so he hoped. He bit his lip, realizing that some of the zoners might not be too happy with him regardless.

That didn't stop him from heading back towards ChalkZone City. If anyone stopped him...well he was certain he could think of some kind of lie to tell them to ward them off for the time being. He hated having to do that, but he knew he had to in order to keep the humans from... He hated to think what might happen if he screwed this up.

At least the forest was pretty quiet. He was glad. He needed some quiet time after all that happened. As he walked through, looking left and right, he started to feel a bit at ease. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was feeling some sense of calmness.

He knew it was just smoke and mirrors, however. The calm, tranquil forest hid the true horrors that were going on. They weren't enough to make him fully forget what he had been through, or what he had seen. Nothing, not even time itself, could erase the horrible images that were being plastered in his head. He could still see Blocky squirming on the ground, fighting against the cold that was slowly zapping away his life, the cruel expressions on Von and Terry's faces...

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those thoughts. At least for now, Blocky was at peace. He was being warmed up, and the two adults had promised not to do anything else to him for the rest of the day. That gave Blocky several hours before the next experiment. That was hours of relatively pain-free moments where he could relax...at least as much as he could given the circumstances. Howdy was worried that they wouldn't live up to their promise, but he tried not to think about it. He instead did his best to focus on getting out of the forest and into ChalkZone City, which was still a bit aways.

He continued his trek through the forest, trying to keep himself calm. He didn't want to end up drawing attention from any zoner he might come across here. The last thing he needed was to try to deal with even more people. It was hard enough with two, but...

Suddenly he stopped. He stared out ahead with an almost blank expression. His eyes slowly widened, a sensation creeping through his body. He realized that something was really wrong.

There hadn't been any other zoners around here. At least, so far.

He looked left and right, tried to listen, but heard nothing. Even as he traversed through the parts of the forest that he knew were populated, he didn't see anything. He bit his lip, feeling a sense of nervousness rise up inside of him. Was there a reason why the forest was so quiet and empty?

Gritting his teeth, he tried to keep his racing mind relatively calm as he attempted to figure out what he should do. He didn't know what this could mean. Since Terry and Von had a piece of magic chalk now, did they use it for something without him knowing about it? Terry had said they were going to save it for later, but...how could he possibly believe her? How did he know what she didn't just went back on her word and used it for... something. He couldn't think of anything off hand, but he was certain there was plenty of terrible things she could use it for.

Perhaps Terry was the reason why there weren't any zoners here. Maybe she had used the magic chalk to do something here. He knew just how powerful the magic chalk was in the hands of a human. He had seen what Rudy could do with it. He could just imagine what someone with ill intentions with the magic chalk was capable of...

A sweeping motion of cold energy flowed through his small body, making him look around again, trying to find any sign of whatever was going on. He took in a few quick breaths, taking a step back. What was going on here? Why was it so quiet?

He nearly jumped when he heard a loud sound. He swerved his body around towards the source, tensing up as he prepared to make a run for it. With gritted teeth, he shifted his eyes from side to side.

"Okay, who is there?" Howdy said. When he didn't get an answer right away, he continued, "I know you're there. Come on out!"

Still nothing. The puppet zoner's body froze with more tension. He could feel his heart rate speeding up. Someone was here, watching him, and he couldn't even see them. Where were they? Were they hiding the trees? Were they underground? Were they invisible? He clenched his teeth tigether, feeling them nearly pop out of his mouth.

Then he saw a flash of movement. Blurry and yellow. He jerked his head towards it, trying to get a vision on it. Nothing. Then another blurry flash. He turned his head again, this time, catching the glimpse of something small. Finally, a third time allowed him to get the thing in his field of vision longer, and he followed it around, ignoring the ache the rapid eye movements were causing him. He soon found the source.

A bird... It was just a bird... Howdy watched as a small, fluffy yellow bird began to feed her babies. Giving a small smile, the zoner let out a sigh of relief. This must have been what he heard. Just the chirping of this bird. He wiped his brow.

After seeing the bird, he started to see a couple more animal zoners. Not many of course, just a tiny handful. He could see a large cat-like zoner walking out in the distance, and he could see a squirrel zoner scurry up a tree. So this forest wasn't abandoned like he had thought. This realization brought a smile to his face and he couldn't help but give a sigh of relief. All the tension that had guilt up inside of him shot out through his arms, and he resumed his walking.

For a brief second, just very short, he did feel as though someone was watching him. It felt as though there was a set of eyes on him, crawling up his back. He managed to calm himself down, telling himself that he was just overreacting.

However, he did know that his relaxation was only short-lived. He still had to get into ChalkZone City, hoping that Rapsheeba and Penny hadn't spread the word about what he did. They were his friends, and he felt somewhat safe that they wouldn't. But... the fact that they were friends... They might feel more inclined to... He shook it off, knowing that his active imagination was not going to do much to help him right now.

He continued to walk forward, heading towards his destination. It didn't seem like it took much longer before he was out of the forest and onto the familiar open plains. And up in the distance, he could make out the first details of the city. He would be there shortly. He paused for a moment, preparing himself for what he might encounter in there. Then, with a soft sigh, he pressed on.

To his surprise, he didn't really see many zoners out here. Then again, he shouldn't really be that surprised. This was not related to Terry or Von, he knew. It was always like this around this time. The zoners were merely busy, and if he recalled correctly, there was some kind of celebration going on in the middle of the city. So the zoners wouldn't really be gathered around the outside so much, nor would there be too much going on out here anyway. During other times, yeah there might be, but not right now.

Still, when he entered the city, he did his best to be cautious. He didn't want anyone to spot him and potentially cause trouble. On the offhand that his friends did tell someone, or that there was a witness, or that his earlier behavior gave off the wrong vibes, he had to be careful when moving through. So he kept himself in the shadows, moving through the alleyways to get to the store where he needed to go.

He froze for a moment. How was he going to get the water without causing much of a ruckus? For all he knew, all the store clerks here knew what was going on with him. Perhaps a disguise was in order... But there was nothing around here. Nothing except...

In one of the nearby garbage cans, he did see something handing out of it. It was some kind of cloth. Old and tattered, some kind of cleaning rag. For the average zoner, it wasn't anything that spectacular or big. Probably a medium at most, small at best. But for Howdy, it was just large enough to be used as a cloak. As much as he hated the idea of wearing something so filthy, he did need something to help hide his face and make it less likely for him to run into problems.

Ignoring the awful smell, he took the cloth, batted it around to clear it of at least some of the filth, and wrapped it around him. He tied the torn pieces around himself and managed to create a hood of some kind, hiding his head from prying eyes. Once he got himself all ready, he continued his walk, still keeping to the shadows just in case.

After moving through the alleyways, hearing some random zoner chatter once in a while, Howdy soon came across the street that he needed to be on. Deciding to take a chance and walk out in the open, knowing that this was the fastest way to get to where he needed to go.

He was soon out on the street. He adjusted his hood again, pulling it even further over his face and made sure it covered most of his body. He then resumed walking down the street, his eyes focused towards the store that he needed to go to. It wasn't very large, but it did have the best water that he could find. Better than the water he had gotten before. And they had some resiliant ice, too. Something about how the creator wanted to design ice that didn't melt as fast or something. That's just what Blocky was going to need after he suffered from heat stroke.

Before he could even get to the store, however, he was stopped when he overheard some voices not far away from him. He tried to ignore them, but when they started to mention his name, he found it difficult to move on. He stopped where he was, and listened intently. He did not dare move his head, lest he draw unwanted attention.

"Did you hear what happened earlier? Howdy knocked away Rapsheeba!"

"I thought they were friends. Why would he do something like that?"

"I don't know. But I tell you, it probably isn't good."

"Oh you and your conspiracy theories..."

"But this is true! I saw the way that guy was acting earlier. He..."

"Well I did try to organize some zoners to talk to him, but Snap, Rapsheeba, and Penny didn't want my help. Bunch of idiots if you ask me."

"Well maybe they..."

"Oh shut up!"

Howdy winced at those voices. The one that scared him the most was the gruff-sounding female, who seemed like she was more hostile than the others. He didn't dare turn his head, afraid that if they saw him, they would immediately come after. Instead, swallowing hard, he continued his trek towards the store. It wouldn't be too long before he reached it. Then this would all be over.

"Hey! It's him!" One of the voices called out.

Howdy froze in his tracks. He didn't move, or even dared to breathe. There was an awkward, tense silence, and then finally he could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. Just a few, maybe three, but each one sounded loud, piercing his ear drum.

"By the creator, it is..." It was that gruff female again. "You there! Turn around! We want to talk to you!"

Howdy turned his head slightly. He peaked at the zoners with one wide eye. He noticed that the group was a little larger than he thought, and all the zoners were larger than him. He bit his lip, wondering what he should do. Should he stay and try to talk or should he make a run for it?

For several tense moments, no one said a word. It was silent, and that silence felt heavy, weighing down on his shoulders. He gritted his teeth, his body shaking. He couldn't even move another muscle. It was as though someone shot his muscles full of ice, depriving him of any movement. And all those stares weren't helping... While some of the zoners merely looked surprised or confused, there were some, like the aggressive-sounding female, that were glaring more harshly at him. They stood out among the others, practically glowing.

"Shouldn't we tell Snap about this at least? I mean, he did have a trap all set up and..." One of the zoners, a meek-sounding male, completely the opposite of the female, spoke. His trembling voice was quickly cut off.

"No! Why should we? I know those two want to talk to their...friend... but we have him here right now. Why don't we talk to him for them?" The gruff female said.

Howdy's eyes widened at this. Snap was going to trap him? Snap, one of his friends? How..how could he do that to him? Well granted, he was acting rather strangely, but still.. The small zoner couldn't help but feel some sense of betrayal at this news. He could see him confronting him, but to actually trap him like some kind of wild animal...

His thoughts were interrupted when the gruff female took another step forward. Clenching his teeth, he managed to force himself to take a step back away, trying to put some distance between her and him. Howdy didn't know what to expect, but he didn't think he could stay here for much longer. The way the zoners here were looking at him... The puppet zoner found himself backing away slowly, unable to stop the trembling of his own body.

"Please, do not make this harder on us." One of the other zoners said. "We just want to talk to you. Please stay..."

"Yeah. If something is wrong, you can tell us." Said another zoner.

Howdy simply shook his head. He took another step back, looking around for a place to run. He couldn't tell them. If he did...

"Oh enough of this!" The aggressive female formed a fist with her hand, raising it up. "Let's just get him! We'll make him talk!"

Howdy let out a scream as the aggressive female suddenly charged towards him. Mere milliseconds later, the other zoners, including the meek male, took off with her. In just seconds, Howdy had a group of probably seven zoners or more coming after him. He barely had time to react. He took off running, narrowly missing being grabbed.

Howdy rushed through the streets, moving as fast as his small body could carry him. He didn't dare look behind him. He could hear the angry and confused shouts of the zoners behind him, all of them demanding that he stop and talk to them.

He looked around, trying to find a place he could escape into. Where could he go to get away from them? He could try the alleyways, but that was too much of a gamble. The zoners would have a much easier time trapping him in there. Maybe another street? Perhaps, but he didn't know the city well enough to make those kinds of moves yet. He had always used the same streets. What if he took a wrong one and he got lost?

The small zoner did manage to keep in front of his pursuers, however. His small form allowed him to move a little quicker. But this would be short-lived, he knew. Some of the larger zoners could make bigger strides. It would only be a matter of time before one of them caught up to him.

And sure enough, they did. Howdy had to jump to the right to avoid getting grabbed by one of the taller zoners in the group. He looked up, noting the glare on his face as he moved faster to catch up with Howdy.

"Stop running!" He snarled. "You are only making this more difficult for yourself!"

Howdy didn't answer him. He pushed himself to go faster. Up ahead, he noticed the beginning of another street. Although he didn't want to, he knew he had no choice. It would buy him a little time at least. As soon as he was close enough, he made a sharp turn into this narrower street and ran out ahead. He could hear the sound of slipping and sliding and he knew that the tall zoner couldn't make a quick enough turn to keep up. It may not slow him down for long, but it still bought him a little bit of time.

Howdy continued to run as fast as he could down the street. He didn't know where it led, and he feared he would get lost. But at the moment, he didn't even begin to think about that. All he knew to do was get as far away from his pursuers as possible. Swallowing hard, he dared a look behind him.

His pursuers were getting closer. They all looked angry now, or perhaps it was just determination. He didn't see the meek male anywhere, and he assumed that he got lost from the group somehow, or perhaps got trampled, which was a probable case. He felt a pang of sorrow for the poor guy if that was the case, but he still didn't stop. He just kept running, hoping that, eventually, he'll get a break and gt away.

Howdy didn't know how long he had been running. He couldn't count how many streets he had raced down. He couldn't remember how many zoners he nearly ran into, or how many had joined in the chase. He could hear their shouts behind him, but they had long since clouded up in his head, making him unable to determine one shout from another.

Then he made a right turn and...

...dead end.

Howdy skidded to a stop when he realized he was about to hit a thick, stone wall. He stood there, gritting his teeth, horror plastering across his face. No..this couldn't be possible... The small zoner looked left and right, but it took him only seconds to realize the terrible truth.

He was trapped. Cornered like a wild animal. He turned himself around to face his pursuers. They weren't that far behind him, and they had slowed down their pace, knowing that they had him trapped. Howdy pressed his back against the wall, watching them in fear as they drew closer.

"No use running anymore. You are coming with us." The gruff female said.

Another zoner nodded her head. "You could have made this easier, but instead, you decided to run. Very bad move on your part, Howdy."

Howdy trembled, desperately looking for a way to escape. There was none. In desperation, he called out, "Y-You don't understand! You can't know... I have to...please let me go!"

The gruff female narrowed her eyes. "I am sorry, Howdy. But it's far too late for you to worm your way out of this. Now..hold still..."

Howdy bared his teeth defensively as the zoners closed in on him.

sss

It was so quiet. So quiet, that the sound of a drop of liquid, if there was any, would be heard for miles. The silence in the air was so thick, a knife could probably cut through and create a slice of emptiness, dense enough for anyone to hold. The silence seemed to be in stark contrast with the land. Nice, bright sun overhead, the swaying grass, the tall trees... Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

So...why was it so quiet?

Rudy tried to reason with himself why this was the case. The zoners could just be busy. Very possible. He tried his best to ignore this fact and continued to venture further into ChalkZone.

He looked around, trying to find somebody to talk to. There had to be someone else around here. Someone nearby. He needed to find a zoner and ask them what was going on, and hope that they found information on where Blocky might be. He also kept an eye out for Penny. Assuming that her mom was more reasonable, he expected that he would find her out here somewhere soon.

But as far as the eyes could see, he didn't see anyone. Not a single soul. Not that this area was that densely populated, but he usually would see at least one zoner, even if it was off in the distance. So where was everyone? Why was it so empty here? There had to be a reason. He wanted to believe that they were just busy, but a part of him began to worry. That burning feeling rose up in his chest as he started to wonder if Terry and Von had a hand in this...

No, that was ridiculous. The effect would be more profound than this. Where were the reporters? The humans wanting a taste of this world? The people in the hazmats suits coming to study the zoners? Where were any of them? This was good enough evidence for Rudy to conclude that Terry and Von hadn't exposed ChalkZone yet. He was worried about why they might be delaying it, but for now, there was nothing he could do about it.

He listened to the dead silence all around him. He looked left and right, trying to find any inkling of someone still being there. While occassionally, he did see some bird zoners flying overhead, he did not see any sentient zoners walking around. Was there a celebration he had forgotten about? It was very well possible. He tried to chalk it up to that, and to not let his panicked imagination get the better of him.

After several minutes of walking, however, he couldn't help but feel a sting in his chest. He was not able to fully hold back the fear welling up inside of him. He found himself stopping and looking around. Something just didn't feel right around here. He wondered if...

"Ahhhh!"

Rudy jolted at that sound. He turned his head towards the city. He squinted his eyes when he thought he saw movement as he stood on top of the large hill. He put his hand over his eyes and tried to see out as far as he could. It was difficult to tell, and he could see so little thanks to the tall buildings. But he swore he could see...something. What was going on...?

Unable to take it anymore, the young boy bolted towards the city. He clutched the small piece of magic chalk in his hand, the same one he found when Aunt Tilly let him use the portable chalkboard again. It had been such a tight squeeze, but now he felt that was worth it. If he hadn't come here sooner...who knows what would have happened? He had to stop this before it was too late.

Rudy reached down and attempted to sketch out his rocket shoes. If he could just gain some leverage in the air, he would be able to see better and figure out a way to stop this chase or whatever the heck was going on. But before he could even finish the sketching, he felt something solid and warm hit against him.

"Rudy!" He heard Snap's familiar cry. "Bucko! You're here! You have to help us!"

Rudy slammed into the ground, letting out a soft grunt. He opened his eyes and stared at his friend, who was sitting on him now. Snap grabbed onto his shoulders, his eyes wide with fear. The zoner hardly acknowledged Rudy's absense, his mind clearly on other things.

Rudy felt a pang in his heart. What had his friend so spooked? If Snap were to act this way, then it meant something was wrong. His mind flashed back to all those times when Snap ran over to his portal in such a panicky state, and he felt a wave of horror. Was Snap referring to what was going on in the city? Was it worse than he had imagined?

"Snap..you're...sitting on me..." Rudy grunted as he felt his friend's weight continuing to press down on his chest and stomach. Breathing was getting a little more difficult.

"Oh, sorry!" Snap crawled off of him. As soon Rudy was back on his feet, Snap grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the city. "Come on! You've gotta draw something!"

Rudy managed to pull his hand away from Snap. He rubbed his head. "Snap, what's going on here?" He looked out towards the city. "What's happening in there?"

Snap replied, "Howdy is being chased by an angry mob!"

"What?!" Rudy widened his eyes at this. He found it difficult to believe the words that were spoken, even if they came out of one of his best friends. "Why? What happened?"

"It would take me a little while to tell you, Bucko, but in short, some zoners, including myself, got suspicious of Howdy's behavior and we just wanted to talk, but then some zoners got it into their head to get to him first, and then he pushed Rapsheeba and knocked out Penny and..."

"Whoa, wait, what?" Rudy shut his eyes and waved his hands frantically out in front of him. He looked down at Snap, holding his hands out at his sides as he stared at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about? Howdy did what? Why would he...?"

"Look, I don't know, Bucko." Snap looked towards the city, motioning a hand towards it. "All I do know is that if we don't get to Howdy soon, there's no telling what that crowd might do to him!" He looked up at Rudy, putting his hands close together. "Please, Rudy! You've got to hurry! I don't know how much longer Howdy can keep this up! I already helped him out of his first trap, but I don't know if I can repeat that success. Please, he needs help!"

Rudy removed where he was, frozen in shock. He tried to take in all that Snap had been telling him. He had trouble making sense of it all.

What would possess Howdy to do those things to Rapsheeba and Penny? Why would he knock Rapsheeba away? Why would he knock out Penny? Was he up to something? That didn't sound like Howdy. Maybe he was hiding something? No, that also didn't sound like him. But something was going on, and he needed to find out what it was.

He felt a jab of anger in his stomach and chest. He could feel it spreading through his body. The thought of Howdy harming his own friends like that, including one of his closest ones, it was unbelievable. While he was certain that Howdy had his reasons and didn't mean any malice, he still had a lot to answer for. He hoped that Howdy had a good excuse for his actions.

He understood now why the zoners might be chasing him. Maybe they are misinterpreting Howdy's intentions and want to deal with him themselves. Maybe they are merely trying to talk to him, but Howdy is overreacting and trying to get away. Whatever the reason, though, Rudy knew he had to try to stop it before it went too far. Then, after he stopped it and got Howdy away, he could interrogate his friend and find out what was happening.

Rudy raised up his magic chalk and quickly drew a pair of rocket shoes. Turning towards Snap, he grabbed onto his friend, looping his hand across his body.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Snap cried in protest.

"I need you to tell me everything that has happened while I was gone!" Rudy cried as he activated his shoes. The hot flames shot out from underneath, letting him rise up into the air. "What else has been happening?"

As they rose higher into the air, Snap said, "Rudy, I understand the need to get all caught up but..." He gritted his teeth. "Do you think this is the perfect time to do that?"

Rudy nodded his head curtly. "Yes."

"But Rudy..."

"Look, Snap! I know now might seem like a bad time! But I need to get caught up in the loop some more so I know how I'm going to reason with those zoners, and what I'm going to do after! I've been away for a while, and I need to get caught up with what has been happening here!" Rudy stopped himself, realizing he was using a bit too harsh of a tone. He rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry, Snap. Just..things have been happening left and right and..."

Snap nodded his head in understanding. "Don't worry about it, Bucko." He flinched when he heard another scream. He looked over at the city. "Now, let's hurry! I'll explain everything on the way."

Giving another swift nod, Rudy rose up a little higher. Holding his friend tightly with one arm, his magic chalk clutched in his right hand, he zipped over towards the city. He hoped that he would be able to get over in time before the zoners managed to do something they would live to regret. And he hoped that Howdy's reasoning for what he had done was justifiable.

He began to wonder. Was it possible that, whatever was going on with Howdy, had to do with what happened to Blocky...?

sss

"Ugh...what..what happened...?"

"Take it easy. You still need some rest."

Penny leaned up in the bed, her mind slowly taking in details of where she was. The familiar white coloration told her she was in the hospital, but when she saw that it was Rapsheeba whom she was with, she got confused. What was she doing in here? And why did her head suddenly hurt her so badly?

She rubbed her head, feeling as though someone took a hammer and slammed it against her. She tried to remember the details of what happened, but nothing came to mind. She was at a loss, her mind as muddled as the vision around her. Blurred, unable to make total sense of the size and shapes of everything. The only reason she knew Rapsheeba was here with her was mostly due to the sound of her voice.

She could feel Rapsheeba's hand on her arm. "Don't try to get out of bed. Relax."

"I-I wasn't trying to..." Penny hissed through her clenched teeth. What had happened to her? "Where am I...?"

"The ChalkZone City hospital." Answered Rapsheeba.

Penny managed to open up one eye. Her vision cleared up a little more. "Wh-What..? Why am I here..?"

"The Smooch brought you here." Rapsheeba said.

At this, Penny's eyes widened. Her vision nearly sharpened up completely at the memory of that name. The Smooch... The same creature that she and her friends had encountered months before. The one that caused her to make a total fool of herself. That thing was the one that helped her?

Rapsheeba noticed Penny's shock. With a small smile, she nodded her head slowly, confirming what she said, and answering Penny's unasked question. "Yeah. I'm just as surprised as you were." She held out her hand towards Penny. "But it was a good thing she brought you in. You were pretty badly hurt."

"B-B-But.. this is a ChalkZone hospital. How would...?"

Rapsheeba said, "Well the doctors weren't able to do much for you. It took a while to even stop the bleeding with chalk-based material. But don't worry, they managed to take care of it." Rapsheeba looked at Penny up and down, smiling softly. "You certainly look better than you did a while ago, while you were still unconscious."

Penny tried to think of what could have happened. She had been knocked out? How? She rubbed her head, massaging her temple. It was hard for her to believe what happened. The last thing she remembered was walking through ChalkZone. The next, this...

Many questions raced through her mind. As she tried to sift through them, more and more cropped up, crowding her head with an array of questions, nearly cracking through her own skull. She tried to settle herself down, tried to focus on one question at a time, but she found it impossible. She could only cringe as she fought against her own mind, trying to keep herself from worsening her headache.

She could catch glimpses of something. Her walking...following perhaps...a small figure... But it was all a blur. She couldn't even get a clear picture in her head who this was. Could it have been someone that she knew? Or was it someone totally different? And what is the significance?

She turned to Rapsheeba. She hoped that her friend would be able to shed light on what happened. "Rapsheeba... what happened to me...?" She was shocked at just how weak her voice sounded. "D-Do you know..?"

Rapsheeba looked at her sadly. She hesitated for a moment, and then she nodded her head slowly. "Yeah..."

"Can you tell me?" Penny looked at her, eyes filling with desperation. "Please...? I have to know."

"Well...you see.." Rapsheeba began to tell her the story.

sss

Howdy kept running as fast as he could. He didn't know how long he was going to be able to keep this up. He could already feel his body starting to give out on him. He panted heavily, his mouth feeling dry. He licked his lips slowly, wishing so much that he had a glass of water. But he couldn't stop. Not now.

He kept pushing his body to its absolute limits. He kept pounding his feet on the ground, kept trying to put some distance between him and his pursuers. He didn't dare look behind him, worried that doing so might cause him to trip over his own feet. He was hardly even aware of his surroundings, and he just kept running the only direction that he currently knew: forward.

He was grateful that Snap helped get him out of the situation, even if it didn't last long. Snap had found him and managed to lead him away from the others. The other zoners weren't happy with him and they had knocked him away. But the time that Snap bought him was enough to get some distance ahead. Despite being angry with Snap still for wanting to trap him, Howdy was grateful that the zoner came to help him. If it weren't for him, he'd probably be beaten to a pulp right about now. Some of the zoners looked angry beyond reasoning...

But now it seemed that his fears of that happening were going to become a reality. Snap was nowhere in sight and he doubted that the pursuing zoners were going to give him another chance to help him. Howdy realized he was entirely on his own. So he did the only thing he knew to do and that was to run as fast as he could.

A part of him began to wonder if he should just surrender. His body won't be able to take this much longer. He could feel his heart pounding so fast that it was threatening to burst open. His lungs were on fire and his throat was so dry. Each breath took more and more energy, and it was getting more painful by the second. His legs were getting shaky. Each step, he nearly comes close to tripping over and falling down. He wouldn't be able to keep running much longer without consequences starting to show their faces.

But a part of him was telling him that he couldn't stop. He felt like a wild animal being pursued, and just like an animal, his instincts were telling him not to give up and to keep running. He'd fight tooth and nail if he had to in order to flee his pursuers. Gritting his teeth, the puppet zoner pushed himself even more, the adrenaline rushing through his burning legs propelling him even father. It wasn't going to last long, he knew, but it would give him some extra time.

He didn't recognize this part of town. It was near the northeast corner, where he had never gone before. The only thing fully registering in his mind was that he was getting close to the outside of town. At first, this seemed like a good thing, as it meant more space to run and more directions to go in. He soon realized that this was a curse in disguise; the wide open areas would mean less places, if none, for him to hide, and he would not be able to shake off his pursuers until he reached a forest...and that's provided if he even gets that far. He didn't think his body would last long enough for him to get that far.

He had to lose them now, somehow. As he heard them shouting behind him, as he heard them getting closer, he desperately tried to figure out how he could get away from them. He looked left and right, gritting his teeth. He would normally try to think things through more, but with a more primal mind taking over as he tried to get to safety, he instantly turned to the side and directly into a factory of some kind.

Not even stopping to shut the door, Howdy ran through the factory. Thankfully it was empty of zoners, but all the equipment around him, it slowed him down. He found himself zipping around and jumping over various equipment. The place looked like it was meant for construction of some kind, but he didn't pay much attention to that detail. He conitnued to run, hearing the pounding of footsteps of the zoners behind him.

He ran up the steps on a metal stairway that he found. It led him up to a chainlink platform raised high above. There was a single, old-looking door located up here. Taking a brave moment to stop and look behind him, feeling the wobbling of the stairway as the smaller zoners headed up to try to catch him, Howdy opened up the door and slammed it behind him. He noticed a lock on the door and turned it, and he also put up a barracade with a long, metal table that he had found.

For a few seconds, he stood there, watching as the door wobbled from the zoners' pounding. He listened to the zoners' threats and demands that he let them in. He took a few steps back. Satisfied that the barracade would hold them back for a while, he turned and ran off.

He ran as fast as his tired body would allow him. He ran down the narrow corridor, ignoring the smell that hung strongly in the air. He came down to a two way intersection. He took the path down the left and kept going that way. He didn't attempt to turn into any of the doors he found; at the moment, all he wanted to do was run.

Soon, however, he began to slow down. Not on his own accord, but because his body could not take it any longer. He felt his legs start to drag over, nearly causing him to trip and fall. He finally stopped, placing his hand against the wall. He opened his mouth wide and panted heavily. He..he had to stop... Stop and rest...for a few minutes. Yeah...just a few minutes...

Sadly, he didn't have that luxury.

A loud bang caught his attention, and the sound of something breaking and cracking. He whipped his head over and he could hear the familiar noises of the crowd getting louder. He realized, in cold horror, they had already broken through the barricade and locked door somehow. He could hear them coming closer. If he didn't find a place to hide...

Without thinking, Howdy jumped into the first room that he saw. He grabbed the door and pulled it shut. He winced when it made a loud clicking sound. He hoped that wouldn't draw attention to himself. He backed away from the door, looking out the indoor windows, allowing him to see the hallway. He could see shadows stretching along the ground. They would be in here in seconds.

Frantically, the zoner looked all around him to see if there was a place he could hide in here. There were multiple tables and chairs here, as well as a large projector. This must be some kind of meeting room. He tried to find some kind of closet or cabinets he could hide himself in, but this room was fully devoid of that.

His heart pounded when he realized there didn't seem to be any place he could hide in here. He clenched his teeth fearfully, jerking his head from side to side. No..there had to be something..anything...

The projector screen... It was quite large. It didn't press up against the wall, so he was totally exposed if they were to look at the sides. But where else could he go? As he heard the zoners on the outside question which room to search in first, the zoner immediately jumped behind the projector screen. He grabbed onto it and pulled it back, attempting to offer himself some kind of cover.

And then he remained still and quiet. He didn't make a sound, doing his best to control his breathing. He tried to ignore the burning weakness in his legs. He tried to keep his body still. He waited, hoping and praying that they would give up the chase and leave.

"I think he might be in here."

"How would you know? He could be in any one of these rooms!"

"Well, most of the doors here are closed, but this one..."

"Oh you idiot! A number of the doors are closed! It means nothing!"

"Shouldn't we at least check?"

"Okay, fine.."

Howdy took in a sharp breath, not daring to exhale. He felt so stupid. Why did he have to close the door? Now he had jut drawn attention to himself.

He felt his blood run cold when he heard the clicking of the door opening. He heard the creaking as the zoners pushed it to gain access into this room. He couldn't see them from behind the projection screen, but he knew they were there. He held still, trying to turn himself into something of a living statue, and he hoped that the zoners wouldn't come close enough to realize he was there.

He looked left and right, seeing the shadows of the zoners as they walked through the room. He could hear their footsteps, their sighs and growls of frustration, a few murmurs amongst each other. He could hear them lifting up the tables and pushing away the chairs, as if somehow he was trying to blend in out there.

So far, none of them attempted to come close to him. From what he was hearing, they were looking around the 'main body' of sorts of the room, where the tables and chairs were. They were probably also looking in the corners, and perhaps trying to find any hidden closets or cabinets that they somehow were missing. He smiled softly at this, realizing that perhaps he was going to escape his pursuers after all. He would question just how convenient this all seemed, but at the moment, he was too relieved to really think about that much.

Then he heard the sound of retreating footsteps. The zoners were leaving... Howdy tried his best to contain his elation. At last, the zoners were giving up, giving him time to take a real breather. He waited until he heard the door shut before he started to come out of hiding.

"Gotcha!" A voice suddenly shouted.

Howdy let out a terrified scream as a large zoner rounded on him, blocking his path. A large, imposing zoner...the aggressive female from before, stood before him, a grimly satisfied expression on her face.

"Looks like this is a deadend for you, am I right?" The aggressive female sneered.

Howdy looked left and right, noticing that none of the zoners had left. They were still in here, glaring at him, except for a few like the meek male. The realization that they had tricked him creeped into the back of his mind, filling him with horror. They had merely played with him and his mind, luring him into a false sense of security. Gulping loudly, he began to back away.

The zoners follwed suit. They formed a wide arch, a half circle. This ensured that, no matter which way he went, he couldn't get out. He was backed up into a wall again. Instincts started to take over, the sensation of being a trapped animal taking over his mind. He gritted his teeth defensively and started to hunch his body protectively. He would run, but he ran out of energy at this point, the adrenaline no longer helping him.

"Now come on. This time, don't try to get away." The aggressive female said. She narrowed her eyes into slits. "Stop being so difficult."

Howdy stared at the ground, baring his teeth in a pathetic attempt to make them go away. Such an act was useless, but instincts drove him to do whatever it took to save himself.

He realized that, this time, there was no escaping. Snap would not be able to help him here. None of these zoners were going to let him go. He had nowhere he could run; this room had only one door and the zoners in here were blocking it. He has completely trapped, subject to the wrath that these zoners were going to bring upon him. Letting out a soft whimper, he raised his hands over his hand defensively, shut his eyes, and waited.

"Wait! Stop!"

Howdy opened up his eyes, disbelief washing through his body. No, it couldn't be that simple, right? He couldn't possibly be that lucky. He was just hearing things. He...

"Great Creator!" One of the zoners howled in shock. "You're back! But why are you..."

"Leave Howdy alone!" Rudy demanded as he lowered himself down, shutting off his rocket shoes.

Snap, who appeared to have been either holding onto Rudy or was held by the boy himself, jumped beside Rudy, helping to block the crowd's attempts at getting at the puppet zoner. Spreading out his hands, he shouted, "Yeah! Do you really think this is going to solve anything?!"

"He ran away!" The large female snarled, baring her teeth at the two interlopers. "If he hadn't run, we wouldn't have had to..."

"Enough!" Rudy shouted back at her.

Howdy couldn't believe it. He didn't expect himself to be subjected to another miracle. Now it wasn't just Snap who was helping him. Rudy was here. His creator. The puppet zoner, panting heavily, couldn't help but smile at this. Perhaps his luck hadn't run out after all.

"How dare you interfere..." The aggressive female said.

"All we want is answers!" Cried another zoner. "How could you deny us that right, Great Creator?!"

Rudy narrowed his eyes. "We will get answers. Don't worry." He closed his eyes softly, appearing not to notice Howdy's worried expression. "But we are going to do it in a much more reasonable way."

After a few tense moments of silence, the aggressive female, who didn't seem like she was willing to back down in spite of the magic chalk, took a step forward. "And how do you propose we do that, you little brat...?"

Rudy narrowed his eyes. "If you were to calm down, I will tell you..."

The aggressive female growled at this, her heavy snarls filling the room, accented by a few angry sounds from some of the more disappointed zoners. Then, after what felt like forever, she forcibly exhaled through her flaring nostrils. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, she said in a deep, growly voice, "Okay then, Great Creator... What is your idea...?"

sss

"Ahhh! Please! Stop! Ouch!" Blocky cried.

"Hold still, you fucking piece of paper!" Terry growled at the struggling zoner. She pressed her hands against his body, keeping him as still as she could. "It'll be over soon if you just stop squirming!"

Blocky did not listen. It was clear that his world had erupted into pain. Despite the fact that he was still weak from the hypothermia, he still had the energy to struggle. Terry found this to be rather annoying. Why couldn't he just hold still? All that was happening is they were getting some blood from him. That was all.

Dr. Von Doktor used one hand to help secure the zoner down further. He had a needle in the other hand and he was prodding it against the skin. The fact that Blocky was flat was problematic, but the doctor was confident that he was going to be able to draw some blood from him. He insisted on getting blood from the zoner for some study. He said that in order to understand his species more, he needed to look at his blood on a microscopic scale. Terry didn't understand why, but she did not bother questioning him.

Terry didn't look at the man while he tried to push in the needle. She didn't know how the man was going to push the needle into the zoner's insanely thin body, and she didn't care to find out. So she focused on merely holding the little creature still while the man worked on getting the blood.

Blocky kept screaming and struggling. His weak body thrashed, using as much energy as his lethargic body could provide. Terry grunted and snarled as the zoner squirmed. She would issue more threats at him, but she realized that the zoner was panicking and likely would not listen. So she just continued to hold him down.

"Please stop this! Ow! It hurts so bad!" Blocky screamed. Tears flowed down his green cheeks. He looked up at Terry, clearly seeking some kind of sympathy from her. "Please!"

Terry merely glared at him coldly. "It's almost over, so quit your whining!"

This statement turned out to be false, as she found out soon. It didn't take a short time to get the blood like she thought. For some reason, it took a lot longer. She guessed the scientist was having a hard time finding the right spot to draw blood from. She spent what felt like forever holding down the struggling, screaming zoner as Von tried to get his blood.

At last, Von announced his success. Terry, who had grown tired of holding Blocky down, released him. She took a step back, glaring softly in Von's direction. She took note of the vial he held in his hand, which was now filled with chalk-based blood from the zoner. There wasn't much in it, but it would be enough for the man to run at least a few tests on it. Besides, he could always get more if he needed it.

"So...anything else you want to do with him while we wait for that pathetic puppet of ours to get back?" Terry asked as she folded her arms against her chest.

Von paused for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin. He turned to Terry and said, "Well..I am curiouz about how hiz anatomy workz. How could he be zo zin and flat and ztill function zo...normally?"

Terry scoffed at this. "I don't think being based on chalk qualifies as normal."

Von ignored her as he went over to the cabinet to place the vial in. Once it was inside, safely stored, he turned his attention back to her. "I do zink an x-ray iz in order, don't you zink, Mizz Bouffant?" Von approached the weakened zoner. He placed his hand on his chest and stomach and gently rubbed it. "Yes, ziz flat body dezervez zome further...examination.."

Terry watched, somewhat disturbed by the man's actions as he felt around Blocky's body. She soon shook it off. "All right then. When do you want to do the x-ray?"

Von grinned at her. He seized the zoner in his hands, roughly lifting him up, uncaring about how much he was hurting him. As Blocky squirmed, kicking out his legs, he said, "Right now."

Terry looked at Blocky. For a fleeting moment, she felt a little sorry for him. But it was only temporary and she soon shrugged it off. He was just a chalk creature. It didn't matter, right? She shrugged her shoulders and followed Von as they headed into the x-ray room.


	21. Heats

There is a reason why many prefer the cold.

sss

It hadn't been easy convincing those zoners to back down. It hadn't been easy convincing them to allow him and the others to talk to Howdy on their own and relay the information to them. The zoners, especially that hostile female, were quite determined to do things their way. No matter what they tried or said, she would remain like a stone, unconvinced by what they had suggested.

It wasn't until sometime passed, perhaps an hour at least, that she finally relented. She wasn't too pleased about it, however, and she made it clear to them that if they don't provide the information like they promised within the next twenty-four hours, they would go through with her plan.

Rudy bit his lip at the memory of that. He hoped that the female zoner wasn't being serious about that. She sure sounded it, but may be she was just angry and upset about what was going on. He couldn't exactly blame her. After all, Howdy's behavior was rather suspicious and that kind of behavior could be hint to something quite serious. But he still didn't approve of her behavior towards the puppet zoner, and he even said so in her face to back off and leave him alone. She did submit to his demands, but he had a feeling it was only because he was the Great Creator. Had he been a zoner just like her...

Rudy stared down at Howdy. They had relocated to Snap's treehouse, away from the city, where it was more quiet. Rudy felt that the best place to speak to his creation and friend was right here. Without all the distractions of the city and away from the zoners that had tried to lynch him, or whatever it was that they were attempting.

They hadn't really said much of anything since they got here. At most, they had asked him about how he was feeling and if he needed anything. All Howdy wanted right now was something to drink. All that running had took a lot out of the poor guy. Rudy couldn't help but flinch when the zoner kept drinking glass after glass of water. It made him wonder just how long he had been running. The poor guy... When he had seen him in that warehouse, he had been at the point of collapse. Seeing him drink so much water only punctuated the reality of that.

Rudy hoped that Howdy would be more cooperative with them. They needed to understand what was going on. Snap had been able to give him the rundown of what was going on, but that didn't help him understand what was going on with Howdy. The zoner was acting rather strange. He really wanted to know why he felt it necessary to knock down two of his friends like that. He especially wanted to know what was up with Howdy and hurting Penny.

He bit his lip as he remembered that part of the conversation with Snap. The only reason that he had known was because some flying zoners had witnessed it. Not all the zoners were aware, and didn't spread too far. Rudy was glad for that. Unfortunately, some of the lesser friendly zoners, like that female whom he didn't know the name of, knew what happened, and had gotten suspicious of Howdy.

The young boy wanted to believe that there was a reason for this. He knew Howdy quite well. Though he was angry at him for what he's done, he was willing to give Howdy a chance to explain himself. He was certain that something was going on with him. An understandable but potentially heartbreaking situation. After all, what would drive him to shoot Penny like that...?

He hoped that Penny was going to be okay. He was glad that Rapsheeba wasn't too badly hurt. But Penny... He had been informed that she was taken to a ChalkZone hospital for basic treatment. Very basic treatment. He remembered what Snap said of some of her injuries, and he flinched at the memory of that. He hoped that Penny would have no trouble getting back to the Real World after she woke up. She would need to see a Real World doctor to make sure that there weren't any serious internal damage.

He looked over at Snap. The zoner had been unusually quiet as he sat close to Howdy. There seemed to be a bit of tension between the two. Rudy theorized it was probably because Howdy found out about Snap trying to set up a trap for him. Rudy could understand why that would bother Howdy. He kept quiet for a few moments to let them reconcile with each other.

While he did that, he turned his head upwards, his mind sifting through his thoughts. He tried to think of how he was going to bring the topic up to Howdy. He wondered if the zoner was going to try to make a run for it if he asked the wrong way. Not that he could get away from here very easily, but he didn't want to rule out the possibility.

The idea of Howdy being in some kind of danger hung strongly on his mind. Why else would he act this way? From the behavior described, it sounded almost as though he was terrified...

...but what was he terrified of? That's the question he knew must be answered.

He knew Howdy quite well. Despite what the zoners in that group had said about him, Howdy was a well-meaning little guy who wanted nothing more than to make people smile. If he acted out of character, then there had to be a darn good reason for it... right? He didn't want to think that one of his own was slowly developing into a monster.

After a few minutes, he noticed that Snap edged away from Howdy. He turned his head over, and they locked eyes with one another. He gave a small nod of the head, signaling that he was done talking with Howdy. Or rather, whispering to him as Rudy hadn't heard a word. But even with those gesture, Rudy wanted to wait a little while longer before beginning to speak. He did not want to spook Howdy or stress him out any more than necessary.

"Howdy..." Rudy said, finally breaking the silence around them. The puppet zoner turned his head and looked up at his creator. "Be honest with us. What is going on?"

Howdy stared at him for a few moments. He darted his eyes around nervously before taking a small sip of water. "N-Nothing is wrong." A blatant lie. He drank more water, wiping his mouth with his arms leeve. "What makes you think that?"

"The zoners." Rudy pointed out. "They were chasing you for a reason."

"Misunderstanding." Howdy quickly said. "They probably thought I did something..." He lowered his head. He stared at his glass of water. "Can we please just drop this?" He asked. He closed his eyes softly. "I'm really not in the mood to talk about this right now."

Rudy would have normally backed down at this. But he didn't have that luxury right now. Something big was going on, and he was determined to find out what it was. He was not going to let Howdy just cut off the subject like that.

He didn't know why Howdy had to be so difficult. Didn't he understand that he wasn't in danger here? Didn't he realize that the zoners can't get to him while he was around? Didn't he know that the longer he played secretive, the more suspicious he is going to look, and the more likely that there would be a repeat of today's incident? He understood that the zoner was quite shaken up with what happened, but he needed to understand that his behavior was going to rub some people the wrong way.

If he wanted to show that he was innocent, he was going to have to take a stand right now. He needed to tell him the truth, otherwise the rumors and lies that may form about him would surely spread. Rudy was certain that Howdy had enough 'excitement' for today, and didn't need anything else to worry about.

"Howdy, I am not going to let you go until you tell me what's going on." Rudy said, his voice stern and firm.

Howdy glared softly at him. "I told you, nothing is wrong! It was just some silly misunderstanding on their part! It's my fault for not being more clear with them."

"I can tell you're lying." Snap said, pointing a rounded hand at him. "You're not a very good liar, Howdy. Why don't you tell us the truth about what happened?"

Howdy shook his head. "I'm not, because I already told you the truth!"

Rudy narrowed his eyes at this. Howdy was continuing to be hard to talk to. He could feel anger rising up inside of him. Why couldn't Howdy understand that they were only trying to help him?

But something else creeped into his mind. Worry etched into the back of his head as he noted Howdy's unusual behaviors being displayed at the moment. This was not like how Howdy would normally behave. This further led to his believe that something was going on. He didn't like forcing the information out of him, and he hoped that, eventually, Howdy would come to realize how silly he was being and confess. But if he had to pry the information from him, then he would.

"Please, we know something is going on. We heard what those zoners said. We know what you did to Rapsheeba and Penny." Rudy's voice was of controlled anger and disappointment. Howdy winced at this. "But we also know that you wouldn't do such a thing unless you felt you had no choice. We want to understand, Howdy. Please tell us..."

"Yeah... We're here for you, little buddy." Snap gently touched Howdy's shoulders. He stared at him as the puppet zoner looked down, averting his gaze. That didn't stop Snap from attempting to look at him in the eyes. "Whatever is happening, we can try to make it right. We're your friends, Howdy. You can trust us."

"Snap is right." Rudy nodded his head. He smiled, in spite of Howdy not looking at him. "We all go through tough times, and sometimes we end up in a sticky situation we can't get ourselves out of." He noticed Howdy clutching his glass tighter. He felt nervous about this, but continued on anyway. "We just want to help you. If you tell us what happened, if you tell us if anyone is involved in this, we will help you. Please, Howdy... Speak to us. Don't leave us in the dark. Don't continue to paint yourself as a bad guy. I know you're not. I know you're just scared and unsure of what to do. But you have us, Howdy. You can tell us anything."

He and Snap looked at Howdy worriedly when the zoner began to tremble. They inched away from him, giving him some room. They noticed that his eyes narrowed further and his teeth were clenching. He didn't look angry, but the emotion he was displaying... They couldn't quite pinpoint it. The face appeared to redden slightly as tension built up inside the zoner's body. Something was clearly stressing out Howdy, and it looked as thought he was ready to burst.

Rudy and Snap both wanted to say something to calm down their friend, but neither could think of what to say. The zoner looked so shaken up, that it was possible that anything they said at this point could drive him over the edge. So they remained quiet and waited for Howdy to make a move. And it didn't take him long to do that.

Howdy suddenly slammed his cup against the ground. Rudy and Snap flinched at this, jerking their heads back. Water splashed onto the ground from the force, and Rudy could have sworn that he heard a small crack.

"I told you two already! Nothing is wrong! So just drop it, okay?! I don't want to have this conversation anymore! Why can't you two just leave me the fuck alone?! Are you two idiots always this nosey?! No wonder Skrawl is annoyed with the fucking both of you!"

Silence hung heavily in the room as the two boys stared at the puppet in absolute shock. Never before had they ever heard the small puppet zoner use that kind of language before. Never had he verbally attacked them like that. His words stung their hearts, and they remained in stunned silence as they stared at him in the eyes, their mouths dropping open.

Yet they could not bring themselves to be too angry at him. The outburst did reveal something, even if he didn't directly say it. He was hiding something from them. The way he reacted, how he so easily turned on them, it was reminiscent of someone who had a big secret they were trying to hide.

But how were they going to convince Howdy to tell them? It was clear he was not in the mood to speak to them on this matter. He may have been grateful, but he was still determined to keep mum on the word on whatever was going on. Rudy would have to think of what would be the best strategy in this case.

Howdy seemed to realize just how far he may have taken his outburst. His expression softened up slowly and he relaxed his body. He looked down at the glass he held and widened his eyes when he appeared to notice the crack. He looked back at Rudy and Snap and flinched at their expressions. He lowered his gaze.

"I'm...I'm sorry, you guys. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." Howdy spoke in a soft voice. "I..I was just..."

"Hey, it's okay.." Snap's voice was unusually calm given the circumstances. He had to be; a more tense voice may aggravate the puppet zoner further. "We understand.." He moved a little closer, but avoided directly touching the zoner, despite clearly wanting to give him a hug. "Would you..like to talk about it?"

Howdy shook his head slowly. He turned his head away. "No... There's nothing to talk about."

Rudy opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. Remembering what drove Howdy to snap like that, he had to rethink what his response was going to be. After thinking about it for a while, he said, "Howdy...are you afraid of someone? Right now I mean..."

"N-No..." Howdy quickly said. An uncontrolled shiver was enough to hint that he was lying. "What makes you ask?"

"You looked around earlier, as if you thought someone was watching." Rudy said. He narrowed his eyes softly. He kept his voice as calm and neutral as possible. Any emotional output might accidentally trigger the zoner's temper again. "You have to tell us what happened, Howdy. We cannot help you if you keep this a secret."

Howdy stared at Rudy. Any sign of anger was gone. But the defiance remained. With his eyes narrowed softly, he shook his head. "No..." He turned his head towards the door. "I...I should get going. I'm..late for a meeting..."

Rudy wanted to slap himself in the face. Did Howdy really expect them to buy that story? He was lying through his teeth, something that was so against his nature. He stared at Snap, and he could see, from his expression alone, that his blue friend wasn't convinced either. They both watched as Howdy got up to try to leave.

Rudy sifted through his thoughts as he tried to think of how he was going to get the truth out of Howdy. He already tried talking to him. That didn't appear to work. He guessed that someone was making Howdy do this, perhaps made a threat to him. That would explain why Howdy was on edge right now, why he was so determined not to tell them. Since talking wasn't going to work, Rudy realized they needed another strategy.

As much as it pained him to force the information out, it appeared that was the only way they could go. He needed that information because not only did he want to ensure that his friend was safe, but if that information could lead to where Howdy was... He couldn't afford to give it up.

And the way Howdy was acting... Maybe he was reading too much into it, but the way Howdy looked at them once in a while... It seemed to indicate that he did want to tell them, but he was holding back. This was good enough evidence to Rudy to support the idea that someone else was pulling Howdy's strings.

But he couldn't very well just grab Howdy and hold him down. He didn't want to resort to something like that. He didn't want to traumatize Howdy further. And yet...that seemed to be the only path he could take. But even if he went through with it, it was no guarantee that he would get the information he needed. If there was just a way for him to see Howdy's memories, he...

...see his memories... That's it. An impossibility at the moment in the Real World, but not so much for ChalkZone. If he could draw a freeze ray and have it work, then perhaps he could draw something that would let him see into Howdy's memories. If he could do that...

Realizing that Howdy was almost near the door, Rudy turned to Snap and flicked his head, indicating what he wanted. Snap nodded his head and he went towards Howdy. He moved in front of him, blocking the door way.

"Hey...!" Howdy cried.

Snap grabbed onto him and started to push him back. "We aren't done with you yet, Howdy." He softened his expression. "We're sorry..."

"You can't do this!" Howdy shouted at them. "I have to go! Please! Y-You don't understand!"

"We would if you had just told us. But you forced our hand. I regret doing this, Howdy, but you left us with no choice." Rudy raised up his piece of magic chalk. "Keep him still, Snap."

Snap nodded his head. "I will!"

Rudy began to quickly sketch.

sss

Penny sat in complete disbelief as Rapsheeba finished her story. Penny had been in shock not longer after she first started, and even after all the time that had passed, she was still baffled by what she had heard. She had expected her to say something, anything, to indicate she was referring to something else.

But alas, nothing had happened. No indication that she was lying or was misinterpreting something. And for Penny, that was more chilling than simply getting some of the information wrong, for it was reality, and not one she was so willing to confront.

"Howdy...he was the one who..." She breathed softly. Rapsheeba nodded in silence, giving her a sympathetic look. Penny turned her head way, letting this information sink in. "I-I can't believe that he would..."

As much as she would want to deny it, she simply didn't have that option. Her memories had started to fill in the blanks for her, and she could see, with a more clear mind, what had happened. She could see Howdy standing there, looking at her sadly. She could see him pull out that weapon. And the pain that followed... She shuddered at the memory, clenching her teeth.

What would drive Howdy to do something like that? Why would he turn against his own friend? She wanted to believe that he was forced into this. His apology right before he attacked appeared to hint towards that direction.

But what if that was just a cover? What if he only said that to get her to lower her guard? What if...

Penny tried to push that out of her mind. Howdy wouldn't do something like this on purpose..would he? It didn't seem like him at all. Despite the bitter feeling of betrayal gnawing at her insides, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the zoner, concerned for his safety. There had to be some reason he would act this way.

But the weight of disbelief, for the moment, was clawing away at her attempts at reasoning. She was being forced to confront a painful reality, one that she had hoped she never had to.

"I wish it wasn't so, Penny. I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't been knocked down by him." Rapsheeba lifted up her arm. She bent it and brought her elbow forward. "Look at this." Penny leaned forward on the bed, and noted some deep scratches in the arm. "This is from Howdy. He knocked some sharp branches into me."

Penny hissed softly in concern. "Does it hurt?"

Rapsheeba nodded her head. "A little. It's not as bad it looks." She lowered her arm and furrowed her eyes as she looked at Penny. "You on the other hand..." She shook her head slowly. "I just hope that Howdy's attack on you didn't cause too much internal damage."

The last two words of that sentence made Penny cringe. External wounds were frightening enough. The ones on the inside scared her even more. To not be able to see the wound... She hoped that the damage didn't spread in there as well. But with the aches and pains she was feeling throughout her body, she had a feeling that she was not going to be so lucky.

This made her even more disturbed by Howdy's behavior. He hadn't just given her a simple 'love tap' of an attack to get her away. He had went in full force. She could still feel the waves of energy rushing through her body, the burning sensation that it left on her. That attack had been enough to knock her out and leave her incapacitated. If it also damaged internal organs... Oh what was Howdy thinking?

"Where is he now?" Penny asked.

Rapsheeba shrugged her shoulders. "The birds that spotted him said he just disappeared after that. They tried to follow, but..." She lowered her gaze. "Howdy is one slippery zoner."

Penny nodded her head in agreement. She thought back to the time when Howdy was in the Real World. He had been pretty good with keeping away from the dog..well at least until the dog caught up with him. It didn't surprise her that the birds could not keep up.

She soon realized there wasn't much more she could do right now. She wanted to help with Howdy, but if she didn't get herself checked out at least by her mom, then...

Her eyes widened in horror. Her mom... How long had she been in ChalkZone? She had been so confused and shocked by what happened, that she didn't bother to check to see how much time had passed. If she had been here over the two hour time limit... And what is her mom going to think of the injuries...?

Right now, it was more important to get back to the Real World. She can worry about how she was going to handle things later. Her mom was going to be even more upset with her the longer she took to get back. She pushed herself off the bed, taking her time with getting herself balanced out. Her legs were a tad wobbly, and some of the aches seemed to worsen, but it would do.

"Where are you going?" Rapsheeba asked.

"I'm going to head back home." Replied Penny. "My mom is going to wonder where I am. She had set a two hour time limit and if I'm not back..."

"I...don't think you'll be leaving anytime soon..." Rapsheeba spoke softly.

Penny looked at her with a perplexed expression. "What do you mean?"

Rapsheeba opened her mouth to speak, but soon shut it. She gave the girl a sympathetic look, and then lowered her gaze slightly. Penny stared at Rapsheeba for a few seconds, trying to ponder what she was talking about. When she saw Rapsheeba turn her gaze towards her legs, focusing on her waste, Penny's eyes widened. No..it couldn't be...

"He...he didn't..." Penny whispered as she whipped her head towards her pants. For a few, frantic seconds, she searching around, desperately trying to find her piece of magic chalk. Soon she stopped, her breaking becoming shaky. "N-No..."

Her magic chalk was gone.

Rapsheeba continued to look at Penny sadly. "I forgot to mention that to you." She looked away, shutting her eyes softly. "I don't know why he would do such a thing... The birds said that he had stolen the magic chalk from you..." She looked back at Penny, staring into her widened eyes. "I'm sorry, Penny. But if you want to head back, you will have to either find Rudy or go to Biclops."

Penny clenched her teeth at that. "Biclops only ever lets Rudy get magic chalk...usually."

"Well I'm sure he'll make an exception for this." Rapsheeba suggested. "He'd understand, right?"

"Yeah..I suppose so.." Penny paused for a moment. She then realized another problem. "But I won't be able to get there that quickly. I would need some way to..."

"I can take you there." Rapsheeba offered quickly. She pressed her thumb against herself. "I have a ride I can take you in."

"Thanks, but..I don't want to force you to..."

"It's no problem at all!" Rapsheeba said with a grin. "I'll be glad to take you!"

Penny smiled softly at this. She felt grateful for Rapsheeba's willingness to help. "Thank you."

Rapsheeba walked over to Penny. She gently grabbed onto her arm and helped her keep her balance. Penny, flinching a little, began to walk sowly forward. She wanted to move faster for fear of what her mother might say, but the pain in her body forced her to slow down. She found herself leaning against Rapsheeba a little more than she had expected. The zoner helped stabilize her and keep her on her feet.

Penny hoped that Rudy still had his magic chalk. She didn't know what was up with Howdy or why he was acting this way. She didn't know if Rudy had realized something was wrong, or if he was at risk at losing his chalk, too. Sure they could just go to the mine to get more, but that didn't ease her mind. There was still one question that wouldn't leave her alone.

Just what was the magic chalk being taken for?

The reason why Howdy took the magic chalk wasn't certain. Penny could only guess it wasn't for anything good. Why else would he, presumably forced, shoot her with a high-powered weapon to knock her out? Or strike away Rapsheeba when she was getting too close?

She clenched her teeth. She couldn't help but wonder who was really pulling the strings. She had an idea of who it was, and the thought made her blood run cold. She would have to wait until Howdy was properly confronted. Whatever the answer may be... She and the others would have to prepare themselves.

sss

Mrs. Sanchez paced back and forth in the living room. She wanted to stop, but her racing mind kept her going. Once in a while, she would turn her head and look up the stairs. She clenched her teeth, sucking a deep breath. The same question played out over and over in her mind.

Where was her daughter? She told her to only stay in that chalk world for two hours. Those two hours had been used up already. Granted, it was only about fifteen minutes over, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

Penny was never the type to be late. She was always such a punctual girl and took time limits and constraints very seriously. If Penny missed a deadline, there was a good reason for it. The fact that her daughter wasn't back yet sent all kinds of disturbing thoughts through her head. To her, there was only one logical explaination for why she hadn't come back yet.

Something had happened.

The woman kept pacing as she tried to think of what she was going to do. She fidgeted nervously, constantly looking up, hoping that Penny would show her face. She wanted to go up and wait in the bedroom, but she also wanted to show Penny she still had trust in her, and if she were to just wait in her room for hours... She didn't want to do anything that could potentially damage the relationship she had with her daughter.

But she couldn't just stand around here, could she? If her daughter was possibly in danger, shouldn't she go after her? She didn't know if she could; she didn't know if Penny erased the portal or not, and even if it were still open, could she really bring herself to go into a world she had no knowledge of..? Then again, this was her daughter she was talking about. If she had to, she would run through the gates of a hell in order to help her daughter.

A wave of guilt hit her. A part of her wished she hadn't allowed Penny back into that world. She should have known that it was too dangerous. Penny had told her all about it, and she was aware of how dangerous it could be. And yet she let her daughter walk right back into it... How could she have been so stupid?

She tried to settle herself down. Penny obviously knew that world well enough and she had been going in and out of it constantly with no incident. Maybe what happened was not as big as she was making it out to be. Maybe she just got lost or got caught up with something. Yeah...that's all it was...

But regardless of whatever she tried to tell herself, the fear and worry that was swelling up inside wasn't enough to stop her from having some doubts in her mind. She found herself locking her eyes on the stairs once more, and let out a soft sigh. This was going to be harder than she thought.

For now, there was nothing she could do. She couldn't go into the chalk world. More than likely, the portal was closed, and she had none of this...this magic chalk that Penny talked about. All she could do was wait for Penny to come back. She could only hope and pray that she was fine, and that nothing happened, and that she was just overthinking things. Yeah... any moment now, Penny would come down and show her just how silly she had been for worrying.

But the longer she waited, the more time that passed, the more Mrs. Sanchez realized this may not be the case. With her heart twisting up in a knot, she forced herself to take a step towards the stairs. Although she had told herself she wouldn't, she knew what she had to do.

As much as she wanted to stay here and wait, as much as she wanted to show Penny that she still trusted her, her motherly instincts were taking over. If her daughter was in danger... She narrowed her eyes with determination. There was no way she would take this laying down. She couldn't just stand idly by and wait if her daughter needed her help.

The woman started to make her way up the staircase. At the moment, she didn't care if Penny would be upset with her or not. Right now, all that mattered was getting up there and, hopefully if there was a way, getting into ChalkZone.

She soon entered her daughter's room. She noticed the chalkboard. It was facing away from her. She wondered momentarily if Penny had turned it away on purpose or if it had always been this way. She walked closer to the chalkboard, looking intently around it as she walked out in front of it. And when she did...

...nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Mrs. Sanchez shook her head in disbelief. Her daughter had erased the portal, just like she feared. There was nothing she could do to help Penny now.

She felt her heart clench. If Penny was out there, in pain... And it was all her fault. She shouldn't have let Penny head back into ChalkZone so soon. She should have put her foot down and restricted her more. Penny could be badly hurt, and it could have easily been prevented if she had just...

Suddenly a thought came to her mind. Her eyes widened in realization. Didn't Penny tell her about how ChalkZone was populated by things erased from a chalkboard? It had been a detail she didn't pay much attention to, but now she was realizing the significance of that. Penny didn't tell her everything, but Mrs. Sanchez had to wonder something. Were those creations dictated by what the creator wanted? If that's the case...

Mrs. Sanchez immediately rushed forward and picked up a piece of chalk. She pressed it against the black surface. Ignoring any squeaking that was made, ignoring the chills that resulted, the woman quickly drew on the board. Looping lines, creating sharp edges and quick strokes. It took her only moments to complete the drawing. She took a step back to take a look at what she had created.

The creature she had ended up drawing was a dog. Given the loyalty of a dog, she figured it would make sense to use Man's Best Friend to find her daughter and help her come back safely. The dog was large and strong, and it would have all the cunningness it...or he...needed to carry out his task.

Raising the eraser towards the dog-like creature, Mrs. Sanchez whispered softly to it. "Bring my daughter back safely, no matter what the cost. You are authorized to use deadly force if you have to."

She flinched, pausing for a moment when she said that. Was that going a bit too far with that? She shook her head. No, she wasn't. If someone had hurt her daughter, and if the situation called for it.. There would be no other alternative. Sometimes, the paths are chosen for them.

Without further hesitation, she quickly erased the board. Once it was clean and devoid of any drawing, she dropped the eraser down. She leaned away from it and stared at the board. She took in a few breaths. She hoped she had made the right choice.

sss

The zoners that walked by the large pile of symbols, mostly letters, didn't really think much of it. Penny almost never erased anything beyond mathematical and scientific equations, so they had gotten used to the ever growing pile of numbers that accompanied this landscape. Once in a while, she and her friends would remove some of it so it didn't create a wavering tower.

The zoners would often stop and look at the pile. Some of them would whistle and express how impressed they were that someone as young as Penny could be this smart. Not all the zoners showed appreciation, and either were annoyed by the pile despite the fact that it's cleaned up every so often, or would just ignore it entirely.

All in all, it was treated as just another part of ChalkZone. That was the way it worked around here. Things were always changing and transforming. They often never knew when something new would pop up or where. The chalk world was much less predictable than the Real World. While this might disturb the humans if they found out, as many humans hated change, the zoners on the other hand embraced it. It wasn't like they had much of a choice.

Today, however, Penny's pile of numbers was the location of something different. The zoners that passed through here noticed the telltale signs of something chalk being erased, and they thought it would be another equation or words as usual. But today, they got something entirely different, and unexpected.

When the beast first appeared and lunged at them, they didn't even see it coming. A flash of yellow fur was their only warning sign, and then impact. Zoners let out cries of pain as they were tossed to the side. They crawled up to their feet and backed away as the large, muscular beast towered over them, drool dripping from from its fangs.

The beast was a large, yellow dog zoner, looking more muscular and intense than any regular earth dog. Its glowing white eyes stared at them, piercing through their souls. The zoners backed away slowly, the beast walking forward with its wickedly sharp claws.

"Where is she?" The dog spoke. His voice trembled and shook, sounding almost like someone was playing around with a remix program. When none of the zoners dare replay, the dog yelled, "Where is she?! Where is Penny?!"

The zoners, unable to handle the intensity of the situation, terrified of the large, monsterous dog that stood before them, took off running. The dog clearly didn't like this. With his hackles raised up, creating a frightening spikey display, he charged towards the zoners.

sss

"Wh-What are you doing...?" Blocky whimpered.

Terry rolled her eyes. "You should know. We are just going to get a picture of your insides. It'll be over before you know it."

Blocky struggled, trying to get off the table. The two adults in the room stared at him, not making a single move to stop him. They both knew he was just overreacting. This was going to be quite painless; his struggling was just making that worse. Thankfully, they did strap him down the best they could, inhibiting his ability to move around too much. The hypothermia, which was still affecting him, also helped out immensely.

Dr. Von stared down at his test subject, unable to hold back his smile. He was particularly excited about this. He had longed to see what the inside of this animal looked like, and now he was finally getting that chance. He had to know what his internal structure looked like with him being so...flat.

How did his bones work? How did his blood vessels work? How were his organs arranged? How did he do...anything..with a body like this? He had to know. His scientific interest was at its peak right now. Nothing the zoner did or said was going to keep him from doing this. Heck, if he could, he would even vivisect Blocky after his use was finished.

He realized that they had forgotten to get Rudy and Penny's attention. Wasn't that one of the points in getting Blocky? No matter...they could always get back on track soon. They could just wait until Howdy got back and have him give them the message.

Besides, it wasn't like he wasted time here. He learned quite a bit of zoners from this little guy. He was a fine test subject and his contribution to science was most impressive. He looked forward to catching more zoners and learning about them. Maybe he could find one like Howdy or this Snap person Terry told him about, and learn about their anatomy. He was certain there were plenty of zoners with a wider structure than Blocky. He'd have no problems cutting them open and seeing their internal organs and see how they function.

But for now... Blocky had all his attention. He doublechecked the straps to make sure they were doing the job. He turned to Terry and nodded his head. "Let'z get ziz over with."

"Good.. I'm getting tired of listening to him whine." Terry muttered.

The two adults headed into the secluded room. He shut the door behind him and proceeded to press the buttons. As the x-rays were being taken, he thought briefly of what else he was going to do. After all, x-rays will only show him the bone structure. There was an old MRI machine here. Perhaps it still worked?

Oh well, even if it didn't, it wasn't like Blocky could be that badly damaged by it, and he and Terry were going to be out of the room and wearing protective suits. So they would be fine.

"Okay, that'll do." Von said after a few moments had passed. He shut down the x-ray machine and proceeded out of the door. "We should move our test zubject back in hiz enclosure."

"Anything else?" Asked Terry.

Von nodded. "Why don't you check on zee old MRI machine in ziz building? I'd like a more...zorough look at hiz organz and internal ztructure."

Terry grimaced, looking momentarily uncomfortable with the scientist. Von didn't bother apologizing for it, and merely smiled at Terry. She recovered pretty quickly from the disturbing mental trip he had just given her. She turned her back away from him and, without a word, she walked away.

Dr. Von Doktor didn't bother trying to go after her, or to stop her. There was really not point. He knew where she was going. She needed no further prompting. Once she was out of the room, he turned his head and walked back towards Blocky.

The small zoner was trembling in the cuffs. There was some pain reflecting in his clinched eyes. But mostly, it was fear. The zoner probably expected something to happen to him during this procedure. Not that the man could blame him. Everything else involved hurting him somehow. He must feel so confused to have something done that didn't cause him some kind of pain. Well he better not get used to this; pretty soon he was going to endure a world of hurt. The heating experiment was about to take place.

He was a little reluctant to start it without Howdy being present. He wanted the puppet zoner to be here to witness what was happening to his friend. Mental impact was another area he wanted to study. Since he was focusing on the physical stuff with Blocky, he might as well use Howdy as his section test subject, focusing on mental. He wanted to know if zoners had similar thought processes as humans or if there was a difference between the two species. He was certain there was, and he wanted to find it. He could just use Blocky...but why muddle up the papers? Just use two different zoners for the tests, and problem solved.

He didn't want to wait too long to being the heating experiment. He would give Howdy a bit more time to come back here. If not, well tough luck. He could still test his emotional reaction when he got back. The sight of his dehydrated friend should be enough to teach Howdy not to take so long.

"No more...no more..." Blocky stared up at him, wide-eyed. "Please..."

"Are you really zat big of a crybaby?" Von stared at the zoner, cocking an eyebrow. "Really, I hadn't even done anything painful to you ziz time. Just an x-ray, and soon, an MRI."

Blocky shook his head. "Just l-let me go home..Please..."

Von simply smiled at the zoner. He didn't bother answering. There was really no point in wasting time conversing with the zoner. He was just going to keep begging. He attributed this partially to the hypothermia. Blocky probably lost a bit of his understanding, and perhaps thinks that the x-rays hurt him or something. Or he was just expecting to be hurt to the point where it was overriding his reason. He merely shrugged at this.

Von unhooked the zoner from his binds. The clasps came off quickly, easily undone. As soon as he was finished with the last one, Blocky attempted to get up. He didn't get far before he appeared to feel dizzy and the lethargy definitely showed, present in how the zoner wobbled forward and grabbed onto his head.

"Here, let me help you."

The scientist grabbed onto Blocky. He rolled his body up, ignoring his cries of pain from aggravating his wound. Von felt a little guilty in doing this as he didn't want to kill Blocky...yet, and he certainly didn't want to soil his test subject too soon. But he would be fine. Just a quick trip.

He immediately headed down the hallway. He walked along until he reached the enclosure room. He had gotten back here quicker than he had expected. Good thing, too. He didn't know how long he would be able to hold onto the squirming zoner. Despite him being weak, he was getting rather irritating. If he squeezed him a little tighter...

He went over to the enclosure and opened it up. He then tossed Blocky inside. As the living piece of paper unfolded himself and stared at him in fear, Von said, "I'll give you a bit of a break. But don't forget. In a little while, you will be taken to zee MRI room. Zen, zee heating tezt."

Blocky merely trembled at this, curling up into a ball. Von just chuckled softly and walked away. Soon, he was going to see just how well this zoner could survive in the heat. Just how high up could he go? He shall see.

sss

Rudy was stunned by what he had seen. He couldn't speak, couldn't move. He just stared out ahead blankly, trying to digest what he had seen. He hardly even noticed when Snap let Howdy go, nor did he see the two zoners approach him cautiously, with Snap looking concerned and Howdy looking a mixture of angered and ashamed.

He had not expected to see what he had, and yet he had. It was a nightmare come to life. It was the last thing he had hoped to see. It was even worse than he had imagined. This turned the situation on its head, and proved to him just how serious the situation truly was. He shivered, trying to keep his emotions under control, yet he found it hard to hold them back, feeling a cold shiver through his spine.

He stared at Howdy. Any anger and annoyance he had felt towards him had faded away, replaced with nothing but sympathy and worry. He couldn't believe that Howdy was put through all that. The poor guy... No wonder he had tried so hard not to tell them.

The machine he had drawn was crude and he wasn't entirely certain if it was going to work. There was a part of him who felt that something might go wrong. And putting it on Howdy was rather awkward. The zoner looked absolutely ridiculous, all those wires and such dangling from him... But it still gave him the results that he wanted, and he and Snap were treated to a rather...interesting look inside Howdy's memory bank.

Howdy had been kidnapped... He had been taken from that location, that dreadful Pencil Sharpener forest where Rapsheeba and Penny had been. He was dragged into the Real World, forced to do the bidding of Von and Terry. He was tasked to bring in food and water and medicine just to help prolong Blocky's suffering. He had been forced to bear witness to one of the experiments, leaving him and Snap speechless, equally horrified.

He couldn't help but give Howdy a hug. Without saying a word, he reached over and pulled him into a hug. He did his best to comfort the frightened and traumatized zoner. He whispered soft words to him. Snap joined in and rubbed Howdy's back. The small zoner shivered. No longer did he try to push them away. He hugged Rudy back and cuddled up against him. His smaller frame shuddered as he started to try, finally letting out all the fear and negative emotion that he had building up.

"I'm so sorry.. I-I wanted to tell someone... b-b-but I thought that..." Howdy whimpered softly. He sniffled loudly. "I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay, buddy. It wasn't your fault." Snap whispered softly to him.

Rudy nodded in agreement. He held Howdy even closer against himself, pressing his chin on top of his head. "It'll be all right, Howdy. It's going to be okay. You'll see..."

As Rudy held onto the shivering and crying zoner, he tried his best to fight back the burning anger rising up inside of him. How dare those two treat his friends this way...? How dare they hurt Blocky like that, nearly freezing him to death... How dare they force Howdy to watch the whole thing, helpless to do anything to stop it... He knew they were going to be cruel, but..he never imagined it would be like that.

The only positive thing about this is that at least he and Snap aren't fully in the dark anymore about what was going on. They knew some of what was done to Blocky, and how he was being treated. As much as it pained them to know that, they felt better knowing than being left in the dark. In addition, they also now knew the location of that portal. With that knowledge, they could go to the portal and infiltrate where Blocky was being held and rescue him.

Rudy knew there were some pieces likely missing. They didn't see all of Howdy's memories. There were large, black spaces that had appeared while they watched. Even if there weren't, they would still needed to be careful. Knowing what happened was only half the battle; they still had to get in, infiltrate without being seen, get Blocky without complications.

Then there was the chance that they might be expecting him... True, that might be a stretch, but Rudy refused to rule out the possibility. Better to err on the side of caution. He had to go find Penny and tell her about this. She needed to know.

Knowing the situation called for action as soon as possible, knowing that he was not going to be able to hesitate for long, Rudy immediately began to consider what course of action should be taken. He thought about his recent ideas, and then began to consider others ones. After a while of thinking, he felt he had figured out the best path to take. He still felt a little skeptical about the choice he was about to make, but that was the thing about choices. You will always make one that you will regret later.

"Snap..." Rudy said after several more minutes had passed. "You and Howdy head towards the Pencil Sharpener. Howdy is to show you its exact location. Have a map ready and mark it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Bucko?" Snap asked, raising a hand towards his friend. "What if they're waiting for us?"

"They could very well be..." Howdy's voice was so haunting, it sent chills through their spines. With wide eyes, he continued, "I was supposed to be back a while ago... Terry might be getting suspicous. She might..."

"I understand your concerns. But you guys...we don't have much choice in this. We can't let them get away with what they did. This is our one chance to try to stop them. Understand that I'm not going to rush in there ill prepared; I just need the coordinates. I plan on talking to Penny as soon as possible so we can decide what we will do. I promise, we will not move so hastily."

Rudy understood why his two friends were still in doubt. Even Snap, who would be more willing to go along with whatever he decided, was shaken and uncertain. He had seen for himself what happened, and while he still has determination to take the right action, he was quieted by what Terry and Von were capable of. It was worse than any of them had ever imagined.

But there was little time to sit around and discuss their feelings about this. There was little time to stay and try to comfort Howdy. Rudy felt guilty with having to leave him behind. As he let go of him and stared down at him, he could see the tears staining his cheeks. Rudy bit his lip, feeling his heart break in two. He wished he could say something to help his friend feel better. But there was too little time for that. If Terry and Von realized that Howdy was gone for too long...

Swerving his head to Snap's direction, he said, "Don't delay this any more than it has to be, Snap! Time is not on our side here! You and Howdy need to go to the portal in Pencil Sharpener!"

Snap nodded his head slowly. "I get what you are saying, Rudy, but..." He looked down at Howdy. Noting his shivering state, he turned back to Rudy and said, "I don't know if he will be able to handle going back there so soon..."

"But..I have to..." Howdy said softly. He wiped away his tears. "If I don't go back..." He paused, his eyes widening in horror. "R-Rudy is right. We have to go.."

"Howdy..." Snap said softly, his eyes widening. A small smile spread across his face. "You really are a trooper, aren't you?"

Howdy smiled back at him, but said not a word.

"And you are certain you want to do this?" Rudy asked softly. "Are you willing to go through with this? Howdy, I don't like to make you do anything you don't want to do. I'm just... I hope you don't feel bad of me. There's just..too little too..."

Howdy raised his hand up. "Do not blame yourself, Rudy. You're right. We do need to take action. I am scared and frightened, yes, but I will not stand for Blocky being hurt like that anymore. I'm afraid of what they might do to me, but I am more afraid of what they might do to our friend, or other zoners. Trust me, Rudy. I'm agreeing to this because I want to, not because of you forcing me into anything."

Rudy couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and happiness with Howdy as he heard those words. The initial guilt that he felt with trying to get Howdy to take Snap to the portal left him, dripping out of his fingers like some warm liquid that fell upon him. It impressed him how Howdy was willing to go along with the plan despite the possible risks that it came with. It took a lot of courage to do that.

Rudy decided to move things along when he reminded himself of the situation. Before he could do anything, he discuss things a little further with his friends. There was one thing he needed to agree with them upon before they could take action.

"You two can meet Penny and I back here after you have located and marked down the portal's location. Is that okay?" Rudy asked.

Snap nodded his head. "It sounds good to me, Bucko."

"I see nothing wrong." Howdy said. Rudy stifled the tempation to flinch. Howdy might be acting braver, but his facade was easily broken through by his own voice. "It won't take me long to locate the portal. We can be back here in... an hour?"

"Yeah. I think that's a good time. I just have to speak to Penny about that and see if she's okay with it." Rudy held back the fact that Penny's mom was now an obstacle, and if she decided not to let Penny come, there was little he could do about that. Penny's mom's knowledge of ChalkZone wasn't of the top priority here right now. But it will be once this crisis was taken care of. "Snap, which hospital did you say she was taken to?"

"The main one. Biggest one in ChalkZone City." Snap said. Suddenly, he looked nervous, gritting his teeth. Rudy looked at him with concern, wondering what could have changed his friend's demeanor so abruptly. Snap soon spoke again. "Bucko... What are we going to do about those zoners who tried to get Howdy?"

Rudy flinched at this. He noticed Howdy cringing, clearly remembering the chase he had been put through. Rudy realized that this was also a problem. He knew that some of the zoners were going to hold some negative feelings about what happened, some more than others. It was something that needed to be addressed before it became too widespread, or worsened beyond repair. He knew how panicky some people can be and this extended to zoners. He knew how catastrophic it could be come if left to fester.

Sadly, this, too, would need to be regulated in the back of their plans for now. Saving Blocky and stopping a possible invasion on ChalkZone was kind of more important, and he didn't think anyone would disagree with him on that. But he couldn't just say that in Howdy's face; the poor guy was scared enough. So he did the next best thing.

"We will take care of that as soon as we can. I promise." Rudy placed his hand on Howdy's cheek, gently caressing it. It'll be okay, Howdy."

The puppet zoner smiled back at him. "Yeah..I know it will." Gently, he pushed Rudy's hand away and made his way towards the door. He looked over at Snap expectantly. "Come on. Let's get going."

Snap nodded his head. "I'm coming!" He suddenly stopped, and looked at Rudy with a nervous grin. "Uh...Bucko..? That paper and pen?" Rudy stared at him for a few seconds. "I can't mark anything down without something to..."

"Oh..!" Rudy felt like an idiot. "Hold on!" He quickly drew the items that Snap requested and gave it to them. "Good luck, you two."

"Same to you." Snap said before he and Howdy left the treehouse.

Rudy remained in the treehouse for a few seconds before he began to make his way over towards the still open door. As he exited the treehouse and headed down the steps, his mind wandered. He began to ask himself a disturbing question.

Would ChalkZone be fully safe after this? Even if they defeated Von and Terry, would they now have enough evidence to prove to everyone that the fabled chalk world was real? Would he and Penny then find it much harder to combat them and anyone else who they draw into their mission? What would become of ChalkZone if Terry suddenly gained a following, loyalists who would do whatever it took to expose ChalkZone?

The thought was chilling, and he felt his body shudder at that. It was, unfortunately, a very real possibility, something that he and his friends may have to confront eventually. Unless they not only stop those two but als destroy any evidence they might have gathered, then even if they stop them now, it wouldn't last for long. It would not be a victory; nothing more than a minor hinderance to them.

But they wouldn't give up. They couldn't. Such a thing was not acceptable. He was the guardian of this world, and if he had to fight, then he will. He was not going to give up ChalkZone without a fight.

That much, he could assure Terry and Von.

sss

That was it. He was tired of waiting. At the moment, he no longer cared if Howdy was going to arrive or not. If he wanted to tell everyone what happened, then so be it. It still worked into his plans anyway. For now, he had something more important to take care of first.

It was time to get started on the heat experiment. He had given Blocky enough of a rest. Yes..half an hour was good enough for him. He had the room all set up for him, with all the monitors in place. He just needed to place the marks on Blocky so he could properly monitor him during the procedure. It mattered not if he was fully recovered from the hypothermia or not; the sooner he got the results, the better.

The little zoner did put up quite a fight. He had to admit, he was impressed with how much he tried to resist despite the fact that he was still weak from the cold. If he didn't know that Howdy had lost some of his strength, he would have even thought of it as he watched the zoner squirm around in his hand, desperately trying to pry his hands off so he could get away from him. Von tightened his grip on him as he led him down the hallway.

Terry had come a while ago to inform him that the machine apparently worked. She then promptly asked him why he had one in the first place. This, Von refused to answer. Honestly, he didn't really remember. One of his former staff members was in charge of the machine and they used for...whatever it is he was doing. Terry probably was going to be suspicious of him for this, but who cares? Let her think what she wants to.

The trip down to the room took longer than he had thought. The machine was located further down than he imagined. Trying to keep Blocky still, and trying to ignore his pleas were making it feel as though the trip was taken even more time. A part of him just wanted to toss Blocky down. He resisted, knowing that would just make things worse. A part of him wished that he had Howdy bring in some stuff to knock Blocky out with. He could use one of those right about now.

The man wasn't sure exactly what he was going to do next with Blocky. He hadn't exactly thought of it. The MRI scans were finished, but they would take a while to form. He had been able to look at his skeletal structure, which was...quite interesting, to say the least.

But as for the next experiment, he was at a loss. Maybe he will take some time away from Blocky and look at his blood a little. He hadn't gotten a chance yet to really examine the blood he had taken from him. It would be quite fascinating to see if the structure really is chalk or if there was something else going on. It was still something that confused him and left him in awe. How could a creature with a structure based on chalk possibly survive? Then again, humans and most lifeforms were based on carbon, the same thing that stuff like graphite and diamons were made out of, and they aren't exactly alive.

And wasn't chalk, in a way, consisted of something carbon...?

For a moment, the man froze, his eyes widening at that realization. In that moment, he could feel a large lightbulb move out of his head, raising above him and illuminating his mind. Had he found common ground with the zoners at last? This needed further study.

That could be the next experiment. He could get a sample of Blocky's flesh. He could remove something from the wound he already has. Cut off a small part of him. That should be quick and simple. If he could figure out more about this possible connection, perhaps he could solve the mystery of how the zoners could even be alive. If they were just another carbon-based life form... The public would not find that difficult to swallow.

He pushed those thoughts aside when he finally arrived in the room. As he walked in, he could feel Blocky's struggles increasing. He held onto him tighter, using his foot to kick the door shut to prevent Blocky from escaping.

The room he was in was mostly empty. White walls greeted him all around, and there were a small row of chairs and a small panel. The panel itself was decorated with all kinds of buttons and levers. The only other thing in the large room were the monitors that had been set up.

In front of that, a large glass window, easily stretching for more than half the room's length. A one-way mirror, allowing him to see in, but not Blocky out. The room itself was barren, save for some lights to keep it lit. Along the walls were some gray lines. Vents that would transfer heat into the room with ease. The door itself was large and metal, the bottom scraping along the floor to prevent anything from escaping. Even someone as thin and light as Blocky couldn't get out of there.

But, first thing's first. Before he got started, he had to place the markers on him. The monitor devices would not work otherwise. Holding him down with one hand, Von proceeded to place them on his shivering, cold body.

"Don't worry. Zoon, you won't be zo cold anymore." Von said, trying to mimick a reassuring voice. No surprise, this didn't seem to work on the zoner, but no matter. "I will try to make ziz experiment shorter zan zee other one. I wouldn't want you to have too much rezpiratory problemz."

Blocky struggled against his grasp, pushing back with his hands. "You have to s-s-s-stop this!"

Dr. Von Doktor shook his head. "I have no zuch planz. You are a brand new zpeciez, Blocky. Do you really zink I am going to juzt let you go, without trying to dizcover what you're like on the inside? What your limitationz are?" Von placed about five markers on Howdy. A few more, and he would be done. "Zink of it ziz way. You are contributing to zcienze. You are paving the way for a new future. And when all of ziz iz zaid and done...maybe I'll even let you go."

Blocky stared at him in silence. He didn't attempt to answer. Von wasn't sure if it was because he believed his words, or if it was because he wasn't registering them. Either way, it didn't stop Von from proceeding along, preparing for the next experiment. He placed a few more on Blocky, and soon, the zoner was covered with different markers, all linked to the machine. Yes, this should be good enough.

"If you cooperative, maybe I'll be even more likely to juzt let you go." Von said as he proceeded to carry Blocky over to the room. "You'll zee. Zurrender really iz zee bezt route that you can go. Onze you do, everyzing will run more zmoothly."

Blocky shook his head the best he could given his state. "N-No...Please..just stop...stop this all.. I don't want this.." His eyes grew wider the closer they came towards the heating room. The zoner began to struggle with a surprise increase of strength. "No! Stop!"

Dr. Von Doktor managed to keep his hold on the zoner. He grabbed onto the door knob and turned it. "Oh pipe down, will you? You are making ziz more difficult zan it haz to be! You..."

No sooner did he open the door part way did Blocky do something he hadn't attempted since the last time: bite him.

"Yeowch!" Von cried out. He nearly let go of Blocky as the zoner sank his teeth into him. "Let go of me!"

Blocky gave a muffled response, probably telling him some kind of retort. Von yanked at his hand. Eventually, he was able to free himself, avoiding having the zoner's teeth slash his skin. Von stared at his arm for a few seconds, realizing that, for the second time, the zoner had injured him with his teeth. He turned to glare at the zoner, whom he still had hung in the air by his shoulder.

Appearing to realize his mistake, Blocky began to struggle, kicking his legs in the air. He held his hands out in front of him, waving them frantically. He kept crying out for mercy, begging him not to hurt him.

"P-Please! I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to!"

Von responded to this with a glare. "Zat'z zee zecond time, zoner..." His voice was deep with intent. "You were already warned of ziz behavior. I find it quite..unexzeptable..."

"No! Please!" Blocky raised his arms and hands over himself, desperate for some kind of protection. "I-I'm so sorry!"

Von glared at the zoner for a few seconds. He debated whether or not he should take action right now. A part of him really wanted to muzzle Blocky to ensure he won't attempt another bite. The thing giving him pause was the fact that he didn't know if Blocky could sweat or not. He didn't want to take the chance, knowing he may lose his test subject too early. Yes, perhaps he should wait before he muzzled him.

His anger faded away quickly, replaced with a smile. He could see how much that alone was creeping out the zoner. He reached over and placed his hand on his cheek. This time, the animal didn't make an attempt to bite him again.

"It iz okay. I forgive you." Not exactly true, but it was the words the zoner needed to hear, what he wanted him to hear. "Now be a good little zoner..." He tightened his grip, his muscles powering up for the toss. "..and get in zere!"

Without hesitation, or any time for the zoner to prepare himself, the old man tossed Howdy into the room. His body sailed through the air and he crashed into the ground. Von watched as he slid across the floor, almost like a real piece of paper that was pushed along by a little kid. He quickly shut the door, sealing the zoner inside.

He then made his way over to the panel. Time to get started. He looked over at the window, giving a somewhat twisted smile. The zoner was frantically trying to find a way out, hindered only by the hypothermia. And even that didn't seem to slow him down, knowing what was about to come. Von grabbed the knob and twisted it. The panels on the side began to glow red.

The experiment had just started.

sss

When Rudy arrived back in ChalkZone City, he hadn't noticed anything strange or unusual going on. He hadn't seen any signs of those zoners he had scolded earlier. He didn't see any hostility from the zoners, or any murders or gossip spreading. Mostly, just zoners having fun with whatever celebration was going on today. He took this as a hint that most zoners were unaware of what happened. At first, he wasn't sure how, but then he realized that most of the zoners were distracted by the celebration. He let out a sigh of relief at this.

As he moved through the city using his rocket shoes, he was not surprised, given that fact, that much of the city was empty. When the zoners had celebrations, many of them got involved. Very few left themselves out. This was something he wished would happen more often in the Real World.

He looked left and right as he tried to locate the hospital. There were a few in the city, given its size. But there was one main one that most zoners went to. That was the one that Penny had been taken to. It shouldn't be too long before he... Ah..there it was. Off in the distance, he could see the large building, the familiar cross sign on it. He powered up his shoes and moved faster.

He still felt some level of anger with Penny for her early accusations. Why couldn't she listen to reason? It was her fault for not noticing the tracker, right? Why couldn't she accept that she is at fault as well? Why must she try to put all the blame on him?

No, now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. He didn't want his mood soiled when he found her. The last thing either of them needed was another fight. Besides, after what happened with Howdy, he doubted Penny would even be in the mood to continue that argument. He bit his lip. Oh, he hoped that she was going to be okay.

He didn't get too far when he suddenly stopped. Something ripped through the air, loud, long, booming. He could feel chills running up and down his spine. He didn't even know what it was, and it was enough to make him stop and wonder. What was that? What was that sound that echoed in the city? It sounded so...foreboding. Rudy remained still in the air, trying to figure out what course of action he should take. Should he investigate himself or get Penny?

The answer was given to him rather swiftly.

A loud roar echoed through the buildings. So loud, he could practically feel the vibrations from the ground from up here. He then heard something else intermixing with the screams. His heart nearly stopped when he noticed the source of the noise.

There was a large beast running amok through the city. Big, yellow, equipped with sharp teeth, like a big dog, the massive zoner stormed through the city, the ground shaking beneath it. Below him, a bunch of zoners were running everywhere, waving their hands in the air as they tried to find shelter.

Rudy stared at this in horror. Where did this beast come from? What did it want? Why was it chasing the zoners? His moment of terror was short-lived when instinct kicked in. Gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes, he activated the thrusters on his rocket shoes and he darted off towards the large creature. He wondered for a moment if Terry or Von were behind this monstrosity.

The dog beast didn't seem to take notice of him, or perhaps it simply didn't care that he was there. The beast raised its paw up and slammed it in the ground. There were several loud cracks as the ground was shattered. Rudy winced at how deep the marks were. He watched as the creature's tail struck against a building, leaving behind a deep scratch. Dust and debris fell towards the ground, nearly knocking into a few zoners who were unlucky enough to be there.

Splitting its jaws wide open, the monster then bit down at the ground. Its massive jaws narrowly missed some of the zoners, except for one. To Rudy's horror, one of the zoners was snagged by his leg. The beast held him up in the air and shook him hard. The zoner screamed and pleaded for mercy. Rudy acted quickly and zipped towards the zoner.

The dog beast finally seemed to realize that Rudy was there. Its eyes locked onto him for a split second. Then, turning its head to one side, it thrust it forward, releasing its grip on the zoner. Rudy's eyes widened in horror at this and he moved faster. In seconds, he was able to catch the zoner in his hands.

Landing on the ground, Rudy released him. "Get out of here!"

The zoner needed no further prompting. Without even saying a 'thank you', the zoner turned and ran off. Rudy watched him leave. Then he turned his attention to the large dog-beast.

The dog stared at him with those piercing white eyes. Its lips were curled back into the snarl. A low growl eminated from its throat, its sharp teeth glinting in the Day Zone sun. Rudy stood his ground, arching himself in preparation for a fight, his magic chalk raised.

For several long moments, this was all that happened. Just an intense stare down between the two opponents. Neither would relent. It was as though they felt that if they looked away, then they instantly lost. The moment one backs down, the other would close in, ready to take care of the other. So silent it was, Rudy could have sworn he was able to hear the drumming of their own heartbeats. This only seemed to make the moment feel even more intense.

Then, at last, the dog zoner made a move. Rudy tensed up his body as the zoner took a step towards him. Its ears raised up, its expression contorting with great interest. Rudy could feel the rush of air as the zoner snorted at him, sniffing him like any regular dog in the Real World would. Rudy took another step back, raising up his magic chalk just in case the dog decided to get aggressive.

The dog zoner merely turned its head to the side, its ears raising up even more. It looked almost..confused. Rudy wasn't sure what to make of this. What was this zoner going to do? Maybe it was just a giant puppy and meant no harm, but its earlier actions...

"Where is Penny?" The dog asked suddenly, his booming, distorted voice filling Rudy's ears. "Take me to Penny if you can."

Rudy stared at the zoner in shock. "Y-You want to see Penny?"

The dog zoner nodded. "I want Penny." He flexed his claws on the ground, driving them into the ground. "I need to take Penny."

Rudy's eyes widened at this. In that moment, he realized that, whatever this zoner wanted with Penny, it couldn't possibly be anything good. He couldn't allow this dog to take Penny. He couldn't allow him to hurt his friend. Gritting his teeth, he shook his head rigidly. "I cannot allow you to do that..."

At this, the dog zoner resumed its malicious expression from before. "Then you are an obstacle. I have been authorized to do whatever it takes to get Penny." He raised his head up slightly, baring his sharp teeth at Rudy. "If you do not remove yourself, if you refuse to help me, then you will have forced my paw."

Rudy bared his own teeth right back. "Penny's my best friend. I won't allow you to take her."

"Then...so be it.."

Rudy raised his magic chalk as the beast charged him. He didn't know where this thing came from or what he wanted, but one thing was for certain: he was not going to let him have Penny.

sss

The heat... Oh gawd the heat.. It was everywhere. There was no refuge from it. Nowhere to go. Everything in here was hot. Oh gawd, make it stop, please..

Blocky wobbled from side to side as he tried to keep himself from falling down. The heat had built up quickly in the room. It hung heavily over him, making it feel as though it would knock him into the ground at any moment. He had his mouth wide open, panting heavily as he tried to cope with the intense heat. He couldn't touch anything, and laying on the ground was dangerous. It was just too hot.

He could feel himself becoming drenched in sweat. His fluids could not be contained in his body anymore. Despite the need for fluid, his body was ejecting the liquid in a vain attempted to cool himself down. The effect of this wasn't lost on him, and he could feel his mouth drying up and becoming scratchier as the seconds passed by.

He didn't know how long he had been in here. He didn't know how much longer this was going to last. All time seemed to be lost on him as he struggled to hold on, struggled not to pass out. He could feel his eyelids grow heavy, a burning sensation occuring everytime he shut his eyes. His body was telling him to give out, but his mind refused to cooperate, stubbornly holding onto the hope that maybe, something good was going to happen soon. Maybe someone was going to come save him.

But as the slow seconds passed by at a snail's pace, he quickly realized that it wasn't going to happen. No one knew he was here...besides Howdy, and what could he do? He was just as powerless as he was.

Unable to stop himself, Blocky felt a sense of bitterness rise up inside of him. If Howdy had tried harder, maybe he could have gotten him out of here. He had his chance earlier, and he blew it. How could Howdy have been so stupid? There were ways of getting him out, he was certain, but Howdy just had to go blow it all up, didn't he? He couldn't be bothered to check to make sure no one was coming, and because of that, he botched up the only chance he had to escape.

Blocky shook his head, unable to believe just how bitter he had felt towards his friend. And he continued to feel that way, no matter how hard he tried to fight it back. He couldn't help it. Something about this heat was starting to mess with his emotions. He gripped his head, clenching his teeth. He had to try to stay positive. He had to keep himself from losing his sanity. He had to...

But what was the point? He couldn't fight back what was true. Howdy had failed him. His friends had failed him. He was going to die in this hellhole and it was all their fault. He gnashed his teeth together, the bitter thoughts sifting through like some kind of unwanted play. He thought of his friends, feeling his gut twisting in knots. Friends... what friends..? If they were his friends, they would have gotten him out of here. It was their fault he was in this mess.

No..it wasn't just them. That blasted girl... Rudy's cousin, Sophie.. She was the one who dragged him out of his home. She was the one who caused him to be trapped out of ChalkZone. And that woman, she took the chalkboard away. It was her fault, too. It was all their faults. He was just an innocent bystander. He never asked for this. As soon as this was over, he was going to...

Suddenly a rush of lightheadedness struck him. He gripped his forehead, wobbling from side to side. He tried to keep his balance. Everything in the room was spinning around him. His vision was becoming blurry and shaky. He struggled to keep himself from falling down. But despite his efforts, he could feel his legs buckle underneath him. He dropped down. The burning sensation of the floor filled his hands as he panted, nausea sweeping through him. He held onto his stomach, struggling to keep his stomach contents from spilling out onto the ground. No, not more fluid loss...

His body began to stink of sweat. He was so clammy, he could feel himself slipping along the ground. His fingers practically stuck together. Sweat dripped from his face, onto the floor. It seemed to almost evaporate immediately, although his vision was too blurry to confirm that. He licked his dry lips, feeling the cracks that had formed in them. So dry...so thirsty...so tired...

The breathing.. It was getting more difficult. He struggled to take in more oxygen, opening his mouth wider. He could feel his lungs start to burn. He writhed on the ground, trying to escape the heat. The cold was better than this. He never thought he'd miss the cold that much, not that it was a much better situation. But this heat... Oh gawd, why was it so hard to breathe...?

He lifted up his head and looked over at the window. Nothing but a black sheet. He could just imagine Dr. Von Doktor on the other side, sneering at him, proud of what he was doing. Blocky panted heavily as he stared, realizing just how truly at the man's mercy he was. He raised up his head and reached towards it. He looked towards the window pleadingly, hoping that the man would notice and take pity on him.

Suddenly, he collapsed into the ground. The heat pressed down on him, the ground beginning to burn his skin a little. But he didn't move. Despite all the heat around him, his body had finally given out. He laid there, covered in his own sweat, panting weakly. Unable to do anything, not even a weak whimper, he shut his eyes, welcoming the darkness that descended upon him.

"What are you doing?!"

Blocky opened up his eyes at this. A distant voice. Feminine. Familiar. He tried to see, but of course, being trapped in this room, his tired eyes and blurred version could not pick up on anything.

There were a series of quick shouts. He couldn't make out most of what was being said. A few words here or there, he picked up.

"What are you doing?! I'm not done yet!"

"You fucking fool! Do you know what you almost did?! You aren't even looking at the life readings!"

"He'z fine! He juzt..."

A loud crash. A yelp of pain. Blocky, even in his weak state, couldn't help but flinch. He could hear them arguing even more, and then more thuds and more crashes, indicating that a fight was going on. Then a scream, and finally silence.

Blocky stared towards the door, his panting becoming weaker, his eyes unable to stay open for long. Even as he heard the door knob turning, he could barely keep his eyes open to see who was coming over. All he could see was a blurred vision. Something green and red. Significance? He wasn't sure.

He felt himself being lifted into the air. Hands gripped onto him, pulling him away from the dangerously hot floor. He heard the individual's panting as they endured the heat. Through his blurred vision, he stared to make out a few details of this individual.

Terry Bouffant..?

Before Blocky could fully register this or begin to question what was happening, he felt his body go limp compleletely. The darkness that had been encroaching on him finally took over, and he shut his eyes. Then all was dark and silent.


	22. Disbeliefs

Chapter 22: Disbeliefs

Even the sturdiest wall can crack if given enough pressure.

sss

"Thank you so much, Biclops!" Penny held a small bag of a couple pieces of magic chalk. "I think this will be good enough."

"No problem, Penny!" The giant called back to her, that trademark grin across his face.

Penny felt a little silly for feeling nervous about asking Biclops for some pieces of chalk. Perhaps she was thinking too much about what happened when Snap attempted to get the chalk while Rudy was trying to clean the garbage out. Snap had mentioned how the giant tossed him out, proclaiming that Rudy can get the chalk himself. She came to realize that Biclops had only been frustrated at the time, and hadn't meant that she could never ask for any chalk.

Biclops had been more than willing to give her some, especially when he realized she was trapped in ChalkZone otherwise. Before he would give it to her, though, he wanted to know exactly how she had lost the chalk in the first place. So she whipped up a short, to the point story about what had taken place, informing him of the troubles doing on with Blocky, Howdy, and the Real World.

Naturally, Biclops was rather concerned. The idea of the world being exposed was frightening enough, but the fact that there were still some pieces unknown, and Howdy's strange behavior, it painted the situation as more chilling than before.

Biclops's reaction reminded Penny that, while he saw a lot of things in ChalkZone during his patrols, he didn't know everything. There were things that even he was in the dark about. He knew nothing about this portal, nor had he seen Howdy doing anything strange. For him, everything was functioning how it had been before.

The giant expressed concern when he noticed Penny's injuries. He hadn't realized just how bad they could be until he saw her limping and showing signs of pain. Penny insisted she would be fine, but that didn't make Biclops or Rapsheeba look at her with any less concern. She tried her best to look brave and not to worry them too much, but she knew it was fruitless. There was little chance for her to completely hide it; she was rather frightened at the prospect of internal damage.

As soon as she was able to get home, she would inform her mother. She was afraid of what her mom might think, but right now, the important thing was getting help.

"I wish you the best of luck!" Biclops cried as he raised his large arm up and waved at her.

Penny nodded in his direction. "Thanks!"

Rapsheeba grabbed onto Penny's arm and gently pulled on her. Penny turned her head towards the female singer. "Penny, we should get going. We have to get you back into the Real World before your mom gets suspicious." She raised up her hand in gesture. "Didn't you say that she gave you a limit?"

Penny nodded. "Two hours." She widened her eyes slightly at the realization. "And it's been over that time..."

Rapsheeba nodded her head grimly. "I sure hope your mother is the understanding type."

"I'm sure she'll understand once I tell her what happened..." Penny stopped herself for a moment. Tell her mother about this... She felt reluctance in that still. She knew her mother would react poorly, and she was concerned of what her mother was going to do afterwards. Yet, what other choice did she have? Despite her uncertaintity, she still found herself saying, "I'll make sure she doesn't do anything rash."

"And you are certain you can keep her from causing trouble, Penny Sanchez?" Asked Biclops, who remained at the entrance of the mine.

Penny nodded her head, smiling with as much certainty as she could muster. "I'm positive. Don't worry, everything will be straightened out."

Penny wasn't sure how true those words would end up being. She would try what she could, and tell her mother all that she felt would be needed. But that didn't mean it was going to be good enough. Her mother might still try something, no matter what she said. She hoped that things don't turn out that bad, but Penny knew she would have to prepare for the worst, and figure out backup plans in case her mom refused to listen.

She still had faith in her mother, though. Her mom was one of the sanest, most intelligent people she came in contact with every day. She had always been relatively calm and collected, even when faced with some of the more vicious, snappy animals. She felt that she could trust her mom to still be able to handle this rationally, even if she came back with injuries.

Then again, the main difference between the zoners and the animals were that, her mom knew the species pretty well. She studied zoology for years, and had a fundamental knowledge of multiple species. She knew nothing about zoners. Perhaps she would be more nervous as a result, and maybe she would be more likely to act without thinking...

Penny tried to remain hopeful, however. It was all she could do for the time being. She rehearsed in her head what she was going to say. She hoped it would be good enough.

"Well we need to get going. My mom might be getting worried right now." Penny rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Thanks again for the help, Biclops."

Biclops nodded his head and smiled. "Don't mention it!" He paused. A small frown appeared on his face. He looked at Penny with a determined expression. "And...be sure to tell me what happens with your mom. If she..becomes a problem..." He shut his eyes and exhaled slowly. "We will have to..do something about her."

Penny's eyes widened at this statement. She didn't like the tone of voice that Biclops had used. It wasn't really a threat, but..it was quite foreboding. She wasn't sure what he was referring to, or what he was implying. Yet, she still couldn't help but feel a shiver go down her spine.

There was no time to stay and keep talking to him, however. They needed to get going now. The longer they waited, the worse it could end up between her and her mother.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she gave another wave to the giant. "I'll see you later, Biclops!"

"So long!" Rapsheeba said as she waved to Biclops.

"Goodbye!" Biclops shouted before he turned to head back into the mine.

Penny and Rapsheeba headed towards the parked car, which was positioned not far from the entrance. As they walked over, Penny thought about what she was going to say to her mom. She knew she was going to have to handle this situation delicately. One wrong word, and she might accidentally cause her mom to take drastic action. Her mom had never seen this world before and had less reason to trust it than, say, an injured patient brought to her. If she gave her an inkling that the world was more dangerous than she had let on...

"Penny!"

The girl and her friend froze at that shout. It was Biclops. He sounded terrified. They had almost never heard him this frantic before. They turned around and watched as the giant ran towards them, his eyes filled with horror.

"What is it?" Rapsheeba cried, her voice laced in trepidation. "What happened?!"

With a rather haunting look, Biclops said, "The city is under attack!"

"What?!" Rapsheeba and Penny shouted in unison. They looked at each other, exhanging looks of horror.

Biclops pointed his hand. "Over there! Smoke!"

Penny turned her head towards where Biclops's finger indicated. She put her hand over her head and squinted. She tried to see what it was referring to. The giant being taller did give him an advantage. He could see further out than she could. But after a few moments, she eventually was able to stop something rather chilling.

There was a pillar of smoke coming out of the ground. Even from here, it looked thick and grey, and was practically drilling into the sky. She didn't see any buildings, however she was aware that this was the direction of ChalkZone City.

She could feel her blood running cold. To cause that much smoke... Oh gawd what was happening over there? Had Terry and Von decide to attack? Did they learn about the board's properties? Did they send out a creature to attack? Or was it completely unrelated, and had just shown up at the wrong time? Whichever it happened to be, that didn't change the fact that the city was under attack. In horror, she wondered if any of the zoners had been injured, or even...killed...

Her heart pounded against her chest. She shifted her gaze to Rapsheeba, giving her a horrified, knowing look. The singer zoner flinched at this, taking a step back. She didn't need to say a word for Penny to know that the zoner was lost in her own thoughts.

Penny wondered, for a moment, if Rudy was there. The thought of his name made her heart clench. She was still unnerved at how they had left things off. She shook off that feeling, knowing that right now, it wasn't important. She hoped that Rudy was nearby and could see what was going on. She could really use his help. But what if he wasn't? What if she was on her own?

No matter. She still needed to take action. Narrowing her eyes in determination, she took out a piece of magic chalk. Though inexperienced compared to Rudy, she drew herself a pair of rocket shoes. She turned to Rapsheeba.

"Rapsheeba! Try to help evacuate the zoners if you can!" Penny told her friend. "I'll try to do what I can about whatever is attacking the city!"

Though clearly worried, Rapsheeba nodded her head. She didn't bother to reply verbally; she just zipped off towards the car.

Penny then turned her attention to Biclops, who remained positioned at the entrance. The large zoner looked like he was getting ready to a potential fight. Penny didn't need to say anything to him. A mutual exchange of nods was all that was required. As much as Biclops would like to come with her, they both knew it was too dangerous. If the person responsible for this was a creator, and if they were using that runaway portal, then Biclops abandoning the mine would only leave it open for intruders.

Penny turned around and faced towards where she knew the city was. She ignited her rocket shoes, feeling the heat of the flames as they shot out. Penny then shot herself towards the city. She moved as quickly as she could, hoping that she would be able to get there in time.

She didn't know how long it took to reach the city. She hardly calculated the time as it passed. All she knew was just to keep flying, moving quickly in the air, feeling the wind hit against her face due to the force of the flight. She zipped passed the trees and overhead a few zoners. She moved herself around, keeping herself from hitting any of the hills and vegetation that she flew past. Then up one more large hill and...

There it was. ChalkZone City. She could see it clearly in the distance. She gasped in horror at all the smoke coming out of the place. It was even worse up front than it was at a distance. A few of the buildings appared to be knocked over, and she could already see some zoners fleeing for their lives. Their screams intermixed together, swirling around her ears.

Getting closer, Penny could start to feel some heat, and something burning. She felt her skin crawl as she made a turn and she could see flames start to shoot out from a building. She froze in the air for a few seconds, taking in the realization of just how large and wide spread the fire appeared to be. Whipping out her magic chalk, she zipped in closer.

Drawing a large bucket of water, she held on as tightly as she could. Her muscles ached and her hands threatened to make her let go. She refused to release her grip and soon she hovered above the building that was on fire. She dumped the water over it. The water rolled over the fire and Penny could hear a loud sizzle sound as it was put out. Penny looked around, trying to see if there were any other buildings on fire.

During her stationary search, she did spot something peculiar in the distance. Something massive, moving through the city quickly. She could hear more screams, and they appeared to be coming from whatever this thing was. Gritting her teeth, she moved over to get a closer look. She clutched her chalk tightly, prepared to fight the beast if she had to.

Soon she was close enough to see what it was. She stopped in her flight tracks, her eyes filling with terror. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

A massive dog... Large and yellow and burley and mean-looking. The creature was snapping at zoners left and right, a loud snarl echoing out of its jaws. Its massive head struck a few of the larger zoners, sending them flying through the air.

"Tell me where she is!" The dog cried. "Or I'll tear you all apart!"

Penny froze at the sound of that booming voice. Her fear was soon replaced with burning anger as she saw the way the beast was treating the zoners. This was no mere feral animal, but a sentient zoner who knew exactly what he was doing. Gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes, Penny launched herself towards the dog, fully prepared to fight.

"Wait! Stop!"

Penny was taken aback when she heard someone shout at her. She didn't have time to look over and see who it was. Suddenly, a warm, solid weight slammed against her, and she found herself being propelled to the side. She spun around for a couple seconds before she managed to right herself again. She shook her head and glared in the direction of the person who pushed her, showing displeasure over their actions.

She quickly realized it was Rudy. She stifled a gasp when she saw the multiple scratches and bruises on him. He looked like he had gotten in quite a scuffle.

"Rudy..." Penny started to say. She looked at him up and down, assessing him for injuries. "What happened to you?"

"No time to explain!" Rudy turned to face the large dog, who had taken notice of some more zoners trying to get away. "We have to stop him!"

"That's what I was trying to do until you pushed me!" Penny narrowed her eyes. "Why did you interrupt me?"

Rudy looked at her with a solemn expression. "Penny...the dog is after you..."

Penny felt her heart freeze at this. The large dog zoner was coming after her? But why? What did he want with her? Where did he plan on taking her? What did he plan on doing to her? These questions and more flooded her mind as she tried to figure out exactly what was going on.

When the dog roared loudly, as more zoners screamed, Penny pushed those thoughts and questions out of her mind. She turned to face the dog, taking on a defensive stance. If the dog thought she was going down that easily, without a fight, she would make sure to give him the shock of his life.

And him threatening zoners like that.. Unacceptable. She turned to Rudy, frowning, nodding her head. The two of them would show the zoner exactly what happens when he messes with their zoner pals.

Both wielding a piece of magic chalk, the two zipped out towards the large monster, prepared to fight.

sss

Target? Are these his target? No, none of them look familiar. Not the familiar he had been created with. He looked around frantically, trying to find the one. He had only one job. He cannot botch it up. He refused to mess things up on his first day.

All around him, moving things. What were these things? Not his target. They were just in the way. Obstacles for him to destroy or whatever. He didn't care. His creator didn't care. He pushed past them, using his massive snout to knock them away. He heard them screaming, could see them running. He snorted, narrowing his white eyes. If they didn't want to get attacked, then they should have stayed out of his way.

He continued to run through the city, his mind's gears turning as he tried to figure out where his target was. Maybe not in the city? Maybe she was out somewhere else? He thought she would be here. No? Outside city, in the forest maybe? Yes, maybe there.

He sniffed the air, taking in the various smells that hung in the air of the city. He ignored the horrific smells of smog and metal, and tried to focus on the sweeter scent of grass. He shifted his head in that direction, curling his lips up. He then attempted to move forward. He hit against something. He backed up and growled. He stared down.

Another obstacle. Small, round, and red. Bouncy. He licked his lips slowly. For some reason, the sight of it was making him eager to bite down on it. No, he can't do that. He needed to stay focused. He had just one job. That was all he was created to do.

Find Penny. That's what he needed to do. Find her, and bring her back. Creator wants her. Creator wanted her safe. That's all she wanted. That was all that mattered. And that was all he cared about. Damn everything else to tell. They didn't matter, not even this pathetic red thing that dare get in his way. He lifted up his foot and struck down. The thing couldn't get out of the way in time. The satisfying feeling of a crunch, and blood splatter. He smirked at this before continuing on.

Suddenly, something zipped in front of his face. He jerked his head back, raising his ears and growling in confusion and uncertaintity. He turned his head from side to side, keeping his teeth bared and flashing. Two new obstacles in the air. They were zipping around him. They were trying to stop him. The fools... Why didn't they get the message? Why didn't they just leave him alone? No matter. He was authorized to do whatever it took to get Penny. Two nuisances weren't going to stop him.

He snapped his jaws at them, slamming them shut. He felt his teeth clang against each other again and again. He missed them. He snarled, whirling his body around. He raised himself up on his hind legs and struck out with his claws. The sharp tips merely whooshed, narrowly missing his targets. He opened his jaws and let out a frustrated roar as his attacks kept failing. Why won't these things die already?

He didn't give up. He refused. The things were moving around him, trying to make him dizzy. No, he wouldn't allow them to do that. He struck out at them again and again. He bit down in the air, trying to snag one of them in his jaws. Missed. He snapped again. He grabbed one. Smirking in triumph, he started to pull his head back to throw the thing into the ground. He never got far as something struck him on the side of his face. Something hard. He yelped and took a step back. He shook his head, ignoring the sizzling sound of flames shooting out from his prey's feet.

The thing that struck him appeared to be a levitating bat of some kind, controlled by the creature. He shook his head, raising his hair on end. He charged forward, slamming his head against the creature, knocking its friend back. He listened to it grunt as he pushed his foot against a building, keeping it between his paw and the hard surface. He put his head close, opening his mouth and snarling in its face.

The look of terror on its face. Yes. That's the face he wanted. Creature interrupted. Creature was an obstacle. Creature needed to be dealt with. He raised his paw and started to strike down.

He paused. His eyes widened, staring at the creature before him. It struggled, jerking itself from side to side. Its friend was coming over to help. He struck at it, barely paying attention to the screams as it fall into the ground and tumbled.

This creature...so familiar...

The eyes, the hair, the glasses... And the way it was using that white stick. Wait...white stick..magic chalk... Creator... He shifted his gaze down for a moment. The other creature. Another creator. This one he was pinning, a creator, too.

No, not just any creator. He leaned close to it. It squirmed, trying to get itself free. He could feel it push against his paw, calling out for its comrade. He sniffed it a few times, taking in its scent.

He widened his white eyes and snapped his head back. He couldn't believe it. Success. Target located.

"Penny..."

The creature started at him. After a few seconds, he could hear the response, "Yes...I am Penny. Let me go."

He stared at her for a few seconds. He was no longer aware of anything else. Everything faded away. Nothing else mattered. He found what he had come here for. At last. The target has been acquired. His creator will be so pleased with him. Ignoring the screams of the obstacles, ignoring the desperate cries of the other creator, he snagged the target in his jaws, using his teeth to pin her arms against her side. He then turned and fled through the city.

sss

Oh no... No, not her. Not Penny..

Rudy's mind raced as he watched the beast carry off his friend. He locked eyes with Penny, seeing just how scared and terrified she looked. She was trapped in the monster's mouth, unable to use the magic chalk. He had failed. He tried to keep the beast away, and he had failed her.

"Rudy! Help me! Please!"

Rudy took in a shaky breath as he listened to the screams of his friend. They were so horror-filled, and as the seconds passed, they just got fainter. He watched as the beast carried his friend further and further away.

He tried to get up. He tried to climb to his feet so he could chase after her. He only succeeded in falling back into the ground. He cried out as he felt his chin slam against something hard beneath him. The rocky, concrete ground. He yelped as he felt his teeth sink into his own tongue. He could taste the salty blood in his mouth. He coughed a few times, seeing some droplets of crimson fall to the ground. He had felt himself jerk forward, as if something held him back. He turned his head to see what was causing it.

His leg was caught. There was a crack in the ground, probably from the beast slamming him. He pulled at his leg, then stopping to yelp in pain as he accidentally twisted his leg. His side slammed against the ground, and he let out another cry, feeling his leg being bent even further. He turned himself onto his stomach and pushed himself onto his hands. He needed to get out of here.

He took out his magic chalk. He looked over at the crack where his foot was. He reached down and drew a circle. In seconds, the circle completed and it created a hole. With a large chunk of the concrete floor now gone, Rudy easily pulled his foot out. He rolled along the ground with the pressure suddenly gone, and he laid down on his back. He seethed in pain a few times before sitting himself up to assess the damage.

His leg looked badly bruised. He could see the dark purple spot forming around his leg, where the skin was exposed. He flinched at the sight of this. He reached down and touched the area. He recoiled when he felt just how tender and sore it was. He quickly drew himself a cane. He got up to his feet, wobbling and staggering to the side even with the help of a cane. Once he got settled, he tried to figure out what he was going to do.

He had to go after Penny. If he left now, he would be able to catch up. If he were in the air, he wouldn't have to worry about his leg as much. He would not be able to walk like this. He tested his theory out, taking a step forward, and nearly fell over. No, there was no way he could.

Thankfully, his rocket shoes were both still on. He growled in the direction the beast left in. Their initial plan may have failed. Their attempts to stop him may not have worked, despite the manuevering and planning they had made. But they weren't out yet. At least not him. Penny was counting on him and he wasn't going to fail her. He ignited his rocket shoes and took off towards the retreating beast.

He soon caught up with the beast. The large dog stopped in his tracks when Rudy moved out in front of him. The dog stared at him with wide, white eyes, and then he growled softly. Rudy hovered in the air, glaring back at him. The dog moved his head to one side, as if he were trying to tell him to get out of the way. Rudy shook his head.

"Rudy! Get back!" Penny cried.

Rudy looked down at her. "No! I won't leave you!"

Rudy almost didn't notice the paw coming at him. He let out a shout of surprise and moved back. He winced as he felt the rush of air brush past him. He flinched when he felt the claws barely graze his already damaged leg. He clutched it to himself, gripping it tightly.

He barely had time to move back again when the beast tried to attack a second time. The claws ripped through the air, grazing against his stomach and chest. The ability of flight was the only thing preventing Rudy from becoming dog chow. Yet despite the advantage, he still found himself desperately dodging the dog. He didn't even have time to draw anything; he was focusing all his concentration on just staying out of the way.

Realizing the danger of fighting the dog here, Rudy zipped towards the outskirts of town. Just as he hoped, the beast followed him. He could hear the thunderous claps of each foot fall behind him. He struggled to keep ahead, but the creature was faster than he had predicted. He could feel hot breath behind him as the beast was so close, a flare of his nostrils could reach him.

Soon, they were outside of the city. He whirled himself around to face his opponent. He was suddenly struck by the back of the claws. He screamed as he tumbled through the air. He desperately righted himself up before he fell into the ground. He shook his head and glared at the large dog before him.

"I won't let you take Penny, you monster!" Rudy raised up his magic chalk. He watched as the dog's eyes widened, as if he realized that he was in trouble. "If you don't let my friend go, I will make you let her go!"

For a few moments, the dog just stared at him. The air around him grew tense, neither daring to look away. It was like some kind of contest between the two. White eyes on green. Nothing could tear them away. Nothing could make them turn their heads. Not until one of them made a decision.

And it didn't take long for that.

The dog creature shook his head feverishly. He pulled his lips back into a snarl, showing Rudy his sharp teeth. He took a fighting stance, pressing his claws into the grassy dirt below him. He glared intently at Rudy, his tail swishing from side to side. Rudy remained quiet, staring at him. Realizing that the dog beast was not going to back down, he knew that he had no choice.

Rudy raised his magic chalk once more. "All right then..." He saids oftly. "I guess we are going to do this the hard way."

Giving a loud snarl that Rudy took as a yes, the yellow dog bounded towards him, still holding Penny in his jaws. Rudy took quick note of how the dog was being gentle enough that his teeth weren't penetrating her skin. But this provided little relief; maybe he was just saving her for later, or didn't want his teeth ruined by her Real World blood.

Rudy wasted no time. Narrowing his eyes in determination, he activated the thrusters on his rocket shoes and he made a beeline towards the beast. The dog would have roared if he didn't have Penny in his mouth. He stood up on his hind legs, raising his paw in the air. Rudy watched as the claws flexed, and then struck out at him.

Rudy managed to dodge to the side. He moved quickly enough to avoid getting hit this time. The dog wasn't finished with him, however. He had to dodge another attack, another swipe of his paw. A lunge at him, which Rudy narrowly escaped. He winced as he heard the loud thud of the dog landing. This thing was heavy.

He dodged a few more attacks, zipping from side to side. He did his best to stay one step ahead of the dog. He looked back at Penny, watching as she struggled to get free. Rudy turned himself around and went towards her, only to have the beast's head strike at him. He tumbled to the side, yowling in pain as his leg was struck. He shook his head to recover himself, and he took off back towards them.

He tried to get close enough to grab Penny, only to be struck away yet again. The claws hit against his back, forcing him into the ground. Rudy rolled across the ground painfully, getting dirt in his mouth. He spat it out, coughing. He felt a shadow form on him. He looked up and saw a massive foot being held over him. His eyes widened in horror. The beast was going to kill him, just like he killed that innocent zoner...

The memory of that was enough to bring his blood to a boil, renewing him with more confidence and determination. Still fresh on his mind, he could see that poor zoner being squashed, his life blood spilled onto the ground. He could hear his screams, which were instantly turned into gurgles, and then, in a flash, silence. He and Penny had tried not to stare at the crushed body as they focused on the massive dog. They tried not to focus on one of the horrified zoners coming over, mourning his friend's loss. But now it was flooding back to him, giving him another reason to take down his monster. Who knows how many more zoners he had murdered in cold blood..?

"You...will not get away with this.." Rudy declared. He moved a little away from the zoner, putting distance between him and the massive yellow dog. He began to circle him, looking for a weakness to exploit. "You will be stopped. I swear it..."

The dog stared at him, his eyes filling with disbelief, and then he seemed almost humored. He could see the lips tick up into a smile. Rudy narrowed his eyes further. Did this dog think he was some kind of joke? Well, maybe he should show him just how 'funny' he could really be.

The next move happened before Rudy had time to think. The creature, moving faster than he had anticipated, lunged towards him, paws spread forward. Rudy let out a scream as one of the paws hit him. Before he knew it, he was thrust down into the ground. He let out a grunt as the air was forced out of his lungs. The massive foot was lifted off from him, and he let out a few wheezing gasps of air. He looked up at the dog, his vision slightly blurred from the impact.

The dog smirked down at him. In his jaws, Rudy could see Penny looking down at him in absolute horror, her mouth dropping open. Rudy tried to speak, but for a few moments, his breath was gone, and he was unable to articulate words.

"P-Penny..."

That was all he was able to get out of his mouth before the dog struck him a second time. The paw hit him against his side, and he let out a scream as he was tossed through the air.

"Rudy! No!" Penny screamed loudly in horror.

Rudy couldn't respond to her. He couldn't even look in her direction. He shut his eyes as he slammed into the ground with great force. The impact sent pain seering through his body. More dirt got stuffed into his mouth as he rolled across the ground. He stopped a couple feet away. He laid there for a few moments, whimpering in pain.

He shook his head and looked over at the yellow dog. At this point, the canine seemed to have lost interest in him. He could hear Penny calling out to him, begging him to leave and get help. Rudy climbed up to his feet, trembling, as he watched them go, ignoring the pain in his leg.

Standing on the leg was difficult, and he had lost the cane earlier. But the adrenaline that pumped through his body helped to numb the pain a little. Right now, his mind was focused on combating this dog and helping his friend.

Penny cried out to him, "Get help! Leave me and get help!"

Leave her? No...he won't do that. Never would he do that. He had to help her now. Rudy, narrowing his eyes in determination, reignited his shoes and rose up in the air. He took off after them.

The dog's ears pricked up when he heard the rocket sounds behind him. He stopped and turned his head. His eyes narrowed in contempt when he saw Rudy coming over. There was also a look of disgust on his face, as if he saw Rudy as nothing more than mere vermin to be exterminated. His heart pounded in his chest when he realized that's probably how the dog saw him as well. If that's the case, he is going to be in for a world of disappointment; he was not going to give him a chance to do anything to him or his friend.

Rudy raised up the magic chalk, narrowing his eyes further. The dog growled softly and turned himself around. He reared up on his hind legs and slammed himself into the ground. Rudy winced as he practically felt the vibrations from here. But he did not run. Penny needed his help. Holding up his magic chalk, he swiftly began to draw. He needed something simple, quick to draw, yet still affective. He knew something that just might work.

In seconds, Rudy drew a dog whistle. He grabbed it in his hands as soon as it materialized. He held it up in the air for the yellow dog to see. The massive canine's eyes bulged and he appeared to realize what was going to happen. He began to turn to run, but Rudy never gave him a chance to get that far.

Knowing that there would be no harm done to him or Penny, he took in a deep breath and blew as hard as he could. While Penny did not appear to react, the dog was a whole different story.

With very wide, white eyes, the dog pulled his head back, waving it from side to side. He pawed at his ears with his feet, letting out loud whimpers of discomfort. Rudy felt guilty as he watched the large zoner show real distress, but he couldn't stop. He kept blowing, hoping that it would eventually be enough to make him let go. At first, the dog zoner showed no signs of letting go, instead resorting to running around in place, shaking his head, letting out guttural growls and whines.

Then finally, he was unable to hold back for much longer. With tears forming in his eyes, the dog opened his jaws open to let out a loud scream. Penny let out one of her own as she fell towards the ground. Rudy zipped towards her and managed to catch her before she hit the ground. The two humans landed their feet on the grass and, with no time to exchange thanks, turned their attention towards the large dog.

"You...! How dare you...! Interrupting me with that hideous device?!" The dog screamed.

"I told you I wasn't going to let you get away with this." Rudy said as he pointed his magic chalk towards the beast. "Why don't you just surrender?"

The dog widened his eyes, then flattened his ears. He shook his head a second time, as if trying to get the loud, ringing sound out of his ears. He patted his paw against his head a few times, and then emitted a low, guttural growl. "I cannot do that. I must succeed in my mission."

Rudy narrowed his eyes at this. Of course the dog zoner wasn't going to give up. He had met plenty of rather stubborn villains, so the dog's behavior didn't surprise it. It was, of course, rather frustrating and gave him more work to do. Then again, he couldn't exactly expect a villain to just give up so easily on their goals, no matter how ludicrous or unachievable they were. If they weren't trying to do something so bad, he could almost..admire them.

He turned to Penny. The girl was staring at the beast before her. She looked shaken, but otherwise was fine. Rudy didn't see any injuries on her. He let out a sigh of relief before turning back to the dog. The two of them had to figure out a way to stop this dog, subdue him. Then they needed to learn just why he wanted to take Penny. They had to figure out who was behind all of this, before that person could strike again.

Rudy raised up his magic chalk. He turned to Penny again and gave her a knowing nod. Penny returned it, taking out her own piece. The two of them glared at the dog. Without thinking, they took to the air, the flames shooting them upwards, levitating them off the ground.

As if on cue, the dog beast charged towards them. He swatted at them, mainly focusing on Rudy. He snapped his jaws at him, trying to catch him. Occassionally, he'd go after Penny, but use considerably less force. The dog was rather swift for his size, jumping from side to side and whirling around quickly, turning on a dime with ease. Loud yowls and growls filled the air as he desperately tried to get one of them.

The two children had some trouble keeping away from him. They zipped around in the air, moving in circles and dodging left and right. A few times, the dog almost got one of them, only for them to manage a last second change of direction. They could feel the rush of air as the dog jumped by them, his teeth or claws just barely missing them. The dog roared loudly and jumped, forcing the two to dive down and then make an abrupt turn to the right. They could hear a loud thud behind them and watched as the dog skidded for a few seconds along the ground. He then stopped, looked at them, and roared at them. He pawed the ground and charged again.

He jumped at them. Rudy and Penny moved to the sides. The yellow beast jumped in between them. Dust and dirt were kicked up from the ground as he landed. Rudy and Penny were in shock at just how close they were to him, and just how little odds they had in dodging that. They were stunned for a few moments, allowing the dog to whirl around and bite at them.

"Rudy!" Penny screamed in horror. "Look out!"

Rudy let out a horrified cry as the dog snapped his jaws at him. The boy managed to fly backwards just in time for the jaws to slam shut in front of him. There was a loud, almost echoy clang as the teeth collided with one another. Rudy could feel his face pale when he saw that the bite missed him only by a few inches. He moved out further, taking on a defensive stance.

This was seriously one bad dog. He and Penny had to do something about him soon, before he had a chance to take Penny herself to wherever he wanted to, before he could cause more damage to ChalkZone. But what were they going to do? What would stop a large dog? The whistle was only temporary. If only there were some gigantic dog pound that could...

Wait... Dog pound... That's it. Rudy turned his brightened eyes to Penny. They locked on to hers, and the girl looked at him with curiosity. She flew in closer, one eye cautiously looking at the dog to make sure he didn't try anything.

"What's your idea?" Asked Penny.

"We need to draw a large cage!" Rudy exclaimed. He used his hands, spreading them out to indicate what he meant. "We can encase him in a large, unbreakable barrier! That will keep him contained while the zoner police come and figure out what to do with him."

"That's a great idea, Rudy!" Penny rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "But we will need to keep him in one spot..."

"Oh yeah..." Rudy couldn't believe he forgot about that. It would be silly of him to expect the dog to just hold still while they were trapping him. He wasn't stupid; he would realize what they were doing and get away. What they needed was a way to keep him from moving much so they could encase him.

"And I think I know how." Penny said, raising a finger. Rudy looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell him what the plan was. "We're going to need.." Suddenly her voice trailed off. Her eyes bulged open. "Get out of the way!"

Rudy looked over just in time to see a large, yellow paw strike at him. It collided with the front of his body. He shut his eyes and let out a scream. Unable to see, he could only feel the sensation of himself losing control. He spun around in circles and he collided against something hard. The back of his head took a hard hit, and he felt himself slump down. He looked up, seeing the dog and Penny through very blurry vision. Then everything darkened and he passed out.

sss

Penny stared down at the prone form of her friend. Her body shook in fear, unable to comprehend what had happened. One second, Rudy was fine and speaking to her. The next, he laid still on the ground.

She felt her heart twist. How could they have been so stupid? How could she have been so blind? They were in the middle of a battle with this dog creature. And they both chose now, of all times, to discuss a plan. And the dog had taken advantage of this and got in a surprise attack. She bit her lip, wanting nothing more than to rush down and help her friend.

But she couldn't. Not now. She turned her attention back to the dog. She noticed how he was heading towards her friend. She could see the way his teeth were bared, the gums pulled back to show the razor sharp teeth. She narrowed her eyes. Oh no he doesn't...

She lifted up her magic chalk and dove down towards the monster. When she got close enough, she pressed the chalk against the air, creating a long line. She began to fly around the canine, continuously creating a long, durable line. Around and around she went, avoiding any attack the dog tried to place against her.

She looked around the back legs, and then moved towards the front. She looped around about four times, ignoring any signs of dizziness that tried to descend upon her. She then paused, allowing the lines to materialize as what she had intended: rope.

Then, mustering up her strength, she gave a sharp tug.

The dog's eyes widened as he felt his legs suddenly being yanked towards each other. He let out a yelp as he fell into the ground. His side slammed against it heavily. His legs were bound close together, hog tie similiar what Penny had seen pigs tied into before. She looped around some more rope and secured the knot even further. She than flew away and watched the giant dog to make sure he couldn't get out of it.

The yellow dog let out a series of growls as he tried to kick his legs. He squirmed and writhed, opening his mouth and letting out desperate grunts. They soon melded into whimpers and whines as he found that he wasn't able to get up. He still kept struggling, looking more and more panicked as he remained trapped on the ground.

Satisfied the dog could not get to her anymore, Penny took position in front of him. She stared into his eyes, noting how panic-filled they were. The dog stared at her in disbelief. He squirmed a little more, desperate to get himself free. Eventually he just stopped and stared at Penny in the eyes.

"Please, let me go." The dog pleaded with her.

Penny folded her arms against her chest. "Why should I? After what you've done?" She pointed a finger at him. "You should be ashamed!"

"B-But..I didn't do anything wrong! I was just following orders!" Wailed the giant dog.

Penny growled at this. She hated it when villains tried to say they weren't doing anything wrong. It was just a way for them to push aside their guilt. "Oh yeah? And just what were you told to do?"

The dog said, "I was supposed to take you to the portal!"

Penny raised an eyebrow. How interesting. "Which portal?"

The yellow dog jerked his head to one side. "The one over there. There's a pile of numbers and such underneath it. Well, where a portal would normally be that is."

Penny stared at the dog in confusion. A pile of numbers? What was he talking about? She soon realized the dog was not referring to the hidden portal which might be where Howdy had snuck off to. Instead, the direction the dog indicated was somewhere else entirely, in more familiar ground. In fact, a little too familiar...

She took in a sharp gasp when she realized that there was a place over there with numbers. There was a particular location where she would find a huge pile of letters just laying about.

Her own place. After all, she writes a lot of equations for school and such. But..wouldn't that mean...?

"...who was your creator? Who sent you to get me...?"

A tense silence, and then the dog uttered his answer. "Your mother."

Penny felt her heart freeze at this. Her..her mother drew this beast? Her mother did this? She..she thought she... Oh no... What did her mother almost do? Did she have any idea what she almost had done?

Penny took a few steps back, clutching her head tightly. She clenched her teeth, her swirling mind trying to come to terms with this. She lowered her head, her body shaking with emotion. Unable to hold back, she pulled her head back and, with her eyes shut and mouth split open wide, she let out a scream.

sss

Terry stared down at the unconscious form of the zoner. She clenched her teeth tightly, taking in a few quick breaths. The zoner appeared to be fine, minus the unconscious part, and the injuries he had already recieved. Her mind was in turmoil as she tried to make sense of what she had done.

Why did she do that? Why did she try so hard to save this little creature's life? No, that's not what she did. She was just trying to preserve the specimen. That's what she kept telling herself over and over again. She reminded herself it was all professional. She shouldn't have any kind of emotional attachment to this creature, and she didn't... Did she? No, she did not.

Then, why did she react so badly when she had walked in? It was just because she didn't want to lose their test subject. That's all it was. She forced herself to exhale, keeping on telling herself that. It was all just professional...

She couldn't fight back the bitter feeling rising up in her stomach. In addition to her confusion, she was also furious with Dr. Von Doktor. His experiments were starting to get a little out of hand. She had allowed him to do this to gather information, and she admitted some of the experimentations were a little fun. But now it was getting ridiculous. She found it hard to believe that Von, a scientist, couldn't tell that Blocky was starting to suffer from heat exhaustion...or was it heat stroke? Whichever. It didn't matter. Point was Blocky was on the verge of collapse, and yet Von was still cranking up that dial...

Yeah she overreacted. She had seen the zoner was about to suffer some major damage, and she had raged against Von about what he was doing. She had lost her temper, and she had attacked him. She had knocked him out. She bit her lip, realizing just how unprofessional that was. Oh well...maybe he won't remember anything when he woke up...?

Terry stared down at the zoner again. He was placed up against a cooling pad that she had found. There was also an empty bottle of chalk water; she had given him some water to rehydrate him when she took him back. The zoner was barely conscious then, but it was enough to help him get some water back into his system. Now he laid sleeping, to use a less harsh term, against the cool surface, which was helping to bring his body temperature back to normal.

She had a feeling that a heat experiment would be more risky than a cold one. She should have voiced her concerns with Dr. Von Doktor, and perhaps try to convince him skip this experiment or be more restrictive on this. But she didn't and because of that, they nearly lost the little runt.

But..why should she care...? Sure, there was the issue with getting another zoner. But why did she feel anything for him? Why did she feel a slight pang in her stomach when she stared down at him? It didn't really matter, right? He could just be redrawn. Isn't that how it worked in the chalk world?

Terry shook her head, trying to push out any of those doubtful feelings. She had to remind herself that Blocky was just a zoner and there was little reason to care what happened to him. She also reminded herself that some of the testing was necessary; after all, if people were going to come and go in the chalk world, they were going to need to know their strengths and weaknesses, right?

Well, enough of this. She needed to go check on Von anyway. She had left him back in that room. She wasn't sure if he had woken up yet or not. She would have to face him, and confront him on what had happened. Her actions may have possibly ruined their partnership, but there was still hope that she could fix things. This was her shot at revenge, and she wasn't willing to let it go that easily.

Taking one last look at the zoner, the woman turned and began to head out the door. She didn't get far when she suddenly collided with someone. She grunted and took a step back. She looked to see who she had run into. To no surprise, it was Von.

Terry took a few steps back. She stared at the man for a few seconds, her eyes wide. Then she narrowed them. "So...you've awaken..."

Dr. Von Doktor snarled at her. "Hello, Terry..." He said in a darkened voice. "May we...chat?"

sss

Rudy wasn't sure what to think. His mind was swirling with thoughts, unable to fully comprehend them all. He had hardly moved from his spot since he had heard the news. He tried not to think about it, and yet..how could he ignore something like this? It was impossible. He could hear the words being repeated in his head over and over again. Even though nearly an hour had passed, he could still hear the words clear in his head, as if they were just spoken.

He stared over at Penny, waiting to see if she had lied or been mistaken. A part of him desperately hoped so. What she said...it couldn't have been true, right? No...it had to be a misunderstanding of some kind. There had to be something that he and Penny missed. Something that would clear this whole thing up.

Yet...nothing came to mind. His brain was drawing a blank. He couldn't think of anything that would deter this away from what he and Penny had previously concluded. And the confirmation they had gotten... He couldn't very well deny that, now could he? No, he could not. He had to face facts, as much as he hated it. There was only one reality placed in front of him. Only one thing that could be true.

Penny's mom was the one who drew that dog. Penny's mom was the one who sent the dog to go find Penny. She had authorized him to do whatever it took to bring Penny back.

This had been quite a shock to his system, and to Penny's as well. When he had woken up and he had gotten his focus back, Penny had informed him of this. At first, he thought she was joking, but his denial was all but shattered when they went back into the Real World and learned from Penny's mom about this.

She had admitted to drawing the dog. The two of them had been horrified, but Rudy kept silent. He stared out blankly as he listened to the two females talking with each other. This helped to paint a better picture of what had happened.

Apparently, Penny's mom had been so worried about Penny being gone for so long, so worried that something might have happened to her, she had sent out a dog zoner to find her. She had apologized for her hasty behavior, but reminded Penny that she should have been back home sooner. Penny had tried to tell her mom what happened, but the woman had to leave and take care of an impatient client, leaving her and him sometime alone together.

Rudy couldn't believe what had taken place. All because of a worried mother, parts of the city had been destroyed and some zoners were hurt. And then there were some that were killed. Cold chills ran up and down his spine. He felt such a strong mixture of anger and pity for the woman. On the one hand, he couldn't blame her for worrying about Penny. But on the other, did she really have to draw a merciless dog to get Penny back home...?

He stared over at Penny. He looked at her up and down again. His eyes scanned over her body. He did feel relief that Penny wasn't hurt worse by the dog's attacks. He was shocked by how reckless the dog was. If he was only meant to take Penny home, he could have been a lot more gentle with her. The fact that Penny may have suffered internal damage certainly didn't help.

And with that large dog running amok... They were both really lucky to have gotten away with minimal extra damage. He suffered the worse, but the only really bad injury he got was his leg, and that had become rather manageable already. The wound wasn't as bad as he thought it was. He did have a bump on his head that needed to be checked out, but Rudy was confident that it wasn't a bad injury.

He knew that Aunt Tilly was going to want to talk to Penny's mom about this. She hadn't arrived yet, but he knew it wouldn't be too long. He winced, realizing that this incident may cause his aunt to change her mind about letting him come into ChalkZone. If she saw him injured...

He wanted to convince himself that his aunt would try to be more reasonable, but he reminded himself of what happened with Mrs. Sanchez. The woman had sent a reckless zoner out into ChalkZone to bring back Penny. The dog was being taken care of as he sat here, but that didn't erase what the zoner had done, nor did it make him forget that Mrs. Sanchez was the one who drew the creature in the first place.

What of his aunt? What would she do? She was harder to convince than Mrs. Sanchez. Would her reaction be even worse? Would she take more drastic action? Rudy shuddered at the thought. He felt a pang in his stomach as he realized just how much of this might have been ruined all because of an act of desperation.

Sure, he couldn't blame Mrs. Sanchez for her reaction. She did legitimately think that Penny was in danger. But couldn't she have used a less...dramatic way to do it? Why create something so vicious?

Rudy leaned back in the couch and exhaled slowly. He turned his head, staring at Penny, who sat next to him. There was heavy air of slience between them. It was almost deafening as they waited for their folks to come over and speak to them.

"I still can't believe my mom had..." Penny spoke, breaking the silence. She had her gaze tilted upwards. "I thought she trusted me. Why would she..."

"I guess she was just really worried about you." Rudy said, trying to sound supportive. "She just wanted to make sure you were safe. Though I admit, the giant dog was a tad overdone..."

"You think?" Penny said. She stared over at Rudy, her eyes narrowed slightly. "You saw what that zoner did, Rudy. He wrecked the place! And what's worse..." She placed a hand over her face. "My mom created him to be that way!"

Rudy looked at her sadly, biting his lip. He couldn't blame her for being so upset. "I know, Penny. But there's nothing we can do about it now. At least the dog has been stopped."

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah...you're right..." She was silent for a moment, taking in a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "We'll just have to make sure to inform our folks of what to do, and what not to do. Maybe if they better understand, they'd be less likely to put out something like that."

"Yeah..." Rudy agreed. "I..."

Suddenly he went silent. There was something he realized didn't make sense. He stared at Penny, wondering if she had a hand. The thought chilled him, but the only way to find out was to ask. And with her staring at him in confusion, he couldn't stay silent for long.

"Penny...I just realized... Your mom, she knew about creating a dog. How did she know...?"

Penny paused for a moment. She bit her lip, shifting her eyes from side to side. Even though she didn't open her mouth, Rudy knew the answer shining in her eyes. He moved his head back, and stared at her in disbelief.

"Y-You told her..." He breathed softly, feeling a burning sensation rise up inside of him.

"I'm sure you told your aunt." Penny started to say, but Rudy dismissed her words.

"I can't believe you told her.." He slowly straightened himself up, an attempt to make himself look taller. Penny leaned back, her eyes beginning to show signs of confusion. "Penny, you knew how dangerous that was!"

Penny stared at him for a few seconds, looking surprised by this turn of events. She then narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at him. "What about you? Oh sure, you haven't done anything to jeopardize ChalkZone!"

Rudy could feel the cold wave of emotion sweep up along his back. A part of him realized that things were getting out of hand so swiftly. The other part just allowed the anger and emotion from their earlier spat rise up inside, swirling around his mind, taking him over. For that moment, he no longer felt sympathy for Penny, something that he wasn't proud of. The only thing he could see was the person that had caused the problems herself.

"At least I wasn't stupid enough to let a tracker get put into me!" Rudy said, pressing a thumb against his chest to indicate himself. "I would have been suspicious of Dr. Von Doktor, and I would have checked myself, and I would have found the tracker and have it removed! But you..." He pointed an accusatory finger at Penny. "You did nothing! You didn't show any sign of concern that Von was there! You weren't suspicious! You didn't try to do anything! You..."

"That's not true!" Penny jumped off the couch. She glared at Rudy in the eyes. "And you know that!"

"Oh really now?" Rudy said, a dark smirk spreading across his face. "Then how come you didn't have the tracker removed?"

"I didn't know about it!" Penny cried.

"Exactly! You didn't know! Because you couldn't be bothered to check!" Rudy snarled at her. "You are supposed to be smart, Penny! Well I'm having a hard time believing that right now..."

Penny took in a few quick breaths at this. Rudy could see the anger swelling in her face. The tension betwene the two was building up rapidly, and though Rudy wanted to stop, he found himself unable to. He watched as Penny took a step forward and point an accusatory finger at him. "Don't you dare try to pin this whole rap on me, Rudy! You had as much to do with this as me..perhaps even more!"

Rudy widened his eyes at this. He narrowed them deeply. "How dare you..."

Penny sneered at him as the cloud of emotion began to affect their judgments. "What? You can't handle the truth?" She frowned at him. "If you hadn't left that portal open, Rudy, none of this would have happened!"

Rudy felt a surge of fire rush through his body. How dare Penny say that.. How dare she try to blame him for what happened... How dare she try to shift all the blame onto him.. Sure, he left the portal open, but he had done that before without a problem. How could he have known today would have been different? But Penny..she knew that Von was up to no good and she still didn't try to do anything about it. And because of that, the tracker went undetected and...

He stood up from the couch. He flinched slightly as he put weight on his leg. He focused on Penny, his anger enabling him to ignore whatever agony was left in his leg. He took a step forward, staring into Penny's eyes. They were locked onto each other, intensified by the weight of emotion growing all around them. They lose sight of their surroundings, and they only knew each other in that moment.

"Are you saying it's my fault...?" Rudy asked in a forcibly quiet voice. "Are you saying that those zoners died because of me...?"

"Well, Rudy, if you had closed the portal, then Von and Terry would have nothing to get into ChalkZone with. Now they possess the chalkboard with that portal on, I might add, and now we have this whole crisis to take care of!" She raised her hands over her head, emphasizing her statement. "And it wouldn't have happened if you had done your job as ChalkZone's protector!"

Rudy took in a sharp gasp. His body gave a shiver as the negative emotion swelled up even more. He felt the back of his head heat up, a headache beginning to spread to his forehead. Without thinking, he seized Penny by her shoulders. "And what about you?! You were the one who told your mom about how to create zoners on the chalkboard! You were the one who was knocked out by an untrustworthy scientist and did nothing about it! You were the one who led Von to our place! I'm certain your actions, or rather, inactions, may have helped Von discover a parallel dimension, or given Terry a way of proving it to him! You were..."

Penny started to push back against Rudy. "You don't know any of that, Rudy! You don't know how much my actions caused any of this! You don't know that I..."

"I do know enough that you're as much to blame for this as you think I am!" Rudy tightened his grip on Penny. He started to push back against her. "You should have been smarter than this, Penny! And the fact that you keep blaming me for it, while ignoring your own faults... That's disgusting! I thought you would have been better than this!"

Penny glared at him as she struggled to get herself free. "Let me go, Rudy! This is unacceptable!" Her feet began to slide a little on the ground as Rudy applied more force. "Release me at once!"

Rudy refused to comply. He pushed her even harder, and soon he had her up against the wall. Penny tried to escape, but Rudy's grip was too tight. He growled at her, "No! Why should I? It's your fault this happened, Penny! If you weren't so stupid and had actually listened to your gut suspicions, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Don't you fucking dare blame me for this, Rudy! If you had closed the portal like you were supposed to..." Penny started to say.

"Enough about the fucking portal!" Rudy could feel his blood boiling over. "Maybe if you been paying attention, you could have stopped them from discovering the location of the portal! This is all your fault and you know it!So stop trying to hide away from responsibility!"

There was a heavy silence between the two children. They glared at each other, panting heavily. The intense emotion ignited all around them, creating a swirling vortex that neither of them could escape. They wanted to stop, yet they could not. They were drawn in, and now instinct was taking over. And neither were willing to back down.

"How can you say it was my fault?" Penny growled. "Why can't you admit your own fault?!"

"At least I care about ChalkZone!" Rudy shouted. Penny's eyes widened in shock at this. Rudy leaned closer to her, putting his face near hers. Unable to stop the sneer from spreading across his face, he said, "I guess Ms. Bouffant was right about you all along.. Maybe you are useless!"

Penny took in a sharp gasp of horror. She stared at Rudy in disbelief. Then, with a surge of emotion, she managed to push Rudy away from her. The boy took a few steps back, glaring at her. The two of them took a defensive stance, hunching their shoulders. It reminded them of last time, only this time, they didn't have anyone to stop them...

"I-I'm not..." Penny stammered. She then shook her head and bared her teeth at Rudy. "You know that's not true, Rudy! I've helped you and Snap out many times and don't you dare try to deny it!"

Rudy smirked at this. In a hissing voice, he said, "Yeah..I can see you're a lot of fucking help, with a mother like that..."

Penny took a step forward. "You take that back!" She and Rudy began to pace around each other, refusing to take their eyes off one another.

Rudy shook his head feverishly. "Why should I? It's damn well true!" He held his hand out in gesture for a few seconds. "It's her fault those zoners are dead, Penny! Face it!" He took a step towards her, lowering his head, keeping his eyes glued on her. What he said next, he could not believe, yet he let it slip out anyway. "You're mother's a cold-blooded murderer.. A psychopath... A monster..."

Before Rudy could fully realize what he had said, he staggered back as a fist collided with his cheek. He let out a yelp as he stumbled back, nearly falling into the ground. He looked over at Penny in shock, noting the fist that was raised, the look of pure rage on her face.

For a few seconds, the two just stared at each other. It felt almost like a western cartoon, with the sheriff and criminal facing off. Rudy could feel his vision start to turn red. He tensed his body up for a few seconds, then, unable to hold back any longer, he lunged for Penny. He collided with her and the two tumbled into the ground.

In that moment, both children were blinded by their rage. All rationality had left them. Before where they stood as friends, now they wrestled with each other with the feral ferocity of animals. All the tension and emotion, all the things that had happened, it all culminated and contributed into this. Everything else became a blur.

Rudy opened his jaws and bit down on Penny's arm. She shrieked in pain. She slammed her fist against his stomach, making him wheeze and release her. She forced herself on top of him and grabbed onto his hair. Rudy yelped as he felt his scalp being pulled back. She pushed his head into the ground. Rudy pulled his foot back and kicked her in the stomach. The two children climbed to their feet and they rushed towards each other again. They grabbed onto each other's hands and pushed against one another, trying to force the other back into the ground.

Penny was the first one to weaken. She shut her eyes, her teeth gritted, as she fell into the ground. Rudy took this chance to shove her down, and then delivered a punch against her head. She yelped and fell onto her side. Rudy jumped on top of her and the two began to wrestle. Their growls and grunts filled the room.


	23. Punishments

Chapter 23: Punishments

Every action has a repercussion.

sss

Penny could hardly remember what happened, or what led up to this point. She didn't remember what happened in ChalkZone, or their narrow escape from that dog, or what happened with Blocky. All she could see was red. All she could hear was the thundering rage pumping through her body. The only thing on her mind was Rudy. Without rhyme, and only having anger as reason, she fought back against the person whom she had considered to be her best friend.

The two children wrestled with each other across the ground. They were so filled with rage, they couldn't even articulate real words. Only grunts and shouts and hisses, as if they were just mere wild animals that got into a scuffle. They weren't aware of anything around them; only each other.

Penny pulled her fist back and punched Rudy again, connecting it with his jaw. She watched as the boy's head was tossed to the side. He paused for a moment, and then hissed at her, his teeth bared. Before Penny could do anything, she felt Rudy's teeth in her arm again. Her eyes bulged open and she let out a cry. She could feel the teeth start to penetrate her skin. In a panic, she struck against Rudy's head, incapacitating him enough force him to let go. She retaliated by giving him a bite of her own. He screamed as her teeth sank into his arm.

Rudy struggled underneath her. He kicked his feet out wildly, trying to hit her. Penny managed to hold him down, biting down harder on his arm. He was eventually able to free himself. He pulled his arm away, yelping as he felt her teeth slice against his arm. He then rolled himself onto his back. He pulled his legs back and struck against her, kicking her off of him. She rolled across the ground painfully. She pushed herself up onto her hands and coughed a few times.

Suddenly, she felt an arm slunk around her neck. Rudy straddled her, keeping one arm pressed against her throat while the other grabbed her hair. She yelped as she felt her hair being pulled back. She grabbed onto his arm and sank her nails into it, scratching along the skin. When that didn't work, she bit into him again. This was enough to make Rudy loosen his grip, allowing her to slip out from him.

Penny whirled around, staggering back to her feet. Rudy looked at her, his pupils shrank in a blind rage. He charged towards her. His shoulder smashed against her, making her fall back. Penny stumbled backwards for a few seconds. She shook her head, rapidly recovering. Glaring back at Rudy, she kicked the ground as if it was dirt and ran towards him. With her hands out in front of her, she grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away. Rudy struggled to keep his balance. Seeing this opportunity, Penny rushed over again, this time faster, her eyes narrowed. She shoved him again, this time with more force.

Rudy now laid on his back. His eyes were clinched shut for a few seconds. He glared up at her. Using his left leg, he struck out against her shin. Penny winced as she felt his foot collide against the shallow layer of flesh, clanging against bone. She buckled forward, clutching her leg. Rudy climbed up and he grabbed onto her hair again. Penny let out a scream as she was pulled back into the ground.

Trying desperately to fight back, she grabbed onto his hair and pulled it as hard as he was doing hers. The two children were locked this way for several moments, neither willing to relent. Eventually, the pain became too much, their scalps threatening to rip off their heads, and they let go. They laid there, sitting up, glaring at each other. They bared their teeth and went for each other again.

Rudy delivered a punch against her face. Penny let out a scream, holding her sore jaw. She hissed at him and delivered a punch of her own, placing it in the center of his face. He stumbled backwards, waving his arms around in an attempt to keep himself from falling over. He then lunged for her and bit down onto her hand, specifically her finger.

Penny shrieked at this and tried to yank her hand back. Rudy merely tightened his jaws around it, his teeth pressing further against the skin. She grabbed his face and started to push back against him, her nails digging in. But no matter how hard she pushed against him, Rudy would not relent. Out of desperation, she slammed her leg between his. A low, dirty move, but in the moment, she did not care.

With Rudy stumbling back, having released her finger, Penny lowered her head and charged towards him. She collided with him, her head slamming against his chest. She pushed him against the wall, and held him there. Rudy returned the favor, colliding his chin with the top of her head. This attack stunned her enough for Rudy to push her back, freeing himself. She shook her head and, after snarling at him, ran towards him again.

She punched him, making him stumble to the side. He growled at this and ran towards her side. He opened his mouth wide and he bit down onto her arm, grabbing onto it this time to prevent her from getting away. Penny gripped his arm in return, her teeth sinking into his flesh.

All the while, they kept pushing against each other. The harder they pushed, the harder they bit, the more both refused to relent. Penny's mind swirled with thoughts, still locked in a feral stance, unable to think of anything except beating Rudy at this fight. She continued to push back against him, as he did with her. Their bodies shook as they exerted as much strength on the other.

Then, finally, with a strong shove, the two found themselves losing their grip on the other and they stumbled backwards. Horrific pain shot through them as they each racked off a piece of flesh from each other. Their screams of pain intermixed together. Short, but loud and filled with emotion. They took a few steps back from each other, clutching their arms against their chests.

Penny stared down at her arm. She could see the extent of the damage. A small piece of flesh had been ripped off of her. She could see the blood dripping down her arm. She could feel pain radiating from her arm, extenting up and down the limb.

In addition, she could feel something in her mouth. Wet, and kind of salty. She moved it around her mouth, some confusion coming into the forefront of her thoughts. She spat it out into her hand, and it took her only seconds to realize what it was. A chunk of Rudy's flesh... Not much, like with her, but still there.

In that moment, Penny froze, her eyes widening. At last, the anger and rage she felt quickly dissipated, the pain and horror of what happened finally making itself known, taking over her brain. The sight of Rudy's flesh and the sight of her own damaged arm, along with the feelings of horrible pain, were enough to kick her out of her feral state, forcing her to confront a new, just as negative emotion: shock.

Lifting up her head, she looked over at Rudy. The boy stood several feet away from her. His body was hunched almost defensively. He was glaring over at her, but this time, not just anger, but fear and shock were present. His arm was bloody, just like hers, the red fluids leaking out of the wound that she had given him. They locked eyes onto one another, neither saying a word to the other.

Penny could feel her body trembling horribly, unable to stop. She could feel waves of shock and fear rushing through her body, her heart pounding in her chest, her breathing remaining quick and emotion-filled. She could feel a cold chill crawling up her spine as she stared at the shaking boy before her, feeling the reality of what happened weigh down on her.

Did..Did they really just do that...? Did she and Rudy and just..fight like wild animals..? Her eyes widened further, disbelief spreading through her head. She tried to speak, but the stunned state she was stuck in prevented her from articulating even a single word.

She could hardly even remember what happened. She remembered feeling insulted by what Rudy said, but..what did he say..? In that moment, she couldn't remember that. She just remembered seeing red, and..

She took in a sharp breath of horror. She had hurt Rudy. He had hurt her. They attacked each other. The full realization of this washed through her shaking body. All signs of anger were gone now, replaced with only chilling terror. A part of her wished this was all some kind of horrible dream, but the reality was right before her. She took a small step backwards, biting her lip, letting out a soft, low whine as she felt reality punching her in the face.

The circulation of emotion made her legs feel weak. Penny was not able to stand up any more and she dropped down onto her knees. The pain that stung from various wounds seeped into her mind, as well as the guilt of realizing that Rudy suffered similar injuries as well. She put a hand on her face, shutting her eyes.

Oh gawd...what had she done...? How could she have lost control like that? How could she let herself get into that state?

She could feel tears forming in her eyes. She did not bother fighting them back. She could feel the sting of the salty fluid move down her eyes. She felt her lower lip quivering, a few short squeaks escaping her throat. The emotion too great for her to contain, Penny shut her eyes and, with tears spilling out, she broke down.

sss

Did that just happen? Did that really just happen? Did he really do that?

Rudy's mind was flooded with multiple questions. Left and right, they came, most of them the same statement over and over again. His mind was crowded with the thoughts, making him unaware of his surroundings, save for the sight of Penny, blood leaking down her arm.

This, combined with his own painful injury, was enough to shock Rudy out of his feral state of mind. For the first time in what felt like an hour, he could feel some actual, rational thoughts seep into him. His reasoning returned, and when he came to grips with the reality of what happened, he was frozen in shere horror.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from Penny. He couldn't blink, couldn't do anything except stare at her. She was in pain..just like he was. And it wasn't the fault of some villain; no, they did this to each other. This realization made him breathe in and out quickly, shaking his head in denial. No..this couldn't be true. This couldn't have happened. They..they were better than this, right? They wouldn't have...

But it was true. The longer he stared at Penny, the longer he looked at himself, the more he knew this to be the case. The pain that racked through his body reminded him of the reality of the situation. He could feel blood in his mouth. Penny's flesh was in it, and he spat it out, horrific guilt racking through his body. He couldn't stop shivering, couldn't stop his racing mind, as he struggled to come to terms with what had occurred.

What had led up to this? Why did they attack each other? Was it his fault? Hers? No one's? At the moment, he didn't care. All he was aware of was that he had hurt Penny, the person he had considered his best friend. His eyes bulged and he clenched his teeth. Tears formed in his eyes as he listened to her cry.

What had he done...? What had they done...? Why did they let themselves get in this state? How could they have allowed such a thing to happen...?

Rudy remained standing, though his legs were having a harder and harder time supporting him as the seconds passed. He shifted his eyes from side to side. Tears continued to spill out of his eyes, and he gripped his face, digging his nails into his skin. Oh gawd no... He hurt Penny... No...

Unable to stop himself, he could feel cries of his own escaping his throat. He trembled as he let out loud whimpers and whines, not doing anything to stop the tears from flowing down his face. The room was soon filled with the shaky sobs of the two children, the weight and reality of what happened pressing down on their shoulders, their bodies trembling hard.

"What the hell happened here?!"

The two children turned their heads to see Aunt Tilly and Mrs. Sanchez standing there. The two adults had just arrived onto the scene. Both of them wore expressions of horror and anger on their faces.

Rudy and Penny did not say a word. What could they say? How could they explain the situation to their folks in their state of mind? Their brains were frozen, unable to truly process what was going on, unable to even make a move except cry. They turned their heads away, lowering them and continued to cry.

They did not listen to what the adults said as they rushed forward. They could detect their foot falls, their heavy breathing. But their words flew over their heads. Perhaps they were asking them if they were all right. Maybe they were asking why they fought. But they didn't hear any of it. Just a mumbled mess of words that didn't make sense to them. Their minds pounded with the silence and emotion of the room, drowning out everything else.

Rudy became aware of his aunt grabbing his arm. He was yanked forward, and he was forced to walk with her. A steady, quick pace. He thought he could hear someone saying something behind him, but he wasn't sure.

Then they got outside. Were they going out to the car? It seemed like it. His vision was blurred and he had to keep his eyes shut, the tears making the sunlight too bright for them. His aunt yanked him a little harder, yelling something not out of anger, but horror and desperation, and it was then he became aware of Penny's mom's voice. Then his feet no longer touched soft grass and was back on something solid.

Then he heard coherent words in the midst of his confusion.

"Hurry! Get them into the back! We need to get them treated before their wounds get infected!"

Rudy felt his aunt pull him even faster, as if there was renewed horror in her. He opened up his eyes and soon became aware of being in another part of Mrs. Sanchez's house, where she had various medical supplies for the animals she has to take care of.

Turning his head, he could see Penny behind him, her mother grabbing her arm. Mrs. Sanchez was directing Aunt Tilly to the right room. While she did that, Penny looked at him, their eyes locking onto each other. Various thoughts and emotions were shared through that single glance. Then they were forced to look away when they were swiftly pulled into the room, the door shutting loudly behind them.

Before Rudy knew it, Penny was propped up onto a large, flat table. He watched as Mrs. Sanchez put on a pair of gloves. She looked over at Rudy and then at Penny, her eyes carrying a look of concern and a bit of disappointment.

Rudy watched as Mrs. Sanchez went over to one of the cabinets nearby. She grabbed an armfull of different supplies, such as cloths and disinfectants. She rushed back over to where her daughter was. As she prepared for treatment, she turned to Penny.

"Please, hold still, Penny. This is going to hurt, but you need to stay still, otherwise, it's just going to get worse."

"Y-Yes, mama..." Penny squeaked out in a weak voice.

Rudy felt his heart freeze as he listened to Penny's whimpers of pain. The treatment had just begun.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor glared at the woman before him with contempt. His nose was slightly wrinkled as a snarl spread across his face. He did his best to remain calm, to not let his anger be shot out of him like some kind of leaky faucet.

But that task..how could he pull it off? How could he stop this surge of emotion inside of him? Standing in front of him was the woman who was the very reason he had this pounding headache. The one who had interrupted his experiment. The one who had crossed him. The one who had betrayed him.

How dare she... Did she not know who she was dealing with? Did she have no idea just what kind of trouble she was in? Did she forget that they were supposed to be a team?

"I can't believe just how...recklezz you were being." Dr. Von Doktor said, his voice barely controlled, his teeth clenched. "You should have known better zan to interrupt an experiment. Do you have any idea what you could have done?"

Terry snarled, "And what about you?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Von, folding his arms against his chest. "I didn't do anyzing wrong. Are you going to be one of zoze people who shiftz blame onto otherz?" He shook his head in disappointment. "I zought you would have been better zan zat, Terry."

"Oh shut up! You were the one who nearly killed our bargaining chip!" Terry hissed at him. She pointed at where Blocky still lay unconscious. "He was burning up! Had he been in there for much longer, he would have been dead! What use is a dead zoner?"

"Well, I could have just dizzected him, and then find a replazement." Von said. "The puppet would be perfect, since he already comez here." He paused and tilted his head. He scratched his chin as a thought crossed his mind. "Zpeaking of which, where iz zat little bugger? He was supposed to be here..."

Terry took a step forward. "Don't you try to change the subject!" Von looked over at her, doing his best to hold back as the woman continued to scold him. "You're not getting another bargaining chip until you learn restraint!" She pointed a finger at the man. "Because at this rate, we will constantly have to get more and more zoners, and then we will eventually get caught! The zoners would catch on!"

"Maybe..." Von said. He had to admit, trying to get another zoner didn't exactly sound very fun. Still, he shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal. "But I'm sure it would have been nozing we couldn't handle."

Terry pulled her lips back into a snarl. She formed a fist with one of her hands. "You need to learn restraint, doctor. These experimentations of yours are too risky. It's time that you stop!"

Von raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me zat I can't do anymore experimentz...?"

"Yes." Terry nodded her head. "I think you gathered up enough information."

Von smirked, anger glowing noticeably along his mouth and eyes. Terry gritted her teeth and took a step back, as if she knew what he was thinking. He looked away and stared down at his hand. He flexed them and said, "What a shame.." He curled his fingers inward, giving Terry a sideways glance. "I waz zertain we could have made zome...fazcinating dizcoveriez about these zonerz."

"You can wait until we opened up the gateway into that world." Said Terry. "After we are done getting our comeback on those children and those who wronged us. Let us take care of those first before you go butchering these zoners."

"Why, Terry..." Von chuckeld coldly. He turned to look back at her, using both eyes to see her. "I didn't know you cared about zem."

Terry took a step back. "I don't! It's just that..." She looked over at Blocky for a few seconds. The zoner still hadn't woken up from the heat experiment. She turned back to Von. "From now on, just leave him alone, okay? He's had quite enough of your foolery. Give him time to heal, and in the meantime, you can check out the blood sample you took from him. That should keep you busy, right?"

Von's smile faded slowly. "Are you ordering me around, Mz. Bouffant...?"

Terry narrowed her eyes. "Since you don't seem to comprehend how your actions could have backfired on both of us...yes." Von growled at this. "You are clearly not competent enough to handle this. I cannot trust you with Blocky anymore. So from now on, he is off limits to you." She took a few steps forward, her eyes remaining locked onto his. "You may not touch him again until I say so."

Dr. Von Doktor scowled at this. Who did this woman think she was, depriving him of his rights like that? He was the one who captured Blocky. The little zoner belonged to him, not Terry. He decided what was best to do with him, not her. He knew what he was doing. He knew how far to go, and how to ensure the zoner's survival. Terry wouldn't know a damn thing about that. She wasn't the one studying his anatomy.

Yes, the measurements seemed high. He could see it for himself. But Blocky could handle more than that. He could handle more than what Terry thought. He had studied his body enough to be confident with this. Terry, on the other hand, would be the one most likely to have Blocky die faster. She was the one who didn't know what she was talking about. She was the one who would slip up because she cannot properly read equipment.

Slowly, he realized that the mission just might be in jeopardy now. If this woman did not allow him to continue, he was not going to be able to gather more information on zoners. And that meant he would have less of an idea of weaknesses and strengths of them to utilize. He needed to study Blocky further, but if this woman was going to be in his way...

But on one hand, he realized she did have something of a point. Blocky would not be as useful to him dead. And perhaps he did leave him in that room for too long... No, he did not. Terry was just overreacting to that. She had barely glanced at the life readings and drawn her own conclusions. He would know his own equipment better than her.

He thought briefly about taking control of the situation. He had plenty of stuff he could use here to threaten her into submission. He could easily find a way to make sure that she didn't try to interfere again, so she could not end up causing him problems or jeopardize the mission again.

But...no.. That wouldn't do. He wasn't stupid. Terry might find a way around his threat, or use it as a reason to have him reported. No, he was better off simply playing along..for now.

Although still angry, the man managed to smile. Keeping his anger in check, straightening himself up and trying to look as non-threatening as possible, she said, "All right zen..." He folded his arms behind his back. "I'll leave the runt alone...for now." Terry narrowed her eyes. Before she could say anything, he added, "How about we focuz on zending a mezzage to zose children? Zey ztill need to know of ziz, right?" He smirked. "After all, they would be a bigger hinderance to uz zan we are to each other, am I right...?"

Terry narrowed her eyes, and nodded her head. "That is correct. Those two, especially Rudy, would be problematic." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I can't believe we neglected to take care of them earlier..."

"Oh don't worry about it." Von said. He held up his hand in gesture. "Zere is plenty of time to correct ziz...overzight..."

Terry nodded in agreement. Then, setting aside their earlier hostilities, the two adults left the room, leaving Blocky alone.

sss

This place... This horrible and dreadful place... The foreboding atmosphere all around him, the thick tension that was building up the longer he was in here... The cold chill that permeated the air...

No wonder most zoners left this place alone. They must all think he was crazy for coming here.

Yet, he knew he had no choice. If this was where that portal was... Yeah, he kind of had to come here. He needed to be here and look around and find that portal. If this was the entrance into the Real World, he had to know. They all had to know, and prepare for what's to come, and how to prevent it.

He still wasn't entirely sure how they were going to do it. There were still some kinks to work out, and they might never be able to do that. But at least they'd be more fully prepared and ready for a fight. Best they know that something was coming than to be caught by surprise.

He knew that knowing the location of the portal was just part one of the struggle. It had to be marked, and others informed. Then...well at the moment, he wasn't entirely sure. He just knew there was going to be a lot of work ahead. None of them knew if Terry or Von had any idea that they now knew of the portal. They didn't know if they were plotting some kind of trap for when they tried to get into the Real World from there. They just didn't know what they would do.

But that wouldn't stop him, or make him give up. This had to be done, for the sake of ChalkZone.

"Okay, it should be coming up." A voice called out to him. "As soon as we part through this..vine things...or whatever they are, we'll be there, okay, Snap?"

The blue and white zoner looked over at Howdy. The smaller zoner was out in front of him, walking a couple feet away. He didn't have his head turned to look at him, but he did have his hand raised up, making a couple waves of the hand to indicate he was speaking with him.

Snap nodded his head to confirm. It took him a few moments to remind himself that Howdy wasn't looking at him. He cleared his throat and said, "Yeah, I got it."

The two of them had been walking through the Pencil Sharpener for a while. Even right from the very entrance, Snap sensed a strong feeling of dread when coming in here. He didn't notice much of a reaction from Howdy. But then..the zoner probably got used to coming here, or maybe he was hiding his fear just for his sake.

Walking through here wasn't an easy task. There were plenty of sharp areas, plants and rocks alike, as well as other dangers and threats to avoid. They climbed up and down the slopes, made turns to go around the spikey trees, and tried to ignore the hissing sound during their walks. The silence was so thick, it was practically loud and deafening. Snap found himself, once in a while, putting his hands against his ears to keep the nonexistent sound out.

He didn't know how long they had been walking before Howdy had spoken up. Had it been just several minutes? Had it been hours? He didn't know. It felt as though time itself had disappeared, replaced only with this uncertain reality before him, uncomfortable sights and sounds all around the small zoners.

They had headed towards one of the mountains. Snap was reluctant to go on it, the mountain's own appearance being enough to deter him. Twisting clouds, a dark coloration, little light, and a low, humming sound that seemed to engulf the mountain... What kind of creator would make something like this?

The only thing that made him go was the reminder of what would happen if he didn't come through here. He knew that, so long as that portal existed, Von and Terry were a major threat. They could get into ChalkZone, and they could use it as proof of the world's existence. This big, scary mountain was going to be the last thing he had to worry about if he didn't climb up this mountain with Howdy and help mark the location and create a map up here. Once Rudy was able to draw a teleporter here, they would be able to come back without having to travel all the way through here, and they could put whatever plan they decide upon into motion.

When Howdy had spoken up, they were heading down a winding, rock path. They had gone up the mountain a ways. Not all the way; about half way up. There was a path that led off the edges, and down a sort of bulge. It was pretty steep and walking on it was dangerous. Snap had to be careful as he headed down the precariously thin ledge, pressing his hands against the walls for leverage.

They soon reached the bottom, where the path curved up and then straightened out. There was a cave entrance of some kind, but it was covered by something green. They looked like tendrils, with spikey ridges, no surprise. And was that a horrible smell coming off of them? Snap put a hand over his nose to try to avoid breathing in the offensive odor.

"I take it these are the vines you told me about?" Snap asked.

Howdy nodded his head. "Yeah. Don't worry. This is the only place you will have to worry about them."

"Good." Snap muttered. "Because I can't stand it."

The two headed through the vines. Snap winced as he felt the vine's spikes scrape against his skin. One of the vines got stuck around him, and he ended up trapped back at the entrance for a few moments. He struggled to get himself free, but only ended up tightening the vine around him even more, pressing the thorns more and more against him.

Howdy, realizing that Snap was lagging behind, went back to help him. He held out his hand, palm up, and, to Snap's surprise, began to tickle the vines. They started to give off a really weird sound. Almost like laughter except..not... The sound of it was enough to send chills through Snap.

After a few seconds, the vines released him. They recoiled back, bending themselves into an S shape, almost like a snake ready to strike. Snap took a few steps back, watching the vines shake and quiver, that sound continuing to crawl through his skin. Soon it died down completely and the vines became limp at the entrance once more, allowing the heavy silence to return to the cave.

"What...what just..." Snap found it difficult to comprehend what had just occurred.

"Yeah, I know. I was rather shocked myself when I found that out." Howdy pointed out. "Now let's get going." He made a motion with his arm. "The portal isn't far."

Snap wanted to say something, but he found himself remaining quiet. He let out a soft sigh and he walked towards Howdy, following him down the slightly curving path, further into the cave.

They barely made a turn when Howdy suddenly stopped. Snap, his eyes wide in shock, nearly collided with his friend. He managed to stop before he hit him and took a step back. He glared softly down at Howdy. He was about to ask the zoner why he stopped like that, but paused when he lifted up his head a little, his gaze catching a glimpse of something familiar.

It was the portal. Right there, in the middle of the air. A little difficult to see, but there nonetheless. Howdy stood in front of it, and then looked over at Snap, a solemn expression on his face.

Snap held his breath as he stared at the portal. Here it was, the one thing that could spell unimaginable disaster for all of ChalkZone. The one thing that zoners all around feared. The thing that he, Rudy, and Penny vowed to destroy to ensure that Terry or Von, or even Vinnie if he got involved, could never prove to the Real World that ChalkZone existed.

"So..that's the portal...?" Snap said softly. He wasn't really expecting an answer. He just didn't know what else to say at the moment.

Howdy nodded his head slowly. "Yeah. Terry showed me where it was so I could come back here with the food, water, and medicine for Blocky." He flinched visibly at that. "Poor Blocky..."

Snap looked down at the puppet zoner sadly. He placed his hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Howdy. None of this was your fault."

Howdy looked up at him. "I know...but I still feel so horrible. I wish I had done...something. I had helped them prolong Blocky's suffering..." He shut his eyes and lowered his head. "What a sucky way for his birthday to lead up to..."

Snap felt his heart clench at that. Howdy had reminded him that, only a few days ago, Blocky had his birthday party. And now, not so long after, he was placed in the exact opposite situation. No more was he having fun and playing games. Now he was just trying to survive, pain inflicted on him for no gawd damn reason. Snap clutched his hand into a fist, nearly striking it against the nearby wall.

No, he had to restrain himself. He had to keep himself calm. They will get Blocky out of there. He told himself that time and again. Blocky will be taken out of there, and he will be safe. They just need some more time. Just a little more time...

Snap knew that the next step now was to mark the location of a portal. He looked left and right, trying to find something useful. "What can we use to mark this portal?"

Howdy shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I'm sure there's plenty of rocks here. It is a cave, after all."

Snap frowned softly. "That won't do... I just realized that. Simply marking here won't be enough to help Rudy and Penny find this place in case you or I aren't able to help." He folded his arms against his chest. "We need something that will stand out. Something that those two can detect with a radar thing. Something that Dr. Von Doktor nor Terry Bouffant will be able to figure out so easily."

Howdy tilted his head. "What are you thinking?"

Snap rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There has to be something we can use..." He let out a sigh, tilting his head back. He looked up towards the ceiling. "..but what?"

Howdy merely shrugged his shoulders. It was clear he didn't have any ideas. That was okay. Snap wasn't expecting him to have any. This really was quite a stumped situation. If they didn't figure out a proper way to mark this...

He turned his head towards the portal. He could see the contents of the other side. Some kind of room. Dark, no lights on, and some shadows indicating some kind of shelf. He stared at it long and hard, his mind sifting through thoughts.

It was a risk. He knew how dangerous it could be. But perhaps...it was possible that room had something that they could use. Maybe something with metal in it. Would that work? His friends could draw a metal detector and be guided over here, where Rudy and Penny could create a hidden teleporter so they could navigate straight there.

True, he and Howdy could just bring them over. But he was aware that something could go wrong. At least this way, they will be able to have a backup plan in motion, making it harder for Terry or Von to stop them, if it came to that.

Snap continued to stare at the portal. He thought he heard Howdy calling out to him in confusion, but he ignored him. He soon began to head towards the portal. When he reached it, he peered inside, looking from side to side. There didn't seem to be anyone there. Perfect.

"What are you doing?!" Howdy cried as Snap began to crawl through. "What if you're caught?!"

Snap looked over at him. He gave his trademark smile. "I'll be fine, Howdy. I'm just going to go in real quick and see if there's anything I can use. I won't be gone long."

Howdy flinched at this, looking from left to ride. He then gulped and moved forward. "Let me come in with you! I know that building better than you!"

"Yeah, I'm sure you do." Snap flinched at this, watching as Howdy lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry, Howdy. I didn't mean it like that..."

"It's fine." Howdy said softly as he came forward.

The two zoners crawled through the portal. Snap came first, and then Howdy. They walked a bit away from the portal, further into the room itself. Snap took a moment to look around the room. He then looked back, taking note of what was clearly Rudy's chalkboard, the one that Tilly had sold. Snap could feel his blood heating up, angered that the woman did such a stupid thing. He pushed it aside. That wasn't important right now.

"Remember, stay in this room." Howdy said, breaking the short-lived silence. His voice was low and soft. "We musn't let them know we're here."

Snap smiled at his friend. "Oh don't worry. I'm sure that neither of those creepazoids will... Howdy...?"

To Snap's confusion, Howdy took on a fear-filled expression. His body shook and he took a few steps back. It was then that Snap was aware of a shadow forming over him. He felt his blood run cold as he heard a familiar, feminine chuckle behind him.

"A creepazoid, am I...?"

Snap hunched his body, tensing up. Oh no... Please... Not her. Anyone but her... Slowly, he turned himself around, turning his head to meet the gaze of...

...Terry Bouffant.

Snap let out a surprised cry, whirling himself around to face the red-haired woman. She smirked down at him, her arms folded against her chest. Howdy moved behind Snap, the blue zoner holding out his arm in a protective manner. He tried his best to hide his fear, narrowing his eyes in determination.

Terry smiled down at the two zoners, her arms folded against her chest. "Well well..isn't this my lucky day? I was just coming over to see you..." Her eyes locked onto Howdy. The zoner gulped and hid further behind Snap. Terry merely grinned at this. "But it seems you brought along a friend..." She stared over at Snap. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "Hello there, blue boy. Long time, no see, eh?"

Snap kept himself in front of Howdy, keeping a fighting stance. He managed to give the woman a dark smirk. "I see your hair has grown back. And it looks shinier than ever! I guess wiggies are quite the miracle workers, aren't they?" Terry narrowed her eyes at this. "I have a pet wiggie I can bring over. Maybe we can make your hair look even better!" He spread his hands up and outward, away from each other, to emphasize his point.

Terry growled at this. She formed fists and flattened her limbs against her sides. "Why you little brat! I should..." Suddenly she stopped herself. She gave a soft chuckle, rubbing her chin. "On second thought... I do need to send a message to chalk boy." She began to advance on Snap. The zoner hunched himself, baring his teeth at her. "And you're just the zoner to do that..."

sss

"I can't believe you two! How could you do something so stupid?" Tilly said, glaring down at the two children. Anger hung heavily on her voice.

Mrs. Sanchez was no better. "Of all the reckless, irresponsible things you two have done..." She let out a sigh, rubbing her temples. "I just...don't understand how you two could have done something like this. You always got along so well. What happened...?"

Tilly stared at the children, as did Mrs. Sanchez, and waited for an answer. The two children remaiend silent, their heads low. A look of shame present on both their faces indicated they did regret what they have done. But that did not lessen the anger that she felt, nor did it make right what they have done. They both should have known better than that.

Now, because of their reckless attitude, they both had to be treated. Most of the injuries were minor, but some, particularly the areas with torn flesh, required more treatment. Mrs. Sanchez did what she could to treat those wounds, wrapping them up in bandages to protect them from infection. But both Rudy and Penny were going to need to head to their family doctors to get some antibiotics so they don't get some kind of blood transmitted disease.

She and Mrs. Sanchez couldn't understand what would have caused their children to attack each other like that. She could still remember the horror she felt when she and the other woman came into the living room and found Rudy and Penny fighting each other rather aggressively. By the time they got over, the children had already racked off a piece of flesh from one another. She shuddered, still remembering the screams from that.

She felt some level of relief that the two children were treated to some degree, preventing further damage. But she couldn't shake off the shock of what had happened. She exchanged a quick, worried glance to Mrs. Sanchez. What were they going to do with their children?

Still the two were silent. They didn't utter a single word. Tilly narrowed her eyes as she stared down at the two. She took a small step forward, staring at them as they sat down on the table next to each other, their legs dangling over the side, slightly swinging them.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourselves...?" Tilly pressed the top of her hands against her hips. "Why did you two try to beat each other up? What was the matter with you two?"

Yet they still remained quiet. They looked up at them, locking eyes with them. Then they flinched and lowered their heads. It was clear the two children weren't sure what to say. Was it because they didn't know how to explain it, or did they just feel utter shame over the reason why they fought?

Tilly couldn't let this go, however. She needed to know what got into these two. She needed to understand why these two would fight each other, despite being friends. This was no minor thing. They could have really hurt each other. If she and Mrs. Sanchez knew what happened, they could do what they could and make it better. Rudy and Penny were doing themselves no favors by staying quiet.

But since the two were refusing to talk, she knew that she and Mrs. Sanchez would have to figure something else out. If the two won't talk, then there was really only one other thing they could do. They cannot allow this to happen again. They could not afford a repeat of this incident. It wasn't something that she wanted to do, and she had hoped that it would all have been cleared out by now. But if these two were going to fight each other like animals, then they left them with no other alternative.

Hearing Mrs. Sanchez clear her throat to begin to speak, it would seem that she was also thinking the same thing.

"Although I am glad you two are all right, I cannot ignore the fact that you two should have had better heads on yourselves than this. You outta be ashamed of yourselves, fighting each other like that. Because of that, either of you could get an infection and get sick!"

Rudy and Penny silently bowed their heads further. It was clear that their current mental state did not allow them to speak. Perhaps they were still shocked from their fight. Good..that showed that they were learning their lesson.

"Tilly and I cannot simply allow you two to walk away from this. You two need to be taught a lesson. So for five days, you two will be grounded." Mrs. Sanchez said.

"But..." Rudy and Penny started to speak. Ah, so now they got their voices back.

"No buts!" Tilly interjected, raising up her hand. "You two should have thought your actions through more. You two allowed yourselves to be consumed by pitiful anger, and you must pay the price for that. Do you understand?"

Rudy and Penny opened their mouths as if to project. They soon shut them and lowered their heads. "Yes..."

"Good..." Tilly walked over towards Rudy. "Come on, Rudy. Let's go home. We will discuss your punishment further."

"But what about...?"

"Penny and her mom have some talking to do as well." Tilly looked over at Mrs. Sanchez. They exhanged solemn nods before the vet turned to glare at her daughter. Tilly turned her attention back to Rudy. "Now let's get going."

Tilly and Rudy walked towards the door. They stopped in the doorway. Rudy looked over at Penny. The two children looked at each other with an unreadable expression. Then, they disappeared out of the doorway, leaving the Sanchezes alone.


	24. Aftermaths

Chapter 24: Aftermaths

When things go dark, look for another light.

sss

Ever since they got home a few minutes ago, he had been silent. His mind was numb, and yet still filled with thoughts. He wanted to speak, and yet he did not. He wanted to believe that he wasn't at fault, and yet he could not stop blaming himself for what happened.

How could he have done that?

How could he have lost control?

He was better than that...right..?

These questions and more plagued the little boy's mind. They were relentless, unwilling to allow him to shift his thoughts to anything else. They would not leave him alone, constantly forcing himself to be reminded of what had happened. He had gone too far this time. They both had. It was something that he was going to have to accept, and yet the very act of that...it was terrifying.

Rudy could feel his heart clenching, a sharp, bitter feeling spreading across his heart and lungs. It kept him in its tight grip, not allowing him to do anything accept think about what he had done.

The look on his aunt's face did nothing to cheer him up. She was absolutely infuriated with him. He didn't have to lift up his head to know that she was staring at him with that harsh glare. He could practically feel her eyes boring into his own. If she were able to shoot firebeams out of those visual orbs, he would be toast right about now.

And she had every reason to be angry with him. He should have known better. He should have been more responsible and held back. He should have realized that he was getting worked up and left the room. Because he didn't, he had allowed anger to overtake him, and he attacked Penny. He flinched at the memory, still hearing their battle cries in his head, still feeling the sensation of getting beat up, of beating her up. Horrible guilt clung to his chest, refusing to let go.

He kept his lead low, unwilling to look at his aunt in the eyes. He knew that his punishment was coming. He had been grounded, but he had a feeling there was going to be more. He dreaded to know what it was, but he would not run.

He put himself into this situation. He was going to have to accept the consequences for what he had done.

"Rudy, I want to know what happened." Aunt Tilly said. He could hear her take a step forward. "You and Penny were silent over there, and I understand if you were stunned. But you need to tell me what happened."

Rudy bit his lip, pressing his teeth against the skin. Talk about it...? Was now really a good time? His mind was still reeling from the events. He was still shaken up by his own outburst. He didn't think he would be able to get a word in edgewise, no matter how hard he tried. "I...I don't want to talk about it..."

Rudy felt a weight shifting beside him. He could sense warmth next to him, lightly pressing against his body. He could feel an arm slink over him, a hand pressing against his shoulder. Still, he did not lift his head to look over. He did not want to stair into the deep space that was his aunt's enraged eyes.

"I know, Rudy. I can see why it would be very hard to talk about. But I am not going to let this go, and neither is Mrs. Sanchez. If you don't tell me, then I won't be able to understand, and I won't be able to help."

Rudy looked up at his aunt. He remaiend silent, unabled to think of what to that. He understood that she just wanted to help, but..how could she? What could she possibly say to make this better?

The only thing that would right now was if he went back in time and stopped himself from doing such a stupid thing. This wasn't the first time he fought with Penny, but those other times...they had kept control. They didn't attack each other. They didn't throw punches or bite or pulled each other's hair... Their past debates were downright civil and professional compared to what happened here.

And to think that, during the time when he most needed control, he lost it... Rudy had always prided himself in being in control and reasonable, but now that was torn down, crushed into pieces. Would he be able to trust himself again after this?

"Rudy...please..recount to me what happened. I know it's scary to talk about it, but you have to get this off your chest." Aunt Tilly said. She gently squeezed his shoulder. "The longer you keep quiet about this, the harder it will be to talk about. Keeping it inside of you will only tear you apart more." She placed her hadn on his cheek, gently caressing it. "I promise, I won't judge you if you tell me what happened. All I want to know is what transpired between you two. It's not like your or Penny to hurt one another. Something must have happened. Please...tell me.."

The boy took in a shaky breath. "I-I just feel so...so bad about it..." A few tears formed in his eyes. That emotion he felt before was returning, and the tears began to flow once more. "I can't believe that I..." He looked at his hands, his mind whirling with thoughts, trying to comprehend what had just happened. "I..I don't know if I..."

"I understand. You can take your time. But please..tell me. You can tell me anything. You've got to believe that. Just take in a deep breath, exhale slowly, and speak. Let the words flow forth. Tell me what happened...so I may fully understand how you feel..."

Rudy wanted to tell her to leave him alone. He could feel the emotion swelling up inside, and right now, all he wanted to do was snap at her and run away. He didn't want to deal with this right now. He just wanted to go into his room and cry into his pillow. He wanted to release all the emotion that was surging through his body, to stand at his window and scream at the world.

He knew, however, that would not be a wise thing to do. He couldn't just push his aunt away. She just wanted to help him. She was right; keeping this all bottled up was bad. But he couldn't just release it like some wild animal; he needed to keep himself coherent, prevent those dark thoughts from returning. He needed to talk about this, so he could finally come to terms with these emotions and prevent thing from controlling his life.

With that resolve in his head, he took in a deep breath and let out a soft sigh. He tried to organize his thoughts the best he could. He turned to Aunt Tilly and gave a soft nod, indicating he was ready to speak.

Aunt Tilly gave a soft, reassuring smile. "I know you can do this, Rudy. Just breathe in, breathe out, and speak."

Rudy hesitated for a moment. He tried to think of what to say. He searched his memory bank, trying to get an idea of what transpired. It was all so surreal, it felt like it was some kind of bad dream. He had to pick up as much of the details as he could to paint an accurate picture of what happened.

Once he figured he was ready, he cleared his throat and began to relay to his aunt what happened.

sss

Snap growled as he took a step back. He kept himself in front of Howdy, not wanting Terry to take a chance and get at him. So far, she hasn't tried any such thing, but he was not going to let his guard down.

"You're crazy!" Snap cried. "What makes you think I'm going to do that?!"

Terry gave him an eerie smile. "I don't see why you would protest so much, blue boy. I'm not asking you do anything drastic. I just want you to...deliver a message." With her hand raised up, she curled her fingers inward and stared at them. A smile, combined with a contemplative look, was on her face. "I don't think that should be so hard.. A simple message deliverance is all I ask of you, Snap. I don't know why you must resist so much..." She looked back, giving him a partial glance. Her smile spread further. "Are you really this stupid?"

Snap hissed at this statement. It took all of his self control not to charge towards her. Of course she would think this way. Of course she would not understand where he was coming from. Of course she wouldn't even try to listen to him. He didn't even bother trying to explain it to her. It wasn't like she was going to take anything he said into account.

Terry folded her hands behind her back. She paced back and forth in front of him and Howdy. He could feel his friend shivering harder, prompting him to show more protectiveness of him. "I think we're being very...reasonable here. All Dr. Von Doktor and I want is to make sure your dear..friends...know what's on the up and up. We mustn't let them remain in the dark...now can we...?"

"You only want me to tell them so you could have more control over them! You want to rule them by fear so you can keep tormenting zoners!"

Terry stared down at Snap. Her eyes were wide in shock. Though whether or not it was genuine, it was difficult to say. "My my, blue boy.. I don't know where you got that idea from..." Her smile returned as she folded her arms against her chest. "You must be really paranoid if you think that. We just want to...enlighten your friends and perhaps..." She held her hand out in gesture. "..negotiate..?"

Snap gnashed his teeth together. "Like hell we'll negotiate with someone like you!"

Terry shook her head. She stared at Snap with mock disappointment. "I would have thought you would listen to reason, Snap." She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes. "I suppose I was wrong about that. You are so high strung in your pride, and so spiteful of me, that you would neglect anything I suggest simply out of spite. For shame, Snap..."

Snap snarled at this. He wasn't going to allow this woman to manipulate him like this. He wasn't going to let her gain the upper hand in this situation. He knew that she was just trying to make him feel guilty to so that he would cave in more easily, relent to her wishes. No, he wasn't going to do that. He would not let her have any sense of victory.

Snap was going to tell Rudy and Penny when he got the chance. He would inform them of the portal's location. But he was going to do it his way. With the phrase Terry wanted him to relay, they would be more fearful, more hesitant, for the woman had delivered an affective threat.

She had pretty much threatened to erase all of ChalkZone if Rudy and Penny did not cooperate. It wasn't just Blocky who was in danger now...

The woman was really taking a chance here. Why, he wasn't sure. But he knew such a statement was just an act of desperation. This woman wanted to expose ChalkZone and destroying it..well what would she have left to expose after that? She was so determined to get what she wanted, she didn't care what she said; just so long as she got results. They didn't call her 'down and dirty' for nothing. She was truly living up to that segment she used to be a part of.

He was not going to subject Rudy and Penny to that kind of desperate fear. That's just what these two creepazoids wanted. And it was something he was not going to give to them.

"Such a stubborn little zoner..." Terry said softly, breaking Snap out of his thoughts. "I still can't believe that you refuse to comply. I suppose you really don't care about your little friends after all..." Snap hissed at this. "Perhaps I should end their misery now. All I would need to do is..."

"Don't you fucking dare try to tell me that I don't care! Why do you think I refuse to serve you?!" Snap cried. Terry simply stared at him in silence, waiting for him to continue. "I don't wish to see harm brought on to them, and that's just what's going to happen if I listen to you! You only want me to relay that message to Rudy and Penny so you have a means to control them, put a leash on them and drag them to wherever you want them to go! You want to tear down the only protection ChalkZone has against cretins like yourself! I refuse to help you!"

Terry stared at him for a few moments. "So..your answer is no..and that's your final answer?"

Snap nodded his head quickly, curtly. "Yes. So you can just forget it!"

Terry scratched her head. "Really then..." She narrowed her eyes. "Isn't that such a..shame..."

Snap and Howdy took a step back as they watched the woman's expression shift. It was unreadable, but it still filled them with a sense of dread. Snap looked down at Howdy. The poor guy looked like he wanted to turn and run away. It made him wonder just what he had been put through here. What had these two horrible monsters forced upon him?

He kept glaring at Terry, refusing to look away. Although her current expression made him nervous, made him want to turn and flee, he remained where he was. He didn't know what this woman had in mind, but he wasn't going to simply turn and run away. ChalkZone was in trouble. He had to do something in order to deter this vile woman from infiltrating it. Yet..he knew such a feat was going to be impossible without backup. Terry was not afraid of him. There was little he could do in the real world, and he was at threat of Real World water, or even a simple eraser. All he could do was stand his ground and hope that whatever Terry dishes out next will be more manageable. Something that he could bend and make work into his favor.

For what felt like forever, they simply stared at one another. He kept himself in front of Howdy, doing what he could to shield the little guy from Terry's sights. Once in a while, the woman looked down at Howdy, giving a contemplative expression. Snap would immediately respond by spreading his arm out further. Terry merely chuckled at this and stared back at him.

He and Terry locked eyes with each other. It felt almost like some kind of game. A staring contest. They looked into each other's eyes, feeling the intensity of the other, feeling just how strong willed each other was. Neither would relent, as if it meant surrendering to the other's will if they did so. This lasted for what felt like several minutes, and Snap did nothing to back down. He simply narrowed his eyes further and bared his teeth.

At last, Terry turned her head away. Snap felt a sense of triumph rush through his body even though he knew that it wasn't over yet, that Terry could easily come up with a new plan. Still, he couldn't help but smile at his mild victory.

"So you refuse to do what I say. You refuse to do the right thing and relay a message to chalk boy..." Terry said softly. Her voice sounded as though it was being controlled, and this made Snap flinch. How much emotion was she holding back? "In that case..I suppose I have no choice."

Snap wasn't sure what she was talking about. He wasn't sure what else she had up her sleeve. He formed a small fist with one hand while pointing accusatory with his free one. "Rudy and Penny will find out what you two have been up to! They will find out where this portal is! They will find a way to beat you!"

A cold chuckle from Terry froze Snap where he was and made Howdy whimper. It was so chilling... Snap couldn't think of what to say to that. It was not the response he thought he was going to get. He narrowed his eyes further, curling his lip up as Terry looked at him with those crazed eyes.

"I know they will. I want them to find out. But only on our terms." Terry took a few steps towards the cornered zoners. She smiled nastily as they felt their backs being pushed against the wall. Snap spread his arms out, glaring at the woman. Terry reached out with her hand. Snap shuddered as he felt her palm against his cheek. "Since you will not listen to us... Well, we can't exactly having you go back into ChalkZone, now can we...?"

Snap jerked his head away, snarling at her. "Do you intend on trying to keep us here?!"

"If it means ensuring our plan's safety.." Terry sneered. "Yes."

Snap growled at this. Without thinking, he attempted to bite her hand. His teeth clanged against nothing as Terry instantly moved her hand away. She looked at the zoner in disbelief before narrowing her eyes, looking almost insulted that he dare try to bite her during a 'friendly negotiation'.

Terry hissed, "I see... Looks like I made the right decision then. If you do not have the sense to be more cooperative.." She fell silent at this for a moment. She and Snap glared at each other, each focused on their own thoughts. She then softened up her expression and leaned forward, her arms clasping behind her back. "Making you a more...permanent resident here would suffice."

Snap held up his fist. "What makes you think you can keep me here?!"

"I can't just have you running back into ChalkZone and tell your little friends. Not unless you relay the exact message I want you to give, and nothing more. I know I want them to find out, but only my way. And since you won't do that, you will have to stay here." Terry turned her back to the two zoners and headed towards the nearby shelf. "I know that Howdy there may listen to me, and I would have used him to ensure that you did exactly what you were told to, Snap..."

Snap narrowed his eyes, feeling a pang of sympathy as he heard Howdy whimper at this. He had no doubt in his mind that Terry would have done something awful to Howdy to make sure he listened to her.

"But you...I know how much of a..firecracker you can be. I won't be able to trust you to do what I want. I'll be able to trust Howdy here to deliver some bad news to me then." Terry rummaged through the shelves. Snap could not see what she was going for, but he could hear the clang and clatter of things being moved around. "But if I kept you here, you won't be able to tell anyone, now will you..?" Terry peered over her shoulder, her eyes glinting as she stared over at Snap. "You will be under our full..control."

"Like hell I will!" Snap took a defensive stance. "There is no way you're going to keep me here!"

Terry chuckled. "I beg to differ, blue boy..."

"How do you plan on keeping me here?" Snap asked, his teeth bared in a defensive grin. "Chain me to the wall? Did you forget about my '2D powers', as you called them?"

Terry's eyes widened a little at this. Snap smirked in response. While in ChalkZone, he couldn't just flatten himself against a surface, in the Real World, he could. This would make it much harder to catch him, or keep him trapped in a singular location. If Terry was going to keep him somewhere, she was going to have to try a lot harer than that.

His smile faded when he saw Terry turn around slowly. The smile she had before returned, only it was more vicious this time. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw that she was carrying something in her hands. Something that sent chills through his spine.

"Oh don't worry..." Terry grinned, raising the item higher into the air. "That's what this baby is for.."

Howdy let out a terrified scream as Snap felt ice shoot through his body. He found it difficult to tear his eyes away from what Terry was holding out in front of her. He felt as light shiver sweep through him, the reality of the situation settling in.

It..it was an eraser... Snap found himself trying to take a step back, only to find his back being pressed against the wall. He looked behind him, gritting his teeth as he finally fully realized just how trapped he and Howdy were. He looked back at Terry and glared softly, trying his best to hide the terror that was creeping up in his stomach.

As Terry moved in closer, holding the eraser out in front, Snap's shaking became a little harder, and he could feel his heart rate speeding up, pounding against his chest. He couldn't move his eyes away from the soft edge of the eraser. Sure it looks harmless enough, but he knew what would happen if that thing touched him. He was still made up of chalk in the Real World, and his body would still react in according to this world's laws. And one of them was, if he got touched by an eraser...

Snap jerked back when Terry grabbed onto the front of his cape. She yanked him forward, and he was unable to hold back his scream of terror when his face nearly collided with the eraser's deathly abrasive side.

"Now..you have a choice, Snap. Either you stay here and keep Blocky company, or.." Terry held onto him tighter, moving the eraser closer to his right eye. "Or I could wish you the best of luck in trying to find your friends while you are both blind and in pain..." She moved the eraser away and put her face close to his. "It's your choice. What shall it be?"

Snap simply stared at her in fear.

sss

"And after he said that about you... I just..saw red..." Penny winced, feeling a pang in her stomach as she remembered the events, little by little, that led up to the fight. Speaking about it was very difficult, and she was amazed she had gotten this far. "I lost control of myself..and I just..punched him..."

"I see..." Her mother nodded her head. "And after that, the fight broke out?"

"Yes. Rudy lunged at me and we just...fought each other. I..I forget what we did... But I remember throwing punches..pulling hair..."

"And biting." Her mother pointed out.

Penny said, "Yeah... Biting..." She rubbed her forehead. She could feel a headache creeping along her skull as the uncomfortable memories returned. "It was horrible.. We were like wild animals... Everything from that moment is a blur. We couldn't think. We couldn't use our rationality. It was like our logical side was shut off, and all we could think about was attacking each other."

"Anger and rage can be very powerful. They can be useful if utilized properly, but most of the time, they will make us lose control of ourselves. We cannot think and be enraged at the same time. It is not either of your faults that you lost yourself if you truly became that enraged." Her mother said. She then narrowed her eyes slightly. "But..you were still responsible for what led up to it. You two should have known better than that. You two allowed yourselves to get worked up, and instead of one of you leaving to avoid stimulating the other, you two just stayed put and, as a result, you two absorbed more and more of that anger, until you were boiling over like a volcano ready to erupt. And when it erupted..."

Penny flinched and turned her head away. She felt enormous guilt gripping her heart. She knew her mother was right. One of them should have walked away from the fight. She should have done that. She was the smart one. She should have just stifled herself and walk out of the room to avoid further angering herself or Rudy.

Instead, she foolishy stayed, foolishly tried to talk with Rudy, only to have their blood heat up further and further until neither of them could take it anymore. Now in in the aftermath, they were both injured, given to them by each other. She hissed as she felt a sting on her arm. She looked down at her arm, where the bandage covered up the bite that Rudy gave her. The sight of it made her flinch, reminding herself that Rudy also carried a similar injury on his arm. They were going to be lucky if the wounds don't get infected.

"I understand why you got angry, Penny. I will agree, Rudy was out of line with saying those things about me." Penny could detect a tinge of hurtfulness in her mother's voice, intermingling with the anger. "But I'm sure he did not mean it. You two were losing control of yourselves, and he was acting purely on emotion. We often say things we do not really mean in the heat of anger."

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah, I know.. I'm sure he just said that out of anger and frustration..." She closed her eyes softly. Even so, the words still eachoed in her head. She wished she didn't remember that part of the fight. "I can't believe I was so stupid! I..."

"Penita..." Penny felt her mother cup her chin gently. Her head was tilted upwards slightly. The two of them stared into each other's eyes. Her mother had a small smile on her face, her eyes filling with sympathy and reassurance. "Don't keep beating yourself up over this. I'm sure you won't allow it to happen again...am I right?"

Shaking her head, Penny said, "Of course not! I'd never want something like this to happen again!" She shuddered at the mere thought of her and Rudy getting into another nasty fight like this. "I..I don't want to hurt him again."

"I know you don't. I know how much you care for him, and it is always painful to find out when you had hurt someone you love. But the important thing is that you admit that you did wrong and you two try to make amends. Things will never get better if neither of you attempt to fix things." Her mother said. "I hope you understand that."

"I do, mama... I do..." Penny nodded her head slowly. "I'm still scared thought. I mean...what if he doesn't listen to me...? What if..." She stifled herself when she felt her mother grip her shoulder.

"If he's your friend, then he will listen. Just..give him some time." Her mother said. "You two need a bit of time apart to think about what you've done. Trying to apologize too soon can be disastrous. But...when the time comes..."

"Yeah...I know..." Penny said softly.

She knew her mom was right. She knew that she and Rudy would have to apologize sooner or later. She didn't want this bitterness in her stomach to last forever. She didn't want to let their friendship go sour over something like this. She still cared about the boy and he knew he still felt the same way about her. But her mom was right about something else. Right now is not a good time for either of them to attempt an apology; they might accidentally reignite the fire, and then they were back to square one.

But there was something else that was going on as well. The portal, Blocky, Von and Terry... These were all rather urgent matters. Penny was well aware that she and Rudy may end up having to work together before they can make amends. She wasn't sure how well that would go. The fight they had was rather nasty. She hoped that their ability to work together hasn't been compromised, and she hoped that they will be able to still work as a team and stop their foes.

They had to do it...for the sake of Blocky and everyone else. She couldn't allow her anger and fear to control her, to prevent her from helping those that needed it the most. The safety of ChalkZone and her friends was much more important right now than how she felt. She knew Rudy must feel the same way. If they must, they can apologize to each other later.

"However..."

Penny looked up at her mother. She flinched at her tone of voice. She knew what was coming and she did her best to prepare for it.

Her mother gave Penny a disappointed expression. "Like Rudy's aunt said, we cannot let you two walk away with what you did without some form of punishment. What you did to each other was unacceptable, and we need to take action."

"I understand..." Penny said softly, lowering her head.

"I do believe the best course of action we can take, in addition to grounding you, is barring you from ChalkZone." Her mother said.

Penny looked at her, eyes wide in horror. "B-But mom...!"

"You did not let me finish." Her mother raised her hand. "You will not be allowed to enter ChalkZone, but..." She raised a finger up. "I will permit you to use a small chalkboard so you can still talk talk to your..friends. But if I catch you trying to go in before the five days are up, you will lose the chalkboard as well. Do you understand me?"

"Mom...that isn't fair! You know that there's..." Penny started to say.

"I know, but that isn't our problem, Penita. That chalk world can take care of itself for a few days, can't it?" Her mother folded her arms against her chest. "I mean...it was just fine for all those years when you and Rudy weren't sneaking away into that world, right...?"

Penny flinched, feeling a pang of guilt. Her mother was clearly still a little upset about this world being kept a secret from her. Unable to think of an answer yet, she turned her head away.

"So it's settled then. Five days grounded, no leaving your room, and no ChalkZone, save for the chalkboard. After the five days are up, I will lift the ban." Her mother said. "Then you two can get back to saving that world...or whatever you were doing."

Penny resisted the urge to glare at her mother. She tried to keep herself settled down, but she couldn't help but feel bitterness rising up in her stomach, giving her a slight sense of nausea. Her mother didn't understand how much she cared about that world, and it really showed here. Her mother didn't care all that much about what happened to it, or anyone who was from there. To her, they were just chalk drawings; their lives didn't have any meaning to her.

This fact twisted Penny's heart and it was becoming difficult to keep herself quiet. She wished her mother would try to understand. She wished that she would just see how real this place was and try to understand that, just because the zoners aren't human, it doesn't mean their lives meant nothing.

But..how could she convince her mom of that? How would she and Rudy convince any human of that? In the end, it may end up being a futile act. This realization caused her heart to sink. What would happen if ChalkZone did end up exposed...?

And the fact that she wouldn't be able to do much about that, being trapped in the Real World and all, it didn't do much to improve her mood. It only made her feel more scared, more terrified of what might happen to ChalkZone. She wished she could go in there now and help the zoners. They could really use her help, she was certain. Instead, she was trapped out here because of her mother...

It wasn't like she could get that mad at her mother, however. Her mom did have a good reason to be angry with her. She did have every right to punish her for what she has done. She just wished that her mom would be more reasonable and lenient, at least for now. Exposing ChalkZone was going to have dire consequences, some of which, she was certain, would affect the Real World as well.

But how would she convince her mother of that? At the moment, she couldn't really think of anything. All she could do was stare at her mom, biting her lip. Her mom merely stared back at her, keeping her eyes narrowed as if to show Penny how serious she was.

Come on, there has to be something..anything she could say... But nothing came to her mind. Unable to think of what to say, Penny lowered her head as if to admit defeat.

"So...do you understand...?" Her mother asked softly. Penny didn't look at her. She just nodded her head rigidly, reluctantly. Her mother said, "That's good then." She exhaled softly. "Look, I don't like doing this. I don't like the idea of banishing you from that world, since you seem to love it so much. But I need to..."

"I know, mom..." Penny said, cutting her mother off. "You don't need to explain it to me. I understand."

Her mom nodded her head. "Very well then..." She leaned back away from her daughter. "I do believe that you have school tomorrow, anyway. You should get ready now."

"But..."

"Early to prepare, early to get there, the sooner you can start." Her mother said, giving her a small smile. "After all, a well rested brain is best suited for absorbing knowledge, right?"

"Yes, mom..." Penny replied.

Her mother looked to see what time it was. "There's still enough time to prepare. Why don't you go take a shower? I need to do some more chores with the animals. It's almost time, you know?" Her mother turned her back to her and began to head towards the exit. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Oh and after you're done, I want you to return immediately to your room and stay there. Your punishment begins now."

Penny gritted her teeth at this. She stared at her mother, silently wishing she could say or do something to change the woman's mind. Now really wasn't a good time for punishment. Why couldn't her mother try to see that? What would it take to make her understand?

What was going to happen to ChalkZone? If she and Rudy both recieved punishment, if they were both locked out...

...then who was going to protect it from Terry and Von..?

Penny could feel her blood run cold at this. ChalkZone was literally going to be without a protector. There would be no one left who could stand up to Von and Terry. No one who would have a shot at stopping them and getting rid of the portal. No one, except...

Snap, and their ChalkZone friends...

But..would it be fair of her to ask them of that? Would it make sense for her to send them on a mission where they were at greater risk of being tormented or killed? Snap could not use the magic chalk, and would be helpless if the humans got into ChalkZone. Same would go for any particular zoner. And using erasers would be very dangerous for a zoner. Would it make sense to send them on this journey alone? Could she and Rudy really ask that of them?

But what other choice was there? She was certain that her mom would take away the chalkboard so she couldn't use it. She was positive that Rudy's aunt, and his parents if they find out, would take away any magic chalk that he had so he couldn't use it during school. Their folks would, more than likely, do what it took to keep them locked outside of ChalkZone until the time came to relent the punishment. In other words: they had absolutely no way of getting into ChalkZone now.

As much as she hated the idea, as much as she didn't want to put her friends in mortal danger, they were the only ones left now who could do something about Von and Terry. It was up to the zoners now to defend their home.

Realizing her mother was still waiting for an answer, Penny swiftly nodded her head. "Okay, mom. I'll go do that."

Her mom smiled at her. "That's a good girl." She walked back over to her daughter and stroked her hair. Noticing the worried look in her daughter's face, she said, "Things will turn out okay. You'll see..."

"I guess so..." Penny said, closing her eyes.

"Don't worry so much. It will be all right." Her mom planted a quick kiss on Penny's forehead. She then moved back, stroking Penny's cheek gently. "Now..go on and take that shower, and try to get your mind off of this. It's not like it's the end of the world or anything."

Penny resisted the urge to glare at her mother. As she watched her leave, Penny couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness in her chest. Of course her mom still didn't see just how serious this really was. She still thought it was no big deal, that anything that happened in that world was not a problem simply because it was made of chalk. She wished she could show her mom how wrong she was.

But for now, she just kept quiet. She watched her mother leave her alone, exiting the house to take care of the animals. For now, she would just have to go along with what her mother said, and keep to her current plan. Maybe, after she took a shower and could relax in her bedroom, she would figure out something that just might work.

There was still uncertainty in that. She knew how easily things might go wrong, or even worse. Time was unpredictable. And it was only time that would reveal to her what will happen. She just needed to be patient.

sss

Rudy rested on his bed, his arms arched over his head and against the pillow. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind filling with the thoughts of what happened lately. The anxiety of it all was enough to make him bit his lip so hard, he nearly drew blood.

He couldn't believe something like this could really happen. He and Penny had enough to worry about and now...because of their foolish actions, they had made things worse.

He still felt horrible about the fight they had. He couldn't get rid of that guilt that swirled in his gut, making him feel sick. He knew he should have known better. He knew he should have just walked away from the fight. But no, he kept on going. He attacked and hurt his friend, and she did the same back to them. They both got bitten on the arm and they both were at a risk of infection. He and Penny were going to need a trip to the doctor to make sure there wasn't any signs of infection, just in case.

If he could do it all over, he would. If he could, he'd do whatever it takes to erase this from the past and move on. He could have easily turned away, and try to do the right thing. Oh why did he let himself get pulled into the madness...?

He no longer could even feel that much anger towards Penny anymore. He couldn't blame her any longer for what had happened earlier. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Penny did have a good point.

It wasn't really entirely either of their faults. Penny wasn't to blame for not knowing about the tracer. Yeah, she could have been more suspicious, and more willing to try to figure out what was wrong. But in the end, she was just oblivious; she never meant for something like that to happen. And it was true; him keeping the portal open did cause this mess as well. Rudy couldn't deny that, if he had just erased the portal, Terry and Von would have much less of a case to work with. They wouldn't have the irrefutable evidence that was right before them.

Rudy wasn't sure why he was so adamant about blaming Penny. Maybe he just felt so guilt-ridden that he couldn't take it, so he tried to shift it onto Penny. The thought disgusted him. He knew better than that. He knew when to accept responsibility, when something was truly his fault. To know that he had acted so immaturely...

But then, they were both acting not like themselves. Both of them had been pushed to the edge, not just by each other, but by the tension of their folks finding out about ChalkZone and trying to find Blocky and then Von and Terry... Could he really blame either of them for losing their tempers? He still wished they could have controlled themselves more, but what was done was done. He was just going to have to wait until school tomorrow to try to talk to Penny and settle things with her.

He was still concerned for ChalkZone. The idea of being locked out of it for five days was terrifying. He could feel himself get antsy at the thought of not being able to help the zoners. He would still have access to his portable chalkboard, so he could still draw things for the zoners and send them messages. But he would not be allowed to enter until after the five day punishment was over.

In the mean time, there was still Snap and the other zoners. There was a portal right into the Real World, likely where Blocky was being kept. Even if he and Penny could not get there to help, Snap and the others were still around to do something about that. They could formulate a plan to rescue Blocky and do something about the portal. Rudy had a feeling that five days would be too late for him and Penny to do something. After all, why would Von or Terry wait that long? But Snap and the others, they could stop them... Rudy made a mental note to himself to write a message to his friends soon.

No... He should do that now, before he forgot. With that in mind, he reached over to the small portable chalkboard his aunt let him have and picked up a piece of chalk. A normal one, as his aunt had taken all his magic chalk to keep him out of ChalkZone. Without hesitation, he began to draw his message. Once he was finished, he drew a box around the message to ensure it all got erased together. He then used a small tissue to erase the message.

After that, he sat the chalkboard down and rested against his bed once more. He began to think of what he and Penny were going to do, and how they would help ChalkZone from the sidelines. Even if they weren't allowed in, he realized they still had their creator powers. It was still possible that, even when not allowed in ChalkZone, they could defend it from Terry and Von. Maybe they could still turn this around.

He could only hope that his optimism and determination paid off.


	25. Returns

Chapter 25: Returns

So...I've heard you've done a bad thing...

sss

Snap rested on the ground. He opened up one eye, the solace of sleep already over. For a brief moment, he forgot that he was sleeping inside a large, glass container with two of his friends, Howdy and Blocky. The cold surface and the unfamiliar lighting were enough to reaquaint himself with his present reality.

He lifted up his head and looked over at the others. They were still asleep. Tired, eyes closed. Even in their sleep, he could see just how terrified they were. He bit his lip, wishing there was something he could say or do to help them feel better. He then placed his head back down, chin against the hard, cold ground. He gave a shudder, finding it hard to come to terms with his reality.

He had spent a night in the Real World, something he had never done before. The Real World was a dangerous place for him, for any zoner. It was an act he did not think he'd ever do, especially given these...circumstances.

Terry had forced this upon him. She had threatened him into submission. He couldn't believe how weak he was. He should have resisted more. He should have stood up for himself. Now he was left with a feeling of remorse. He wondered how Rudy might feel, if he found out. Surely, he'd understand, but... Snap couldn't help but fear what the boy's reaction might be.

Snap didn't bother trying to get out of the containment. Save for the few holes, which he'd never be able to fit through, there were no openings in this thing. He had a good enough look at it to know that no such exit existed, keeping ihim trapped in the glass container.

It wasn't all bad, though. He at least got to see Blocky again. The reunion was rather bittersweet. He wished he could have seen him again under better circumstances. But at least he was with him again and could see what condition he was in, and learn what he had gone through. The stories were horrible, and he found himself wanting to throw up out of rage, but a small part of him was comforted at no longer being in the dark about what happened to him.

He tried his best to control the rage-filled thoughts growing in his mind. The mere idea of those humans hurting Blocky just for 'science'...it was disgusting. Blocky hadn't done a dang fucking thing to them, and yet, they still found it necessary to hurt him like that. The stretching, the Real World water, the cold, the heat... Did they stop at nothing to get what they wanted? Were there no limits in what they would do to his friend?

Poor Blocky...he was so scared... Snap could tell that he was going to be traumatized for a long time. The zoner had hardly left his side, or Howdy's. He could still feel the rectangular zoner pressed up against him, his breathing slow and steady. Howdy laid on the opposite side of him, his hand lightly pressed against Blocky carefully, an attempt to comfort him even while he slept.

Another good thing is that at least he was trapped with his friends. Von nor Terry had thought about separating them from the container into different ones. At least they could be with each other for comfort. That was something at least.

Snap yawned and closed his eyes. He didn't know what time it was. He couldn't even tell if it was truly morning yet. Right now, he just wanted to go back to sleep and pretend that this didn't happen. He wanted to, for an extra hour or so, dream that he was back in his own home, or getting a visit from Rudy and Penny, of him being anywhere except here.

Unfortunately, life didn't always pan out that way. He didn't have a long time to rest before he heard the scraping sound of the enclosure being opened up.

"Time for your breakfast, blue boy."

Snap opened his eyes, but didn't get a chance to look at Terry before the evil woman grabbed him by his cape. He gagged as he was thrust upward, the cloth pressing against his neck. He dangled up in the air, pushing his hands against his cape, trying to get some more breath, as Terry shut the enclosure.

Snap looked over and saw that Blocky and Howdy had woken up from the sudden motion. Remaining on the ground, they lifted up their heads and looked over at him, their eyes wide in horror and shock. Snap opened his mouth to speak to them, but he was suddenly pulled through the air as Terry began to carry him out of the room and down the hallway.

Snap tried to struggle and squirm out of her grasp, but it was useless. His cape was secured too well around his neck, and the cloth itself was too thick; he'd never be able to tear through it. He eventually stopped trying and dangled in the air. He growled softly, displeased at being carried around like a cat. He would try to strike at her, but he held back. The last thing he needed was to make Terry angry.

The woman remained quiet as she carried him down the hallway. He didn't know where he was going, and everything looked so similar here, it was hard for him to keep track of where they had been. He realized that the only thing keeping him from being too nervous was the fact that Terry wanted him alive and had announced it was feeding time.

It took a little longer than he had hoped, but they soon arrived in another room. This one appeared to be the dining hall of this facility. It looked a tad dirtier than he'd expected, and it looked as if it was barely used in quite a while. He wondered if this had anything to do with Von losing his reputation. He was surprised the man could still keep this place at all. Perhaps he still had a ton of money to spare.

Snap took a moment to look around. The ground was white with some pale blue, tiled although having lost its shine. There were several rows of round tables with simple looking chairs pulled up to them. Not far away, he could see a food bar that was mostly barren, a register that was tilted to its side, and a small fridge that still had some bottles of soda in it.

Terry took him over to the nearest table. She dropped him in the chair. Snap didn't have much time to regain his bearings before he felt a click. He looked down and found that his leg had been cuffed to the chair. He narrowed his eyes. So much for an attempt at escape, not that he would have tried to with Terry around anyway. He didn't know this place and frankly, he didn't want to try his luck at getting lost.

"Stay right here. Let me go get you your grub." Terry said before turning and walking away.

Snap watched her leave, his eyes narrowing. He took this time to try to figure out what he was going to do once allowed back into ChalkZone. Rudy and Penny might be able to figure out what to do once he delivered the message that Terry wanted him to. They were smart kids. They could figure something out, right?

That is...if he was going to see them at all. He was aware of the issue with Rudy's aunt finding out about ChalkZone. He wasn't sure if that had been truly resolved yet or not. And the idea of possibly having to deal with Rudy's aunt... He could only hope that it would be easier than dealing with Von and Terry.

Snap realized he had to consider the possibility of Rudy and Penny not being able to help at all. If their folks cut them off from ChalkZone... He shook his head, not willing to believe such a possibility. Yet he couldn't shake it off. It would be smart if he tried to figure out something on his own, just in case he was not going to have the input of his friends backing him up.

But how was he going to deal with Von and Terry? For the moment, they had the upperhand. They barely left him and the others unguarded unless they were in the enclosure. And the enclosure was not going anywhere, and it was rather solid despite being hollow. Pushing it over wasn't going to work; Howdy had apparently tried something similar.

He refused to believe it was hopeless, however. There was a way to get out of this mess. He just..had to figure out a different angle at looking at this. A weak point that Terry and Von had missed.

He stifled his thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Terry coming towards him. He turned his head and he noticed that she was carrying a small try. On it was a sandwich and a small cup. The drink itself and the sandwich were clearly made of chalk, as he could tell from this distance. This was probably some bit of that food that Howdy had been forced to bring.

Terry walked up to the table and, nonchalantly, dropped the tray onto the flat surface. Snap winced as he heard the loud clang. He stared at the food and drink for a few seconds. Then he looked up at Terry, who folded her arms against her chest and glared down at him.

"Go on.." She made a gesture with her head. "Eat up. This will be your only chance. You'll get nothing else today from us."

Snap shuddered at the thought. He hated the idea of having to go so long without food, and especially without water. This, however, provided him with an incentive to eat what he could now. Turning his attention to the sandwich, he tentatively picked it up and sniffed it.

"Oh just eat it already!" Terry snarled.

"Okay! I will! I just..." Snap looked at the sandwich, lifting up the bun. "Is that...?"

"Look, you little runt," Terry growled at him. "Either you eat the food now so we can get going, or I'll take it from you and you will have to wait until tomorrow morning to get anything."

Snap flinched at that. He pressed the bun back down. He looked up at Terry for a few seconds, watching as she crossed her arms against her chest. He froze under her cold glare, and for a moment, he couldn't move. A further narrowing of the eyes prompted him to start eating. As he took his first bite and swallowed, Terry gave a small, eerie smile.

"That's a good zoner..." Terry cooed softly. She reached over and gently patted Snap on the head. He hissed at this, but Terry was not deterred. She rested her hand on him, her fingers moving back and forth. "Just eat up now. You have a job awaiting you. And remember, I will not leave while you eat..."

Snap winced as he felt Terry grab onto his head a little tighter. Her fingernails pressed against the thin cloth, pressing against his scalp. He tried to move his head, but it only resulted in her driving her nails further against his skin.

"So don't try anything funny..." More pressure down on his head. "Do you understand me?"

Snap nodded his head swiftly. "Y-Yes, ma'am..." He winced in pain as the nails practically broke the skin. He thought he could feel something leaking on his head, but maybe it was just his imagination.

Terry smiled at this, satisfied by his answer. "Good." She moved her hand away. Snap sighed with relief. "Now hurry up. I need to feed the rest of you zoners before we can get started." She motioned with her hand before refolding her arms. "So come on! Eat up already!"

"All right! Hold on!" Snap called out to her. He took a quick sip of his drink, enjoying the sweet flavor, and then turned to his sandwich. He gave Terry a small glare before he started to consume the sandwich.

sss

Rudy stood outside of his house, not far from the driveway. He was positioned next to his aunt, who kept her arm around him to keep him there. Sophie stood beside her mother, holding onto her other hand and making some excited squeals.

This was it. This was the day that he had been dreading. The day he had been waiting for.

His parents were returning.

While Sophie was excited to see her aunt and uncle again, Rudy was nervous. While Aunt Tilly did promise that she wouldn't speak a word about ChalkZone to them, he knew that could easily change if she decided it was best if she said something. He was nervous about how his parents would react. If his aunt went nuts when she found out, he could only begin to imagine just how his parents might be.

Even if she didn't tell them about that incident, there was still something else he had to worry about. No doubt his aunt would tell his parents about what happened with Penny. The thought of it made him bit his lip nervously. Would his parents keep with the punishment his aunt figured out for him, or would they come up with one of their own?

He tried to have a little faith in his parents. Perhaps they would react more calmly than he was imagining, and understand that he was already being punished. That didn't stop him from worrying, however.

He could feel his heart skip a beat when he saw the car in the distance. His heart clenched, increasing its beating, as it drew closer. In seconds, the car, which he instantly recognized as his parents' pulled into the driveway. He heard the telltale signs of screeching as the car came to a complete halt. There was a clanging as the driver's door opened up, and out stepped his father.

"Unkie Joe!" Squealed Sophie as she rushed over towards his father.

His dad, dressed in a more casual outfit like he was still on vacation, walked around and lowered himself down. "Sophie!" He stretched his arms outward. He let out a grunt as the girl lunged into his arms. He grabbed onto her and held her up. "So great to see you!"

His mother now stepped out of the car. She was wearing a similar outfit as his father. She walked over and greeted Sophie. "Did you have a great time with your cousin?"

Sophie nodded her head swiftly. "Playtime! Green paper! Green paper visited us!"

Rudy flinched at this. He soon relaxed when he noticed his parents didn't react to that. He tried his best not to show signs of great relief; he didn't want to tip his parents off that anything was wrong.

"Oh you've such an active imagination!" His mom said.

"Yeah. That's what makes you a good playmate for our boy!" He ruffled the girl's hair before setting her down. As Sophie skipped around a little and then headed towards her mother, his dad straightened himself up, turning his attention now to his aunt. "So, how have things been here while we were gone?"

Aunt Tilly smiled, though Rudy could tell that she was having a bit of a hard time holding back her more negative feelings and worry. "They've been splendid! I made quite a bit of money earlier. Rudy and I sold his chalkboard, as someone was willing to pay a ton of money for it."

"That's strange..." His mom said.

"Yeah. Who would pay that much for a chalkboard?" His dad pondered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Aunt Tilly said, "I'm not sure. But the money was real and I was able to cash it. Here..." Aunt Tilly walked over and handed her sister a couple hundred dollar bills. "I think you guys could use this more than me."

"Wow, thanks!" His mom said as she stuffed the money into her pocket. "I'm glad that you and Sophie enjoyed your stay here. I take it that Rudy was just fine with you guys?"

Aunt Tilly nodded her head. "Yeah. Everything just went swimmingly!"

Rudy looked up at his aunt. She gave him a swift, knowing look. He was glad that she was not going to bring up that...unpleasant incident where she struck him. He wasn't sure how well his mom and dad would take that. Especially her mom, seeing how she had known Aunt Tilly for a longer time than she knew her dad. That horrible incident... yeah there was no need for his parents to know about that.

"That's good!" His dad said, a wide grin on his face. "I knew you would all get along well while we were gone!"

"And everything is exactly how you left it. I think you'll find everything in tip shape!" Aunt Tilly said.

His mom wrapped her arms around her sister. She pulled her into a hug. His aunt's eyes widened for a few seconds before returning the hug. The two stayed in this embrace for a few seconds before his mom let go of her.

"Thank you so much." His mother said. "We greatly appreciate you holding down the fort for us."

"Let us know if you ever need someone to housesit. We'll be glad to return the favor." He heard his dad say.

"I will!" Aunt Tilly said with a smile. Then she frowned a little, turning her head down. She looked over at Rudy, and he flinched. Her expression alone was enough for him to know what was coming. She looked back at his parents, who were staring at her in confusion.

"Tilly...?" His mother said tentatively, reaching her hand out towards her sibling. "I-Is something wrong...?"

Aunt Tilly nodded her head a few times. "Well...I..." She rubbed the back of her head nervously. "There's...there's something I need to tell you..."

Rudy flinched nervously. He hung his head slightly. He ignored the expressions he got from his parents. He just stood there and waited for his aunt to deliver the bad news. Even if his aunt didn't tell, Mrs. Sanchez or Penny might. And his parents would question the bandages he had on him sooner or later. In fact, he could see them eyeing them right now with suspicion and concern.

He waited for his aunt to finish. He waited for his parents' reaction. He wanted for them to question why he had done such a stupid thing. This was a moment he had hoped he'd never have to deal with, but now here he was, being forced to confront it. He looked up at his aunt, watching as her mouth opened up to respond. Shutting his eyes tighter, he waited for the inevitable outcome.

"You see...The other day.. Rudy and Penny, they..." Aunt Tilly paused. She sucked on her lip. She looked to the left, as if to try to figure out what she was going to say. She turned back. Her expression alone was enough to make his parents look even more worried. "Something happened between them..."

"Did they get into another argument?" His dad asked. "If it's just that, I'm sure they can make up for it. They..." He stopped when he saw Aunt Tilly shake her head slowly. This made his eyes widen further. "What...what are you...?"

"It couldn't have been that bad..." His mom turned to stare at him for a few seconds. Rudy flinched at his mother's expression, the way her eyes seemed to bore into his, the way they silently prayed that his aunt was not going to say what she thought she was. "...right?"

Aunt Tilly closed her eyes. "I'm afraid so. This fight was much worse than the others."

"H-How...how bad...?" His dad asked cautiously.

Aunt Tilly stared at him, as well as her sister, for a few moments. Silence fell upon the area. Even Sophie had gone quiet, as if she could detect the tension that was filling up the room. Exhaling slowly, she said, "Well...to start off, both of them are going to need antibiotics."

This made his parents gasp, pulling their heads back. They stared at Rudy in disbelief. Their eyes trailed to his arm, where the bandages wrapped around it. They then looked back at Aunt Tilly as if looking for clarification. The woman nodded her head once, causing his parents to shoot him another disbelieving look.

Rudy felt immense guilt when he saw the way they looked at him. What a thing to come home to... He was usually more well behaved than this. They were probably thinking things like 'where did we go wrong' and 'we raised him better than that'.

Rudy couldn't help but lower his head, not even attempting to say anything to his parents. Aunt Tilly had gone silent as well, as if to give his parents some time to let this horrific information sink into their heads. She understood that such information was rather shocking, especially for parents of a usually well behaved child. They had such a great time on their vacation, and now they were forced to face the reality that their only son had gotten into a fist fight with his closest friend.

At last, his mother seemed to catch her voice. She bit it softly, sucking on it. "You're...you're kidding...right...?" She turned to her sister, her eyes wide and pleading. "Rudy wouldn't..."

"I'm sorry, but he did." Aunt Tilly confirmed. She stared at her sister sympathetically. "He and Penny got angry at...something, and it was bad enough that they just...lost their tempers and they attacked each other." Rudy watched his parents' faces become even more shock-stricken. "They beat each other up pretty badly, though most of their wounds are pretty minor. The biggest concern is that they bit a piece of each other off in the fight." She looked down at Rudy's arm. "That's what needs treatment."

Aunt Tilly turned to Rudy's parents. She watched as they fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of their son being that violent. Rudy remained silent, worrying that he might accidentally make things worse if he said anything.

Aunt Tilly appeared to want to put his parents' minds at ease. "Mrs. Sanchez already did what she could to help them. The worst part is over, but she still wants them to see their family doctors and get some antibiotics. Just in case you know?"

More silence. More just standing around, waiting. Rudy wasn't sure what was going on his parents' minds. They were unusually quiet, less responsive than he thought they would be. He wasn't sure if he was going to get off more easily than he thought, or if they were just having a delayed reaction. He hoped that they would remain understanding, and wouldn't do anything too drastic. But then he remembered how his parents reacted to him going to a concert when they specifically told him not to and he found himself involuntarily swallowing.

"So..you're saying that our boy...got into a fight with Penny...?" His dad asked carefully. His expression, the way he spoke those words, he was still in denial about what his son had done, making Rudy feel even worse.

"And they hurt each other?" His mom asked nervously. She bit her lip for a few seconds before continuing, "They bit each other?"

Aunt Tilly nodded her head solemnly. "I'm sorry to report such bad news to you two. But I felt it would have bene wrong for me to withhold such information from you." She motioned her hand towards them. "You're his parents, and you have every right to know about this."

"Yes...Thank you." His dad said. "We appreciate it..."

Then his parents looked over at him. Rudy winced when he saw their expressions now. They were no longer just simply shock or fear. Now anger was starting to show. His parents were usually not so easily angered, so when they glared at him like that, he knew that he was in some deep shit. Involuntarily, he let out a soft whimper and took a step back.

To his surprise, as well as his parents', his aunt took a step in front of him, in an almost protective manner. She raised her hand up, silencing the two adults before they had a chance to speak. Rudy remained behind his aunt, staring warily at his parents. He wondered if a fight was going to break out. He hoped not. He had enough of intense emotion lately.

"Please, don't be too hard on him. He feels bad for what he's done and he's going to make up for it." Aunt Tilly said.

"He still needs to be punished." His dad said, his voice anger-laced.

"I know. That's why I already taken the liberty to do that." Aunt Tilly took a few steps towards the two adults. "I can lay out for what you what I had decided. Then you can..."

"You punished Rudy without our permission?!" His dad snapped. "You have no right to do that! He's our son, not yours!" He pointed a finger at her. "So why don't you just..."

His mom silenced her husband by grabbing onto his arm and forcing it down. She frowned at him, clearly disappointed at his behavior. His dad lowered his arm and uttered a quick apology. His mom then turned to her sister and said, "I'm not exactly happy you did this without contacting us first. But..I understand why you did it, so let's just not press this matter further, okay?"

His aunt nodded her head. Her expression hinted a bit of guilt, as if she knew she crossed some line with his parents. "Shall I relay to you what I did?"

His mom said, "Yes, please."

Rudy watched as his parents and aunt spoke to each other. He felt a tinge of nervousness in his stomach. How was this all going to turn out? Would his aunt be able to convince them to keep her initial punishment? Only way to find out was to wait.

Rudy wasn't too surprised by the way his parents, especially his dad, reacted. They were pretty touchy when it came to his parenting. They usually prefer doing things their way, and the idea of someone else...well... They took offense to it, even if it wasn't intended to be. Unfortunate, but that's just how it was with his parents.

He stood with Sophie, feeling her grip his hand, as he watched the adults converse, waiting for it to be over. So far, his parents hadn't tried to protest against what his aunt proposed. They hadn't tried to change it to make it worse or longer. So far, so good... But he still prepared himself for the worst. He'd never know with his parents; they might approve of Aunt Tilly's punishment idea, or they might tear it apart.

In the end, he hoped that, whever happened to him, it would not leave him barred out of ChalkZone longer, or even permanently. Right now, he did not care if he was grounded; at the moment, ChalkZone was more important.

After a while, it seemed to finally be over. His parents nodded their heads with Aunt Tilly. There were some shaking of the hands, some nods of approval. Overall, it appeared to have been successful, with maybe one or two hiccups here or there.

"All right then." He heard his father say. "We'll do things that way. I think the punishment is..for the most part, reasonable." He turned to Rudy, and addressed him. "And I hope you learned your lesson, young man..."

Rudy nodded his head quickly. "Yes, dad."

His mom folded her arms against her chest. "Attacking your friend like that. For shame..."

Rudy flinched at this. He could just practically hear the disappointment off his parents' voices. Not that he could blame him. He was usually better behaved at this. He could feel his stomach twisted at the memory. It was worse than the time when he tried to 'punish' Michelle by doing a rude picture of her. So much worse...this time, he had actually hurt someone...

Aunt Tilly appeared to want to clear up the tension that was developing. She cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "Well, why don't we come inside and have something to drink while we listen to your stories?" She suggested, motioning towards his dad and mom. "I'm sure you two have quite a bit you want to say about your trip."

At this, his dad's expression lightened up a little. "Oh yeah, I've got stories for you all right!" He nudged his wife, a grin spreading across his face. "Ain't that right, Millie?"

His mom smirked at him, giving him a sideways glance. "I'm sure you would know all about that, Joe."

Aunt Tilly motioned with her arm, arching it through the air. "Come on, let's go inside!"

Rudy was relieved when his parents listened to Aunt Tilly's idea and headed inside. Their faces no longer glared and they were no longer focused on him. They had already vented their anger and frustration with Aunt Tilly when they were speaking earlier, and her reassurance at him already being punished appeared to take a load off of them, even if they didn't fully approve it at first.

But he knew this was just a temporary reprieve. His parents were going to talk to him about his behavior later on. He knew his parents well enough to know this.

He also remembered that, pretty soon, he would have to be heading off to school. Was he willing to face Penny after what had happened between them? Would she even want to see him? Would they get into another fight? This fear had him worried, and he could feel a sense of nausea rise up in his stomach. But he did realize that, in the end, he was going to have to talk to Penny. He just hoped that their next encounter was not going to be particularly bad. Not like what happened yesterday.

"Rudy, come on!"

Rudy lifted up his head at the call of his mom's voice. He realized he had fallen behind. "Coming, mom!" With that, he hurried to the door and walked inside.

sss

Rapsheeba was growing increasingly nervous. She sat beside herself in her home, her blanket wrapped tightly around her. She realized that it was morning. Her clock was flashing at her, telling her it's time to hea back into Night Zone so she can begin her day. Yet she reamined where she was, curled up, uncertain of what to do.

She was trying to make sense of what happened lately, what had been going on. She couldn't believe just how fast things had been doing downhill lately. She had hoped that things would improve by now. After all, Rudy and Penny usually were able to turn things around fairly quickly. But in this case...

The twister had been the start of it all. Appearing out of nowhere, just like any other twister, destroying parts of the city. It had been contained, but some zoners were worried it'd break out again, or that more would appear. Normally, she would question the zoners, since random acts of nature, if it can be called that, were normal. But then she started to wonder if it was because this twister was...different. After all, it did deliberately chase her and the others. Were the zoners worried that its creator would strike again?

It was possible, and, unfortunately, there was no way of knowing when or if it'd happen again. They were at the mercy of fate. All they could do was wait for the next one. In the meantime, they just had to keep their guards up and wait.

But the twister wasn't ChalkZone's only problem.

There was also that open portal, the one that they had learned about not too long ago. The zoners had been scowering the area, trying to find it. So far, they didn't have much luck on that. Not one zoner had reported seeing anything suspicious. Rapsheeba knew that, the longer this portal remained open, the more likely that it was going to be used against them, somehow. Whether by a human or even another zoner.

Then there was the incident with Howdy. Him pushing her down. Him shocking Penny, knowing her out. There were some rumors going around about the guy, and now more and more zoners had gotten suspicious of him. Rapsheeba feared for him. If he wandered through the city now... She had no doubts in her head that he'd be chased, this time with more ferocity.

The dog's appearance was quite chilling. It had appeared at the location of Penny's usual portal placement, which alone was enough to make some zoners talk. The fact that the dog was looking for Penny was also suspicious. But most zoners remembered it for its ferocity. It just...attacked anyone who got in its way, and it had such a single-minded goal, hardly considered anything else.

And the zoners that it had killed... Granted, there wasn't too high a casualty rate. But the fact that any zoner had been killed was enough to shake her to her core. Just what was that dog's creator thinking...?

All of this, Howdy's actions, the tornado, the dog, the portal, the prospect of humans getting into ChalkZone, it all swirled in her head in a combined thought cloud. It left her feeling on edge, and she constantly felt a cold chill on her shoulder. That alone was enough to make each day anxiety filled for just about anyone, not just herself. Yet there was something else to add into the mix.

Snap appeared to have gone missing as well...

Rapsheeba figured this out earlier, when she had made a phone call to Lars. Apparently Snap was going to speak to him about something, though she couldn't remember what. Likely to do with their current dilemma. But when the bear told him that Snap never showed up...

She tried to rationalize it. Maybe Snap just didn't get up yet. Maybe he was just sleepy. Maybe he had gone out earlier to look for the portal on his own. He didn't seem like the type that would just lay down with this sort of threat on the horizon. He was a zoner that took action. It would be out of character for him to just sit around and do nothing, even if Rudy and Penny are not in ChalkZone.

But she wasn't content enough, and she had called more zoners. Each time, she got the same answer. No one had seen him around. She bit her lip, feeling her stomach twist. She tried to remain hopeful. Despite what this was adding up to, she wanted to believe that there was a chance that he was fine, that nothing had happened to him, that things hadn't gotten worse than they already were.

But..what if something did happen to him? There was an open portal in ChalkZone. What if he was kidnapped? The idea left her with a feeling that was heavy like a stone in her stomach. If something had happened to him...

Her eyes widened when she realized that the zoners would likely blame Howdy for that. Especially a certain few that had been more hostile about it than others. She herself had been recieving some negative intention from the more extreme zoners. Her stance towards Howdy, despite being pushed by him, were more favorable. She insisted that Howdy had a good reason for what he was doing. Even though she herself couldn't really understand it, she refused to label Howdy as 'bad' or a 'traitor'. She did her best to ignore such comments.

She thought back to the Pencil Sharpener, where Howdy had been going towards before. She started to wonder something. Was it possible that this was where the portal was? Was Howdy truly involved with it? It made her feel sick, but she was certain that there was a good reason for this. Perhaps she should go there and find out for herself what was going on.

She narrowed her eyes in determination. Yeah... that's exactly what she was going to do. None of the other zoners appeared to want to investigate. They were too terrified of that location. But it's not like she could blame them. The place already had a terrifying reputation, and most zoners avoided it for a reason. But she would take the chance and search for herself. She will do what most zoners were too afraid to: explore Pencil Sharpener.

She knew the risks involved. She knew that any zoner who found out were going to want to stop her, or they'd label her suspicious as well. She didn't care. She wanted answers. If she could find out why Howdy was so secretive, and if she found the location of the portal, she could relay this information to the others. She could lead them there, and they could erase the portal themselves.

And perhaps...they would find Blocky. She hoped so. She missed the little guy. The poor thing must be so scared and frightened wherever he was. She hoped he would remain safe until help arrived.

But she knew, deep down, life didn't always work that way. Life can be quite...unfair. She had to keep this in mind.

Not sparing more time to contemplate what she was about to do, Rapsheeba got out of her bed and walked over towards her dresser. She began to change, preparing herself for the task ahead. She made sure to grab a few things that could be used to defend herself with. She never knew what or who she might run into out there.

Once she got what she thought she'd need, she immediately exited her home and headed towards her car, which still looked pretty good despite having to drive a lot of zoners in it the other day from the dog incident. She turned it on and immediately sped off.

sss

"No! Let him go!" Snap demanded. "Release him at once!" He pounded against the glass shield over and over, as if he thought he could break it down.

Howdy, on the other hand, simply placed his hand on the cold surface. He stared over, his eyes filling with fear and pleadiness. "Please..let him go. Stop doing this. Can't you see how much it's hurting him...?"

Terry paid the zoners no mind. She focused instead at the task at hand. Since Von was too untrustworthy to do this without risking the death of their captive, she opted to do it herself. She felt it was pretty stupid that she would have to be the one in charge of this. She wasn't the one with knowledge of anatomy; Von was. At least, more so than her. The fact that this had to happen at all...

She did her best to shrug it off. There was no use complaining about it now. They had a new thing scheduled up and she planned on following through with it. At least this way, she was able to satisfy the man and didn't have to worry about the state of the zoners.

She held Blocky still. This was quite easy, considering how weak he had become. She was able to use some of the medicine that Howdy managed to get from ChalkZone to create a kind of tranquilizer. This zapped the zoner of his strength and numbed some of the pain, making it much easier to do this.

In spite of the drugs, however, Blocky still squirmed. He whimpered softly, kicking his legs out weakly, trying to get her away. She merely just leaned to the side, avoiding the meek attacks. She tightened her grip on him and snarled at him.

"Hold still, you little runt! This will go faster if you just hold still!"

"No..please..." Blocky whimpered. His voice was so low, so weak... It was enough to make Terry wince slightly. She shook it off immediately. "Don't do this... Please.. I-It hurts..."

Terry rolled her eyes. "I gave you painkillers, so suck it up!" Before she could resume, she heard pounding on the glass container not far. She glared over at where Snap and Howdy were. She could hear them shout at her, telling her to stop. She growled at this. "Oh shut up, you two!" Ignoring Snap's protests and Howdy's pleas, she turned her attention back to Blocky.

She held the scissors up to his side. She focused on the area that was already damaged. As much as she didn't want to cause further damage to the area that had been dissolved, she would much rather do this than damage another area. At least here, she could keep it more contained and localized to one spot. She placed the blade against the zoner's side and pressed down.

Blocky screeched at this, prompting more energized reactions from the other two captives. Terry winced, feeling the scream echo in her ears. She did her best to ignore it, raising her shoulder up to try block at least some of the sound, and continued to cut a small piece of flesh from the zoner. If Von wanted a piece of zoner flesh, she'll give it to him as long as it kept him from doing more of those reckless experients too fast.

As she cut, she could see the blood oozing out, moving along her finger. She noticed just how warm it felt. Well duh, she already knew the zoners were warm. She held them enough. But something about feeling the blood..it was different, somehow. She wasn't sure why. And the look on the zoner's face as she cut him, the way his cheeks were stained with tears, the way he was emitting whimpers...

For a moment, she froze. She was, in that one second, unsure if she wanted to continue. That pang of empathy she felt before, it returned.

She soon shrugged it off and continued, cutting into the green zoner's side. She couldn't believe she hesitated like that. This was no big deal. She was just doing a small biopsy. That was all. No big deal. The zoner was just over reaction. It was just a little snip...

At least, she disconnected a small piece of flesh. She held it in her hand, staring at it. She was amazed and almost horrified by how realistic it looked, despite being made of chalk. She nudged the jar she had got out towards herself and placed the flesh in there, ceiling it up tightly. She then looked down at Blocky.

The zoner was thrashing on the ground, louder cries coming out of his mouth. Despite the drugs, he was moving around quite a bit, still in clear pain. She wondered if she should have tried for something stronger. If the zoner continued to squirm like this, he was going to hurt himself more. Taking action, she seized the sobbing zoner and held him still.

"Hold still, you little crybaby!" Terry growled at the zoner. "You're fine! Stop being so..."

"How can you be so heartless?"

Terry looked over and glared at Snap, who had spoken to her. She returned his scowl with one of her own. "I'm not. You zoners are just..."

"He's in pain!" Wailed Snap, raising his hands up in the air. "Of course he's going to cry like that! He's in terrible pain! Look at what you've done to him!"

Terry raised an eyebrow, curling her lip part way up. "It's no big deal." She said. "He's going to be fine."

"How can you do this to another living person...?" Howdy asked. His voice was softer than Snap's, and his expression was more of shock than anger. "Please...at least think about what you're doing. If you just..."

"Oh pipe down! You're wasting my time!" Terry looked down at Blocky. "If you'll excuse me, I need to patch up your friend before he bleeds out."

Ignoring the zoners again, she carried Blocky over to the nearby table, placed there just recently. The bag of medicinal supplies was placed in it. She laid Blocky on the table and reached into the bag. She pulled out some disinfectant and bandages, and she began to patch up the hole she had cut into the zoner.

As she did this, she couldn't help but think about what Snap and Howdy had said. She couldn't help but remind herself that these zoners were indeed alive, and, although she tried to push it aside, she could still remember the pang of guilt and sympathy that she had been having lately. She tried to tell herself that it was no big deal and that she shouldn't really feel all that bad for the zoners.

After all, they were just drawings, right? It didn't really matter if they got hurt. They could be healed easily, right? It didn't matter if they died. They can just be redrawn. Isn't that how it worked in ChalkZone? Weren't the zoners, on some level, immortal? At least, a type of immortality that humans could never hope to achieve? True, there was still much she didn't know. But... there couldn't be that much consequence in killing a zoner, right? They weren't as valuable as human life. So why should she care?

Then...if this was the case..why did she feel any kind of guilt at all? Why was she letting herself feel this way? Could it be that, in some part, she didn't feel that this was right? That she was starting to think that there was something more to them?

She tried to shake it off. She tried to focus all her attention on bandaging up Blocky. But no matter what she did, or how hard she tried, this pang wouldn't leave her alone. For the first time, she began to have something she never thought she'd have.

Doubts.

She tried her best to push it out of her mind. Right now wasn't the time for doubts. She needed to finish up fixing Blocky so she could deliver to 'the highness' Von. He had been demanding the piece of flesh for a while and she wanted to give it to him before he lost his patients and tried to get it himself.

Soon she finished up, wrapping the final layer of the bandage around the zoner's side. She could see the red stain spreading, and then stopping. She smirked at this, knowing that it meant that the blood leakage had stopped. She quickly added an extra layer just in case and carried the zoner over to where his pals were.

After nonchalantly dropping him inside, ignoring his yelp of pain, paying no heed to the glares from Howdy and Snap, she said, "I'll be delivering the sample to Dr. Von Doktor. After that, blue boy, I'll be sending you and Howdy into ChalkZone to deliver the message. If you're not back within an hour..."

"I know, I know.." Snap muttered. "You're going to erase Blocky."

Terry smiled at this. "That's it. You're getting it!" She looked down at Blocky, noting his fearful expression. She broadened her smile. "Though I'm sure that death sounds really good to him right about now..."

At this, Blocky gave a loud whine and cringed. Snap and Howdy moved in front of him. Terry smiled at this show of bravery and protectiveness.

Not wanting to prolong this...meeting, Terry turned her back to the zoners and headed towards the table, where she left the jar with the piece of flesh. She grabbed onto it and headed towards the door. She stopped for a moment and looked back at the zoners. With a glint in her eyes, she grinned nastily at them, and then proceeded down the hallway.

sss

Penny remained quiet as her mother started to drive her off to school. She wasn't looking forward to it, and she had tried to convince her mom to let her stay home, but nothing she said worked. Her mother told her that her fears regarding Rudy weren't a good enough excuse to skip out on school, so she was forced to come, regardless of what she said.

It wasn't that she was afraid to come to school, nor was she trying to keep away from Rudy permanently. She just...wasn't sure if she could face him this quickly. She still felt horrible about what happened between them, and she feared that they might end up getting into another fight.

She did feel guilty for thinking that. She wanted to have a little more faith in their friendship than that. But she just couldn't help it. They never had a fight that bad before. She had never actually strike someone like that before. She could still feel the impact against her fingers, making her wince and rub them lightly. She couldn't believe just how..violent she and Rudy had been towards each other. It was like they had turned into a pair of wild animals...

Would they be the same after this? Could they really make up for what they did to each other and be able to focus on what was important? Would they still be able to work as a team to find Blocky, to stop Terry and Von, and to close the portal?

She hoped so. Saving ChalkZone was a top priority at the moment. She knew that, and she hoped that Rudy knew that as well.

But even so, she knew that it was going to be awkward seeing him again. Especially since the last time...didn't exactly go well... She shut her eyes as she heard the mental echoes of the cries and snarls she and Rudy made during the fight. Her body still had some phantom pangs of the pain she had recieved from Rudy, and she could feel the sensation of hitting him right back. Even her teeth felt as though they were biting into flesh, Rudy's skin... She tried her est to shake it off, but the feelings remained, tormenting her as she sat in the passenger's seat on the way to school.

Her mother said not a word. She knew what she was going through, and she understood that this was a problem that only Penny herself could solve. Her mother could give advice, but it was up to her to take the step. Apologizing to Rudy was going to be difficult, but it was something that had to be done. She hoped that he would forgive her for her foolishness. She really should have controlled her temper more. She had punched him...and that started the fight. She couldn't help but feel responsible for that.

As hard as this was, this had to be resolved. She realized that she and Rudy likely won't function very well as a team if they are still harboring bitter feelings towards one another. She hoped that they will be able to ease the tension soon, and before their adversaries catch wind and use it to their advantage.

"Remember, Penita." Her mom called out as she made a turn onto the road the school was on. "I will pick you up early from school today for the doctor's appointment."

"Yes, mom." Penny said, nodding her head. She remembered that her mother scheduled an appointment with the family doctor to look at her arm, just in case. There was a chance that an infection could settle in, and they needed to get antibiotics. Her mother has some, but not for humans.

Her mother remained quiet for a few seconds. Then she said, "Rudy will be joining us."

Penny nearly choked at this. She clutched her throat and swallowed. She then turned to her mother, staring at her with wide, shock-filled eyes. "What?" She spluttered, not expecting her mother to say that.

Her mother stopped a red light. She used this moment to glare softly down at her daughter. "His appointment is at about the same time as yours, and his doctor is in the same building, too. His parents felt it would be more convenient if I picked him up as well."

Penny remained silent at this. She could feel her heart clench. Normally, this wouldn't bother her, and she'd welcome the company. But with what happened between them lately...

"I know you're nervous, Penny. But trust me. It's going to be fine." Her mother said reassuringly. "Plus, the time in the car will give you two a chance to speak. If you aren't able to during school that is." She resumed driving the car after the light shifted to green.

Penny remained silent at this, unsure of what to say, or how to feel about what her mother had said. The idea of sitting with Rudy at the moment sounded...awkward, with what happened between them and all. And she wasn't sure if she liked the idea of them apologizing and trying to make it up with each other in the car. She had wanted to do it somewhere more..private, where they could talk to each other one on one.

But she knew there was nothing she could say or do to change her mother's mind. She was just going to have to accept it and be prepared to face Rudy, in case it doesn't go over as well during school.

Speaking of which, she could see the school up ahead now. Her mother drew closer to it very quickly, and in no time, her mother parked the car on the side of the school, the edge of the car nearly touching the sidewalk. Penny hopped out of the car, bidding her mother farewell. She watched her mother leave and she turned towards the school entrance. She began to walk that way when she noticed movement in the corner of her eye.

It was Rudy. His parents' car just left, but she hardly paid attention as she looked at Rudy. The boy's head was hung low and he averted his gaze from her. His expression was unreadable. She couldn't tell if he was angry or if he was nervous or what. But the way he was moving so slowly... It was clear he was feeling just as guilty as she.

The sight of him made her feel nervous, and she took a step back. She tried to think of something to say, but no words would come out. Rudy made no attempt to speak to her, and never once did he try to look at her in the eyes. Soon he got close enough that he nearly brushed up against her, and he began to make his way towards the school entrance like she was.

"Rudy..." Penny finally managed to say, holding up a finger. Rudy stopped and looked over at Penny. She winced at his expression. "I...um.." She looked down at his arm. "..how are you feeling...?"

Rudy gave a soft grunt. "I'm fine..." He looked down at her arm in return. "And you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Penny said. She thought she could see a smile in Rudy's face, but it was rather faint. "So, when did you want to start..." She stopped when she noticed that Rudy began to walk away from her. "..talking. Hey, Rudy! Wait!"

Rudy ignored her. He just kept going, his gait rather off, his head remaining low. Penny watched him for a few seconds. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. This was going to be harder than she thought.

Without further delay, she went into the school.


	26. Doubts

Chapter 26: Doubts

Was I right? Was I wrong? All I know is what I do.

sss

It was a rather awkward feeling, sitting in class not far from Penny. It was nothing unusual. He did this every school day, ever since Penny had become a part of the class.

But today, it felt so...strange and out of place. While he knew that he wasn't in any danger, he couldn't help but feel..tense. It wasn't sure how he could describe it to anyone. He just felt like he was in constant need to watch where she was, where he was, and..he just felt awful feeling like that. He really did want to speak to Penny, but at the time being, he just..wasn't sure if he could make himself.

Not like he could say anything to her right now, anyway. Class was going on, and Mr. Wilter's voice filled his head, making it hard for him to fully concentrate on the raging storm inside of him. Probably a good thing, too. Otherwise, Mr. Wilter would go on a rant about cartoons or something.

Once in a while, he'd look over at Penny. She wouldn't stare at him; instead she fixated her gaze on Mr. Wilter. He made no attempts at getting her attention. Like him, she probably wasn't took keen on speaking to him too quickly; especially during class. He hoped that, when time comes to talk, they both would have an easier time.

But no one said it was going to be easy, and he had to agree with that sentiment. He wasn't even sure how he would begin the apology, what to say first, or anything. Apologizing was never easy, but it was the hardest when it was to a best friend. He and Penny never fought that hard before. What could he say that would solidify their friendship? To ease both their minds so they can move on from the fight?

At the moment, he couldn't focus on that. Mr. Wilter was talking about some pop quiz tomorrow, and he was giving information on the assignment. Forcing himself out of his daze, Rudy pulled out a pen and paper to begin writing.

"What's the matter, Tabootie?" Came Reggie's sneering voice. "You were spacing out there."

Rudy tried his best not to look at Reggie. The last thing he needed was another trip to the principal's office. He and Penny got off lucky then. Best not test his luck again. "Do you mind, Reggie? I'm trying to write down the assignment."

"Were you thinking about your girlfriend?" Reggie jeered at him.

"Why don't you ask me after class?" Rudy answered in a low voice. He hoped that Mr. Wilter's attention wouldn't be drawn here. But if Reggie didn't stop...

"Oh come on, you can tell me." Reggie placed a hand against his chest. "You know I wouldn't be so low as to flaunt about your girlfriend to the entire school."

Rudy rolled his eyes. Still he refused to look at him, and this time, he refused to answer. That was just adding fuel to the fire. He shouldn't encourage Reggie like that. He would never stop, no matter what he said. And it's not like he would ever trust him anyway; Reggie was the last person that could be trusted with any secret.

He was a little agitated by the comment of a girlfriend. He wouldn't exactly deny that he had a crush on Penny, but Reggie's words made it sound like it was a bad thing, or something hardly noticed. He and Penny already heard some comments from students about them, so it's not like the whole school didn't know. But Rudy really didn't like calling Penny his girlfriend, nor was he presently interested in a serious relationship with her. They were only ten, for crying out loud. Maybe when they were older. Maybe.

Eventually, Reggie did seem to tire of trying to taunt him and he became quiet. Whether or not this would be the last time he'd hear from him, only time would tell. Reggie wasn't the type to just let things go so easily. He wouldn't be surprised if Reggie tried to beat him up later just for not listening to him. The prospect of getting hurt again didn't please him, but Reggie rarely went that far with his beatings. Plus he wasn't going to be crazed like a wild animal, like he and Penny had been...

"Remember, class!" Mr. Wilter's voice cut through. "Tomorrow, you will all be taking a pop quiz that will count towards ten percent of your school year grade."

"But, Mr. Wilter..." One of the children, whom Rudy recognized as Bobby, raised his hand. "Isn't that..."

"Pipe down, you!" Mr. Wilter said as he pointed a finger at Bobby. "I'm the teacher around here!" Bobby nodded his head and shrank in the chair. Mr. Wilter then cleared his throat. "All right then, to continue..." He clamped his hands together. "Make sure you all read chapter 5 in your text books. I trust you will all do your best on the assignment."

"Yes, Mr. Wilter." The class responded.

Mr. Wilter said, "That's good. Now to continue with today's lesson..." The man turned towards the chalkboard and raised up a piece of chalk. As he began writing, he said, "Who can tell me which country was the founder of cheese?"

Rudy hardly paid attention to Mr. Wilter after that. He found his mind wandering again. He tried not to. He tried to pay attention, knowing that it was going to bite him back if he didn't.

But he just couldn't help it. The incident with Penny...it remained in his head, haunting him. He couldn't stop it from playing through in his mind. He kept thinking of all the what-ifs, and things that could have happened. The fight could have gotten so much worse. Even though he already knew how it turned out in the end, the more worse what-ifs kept plaguing his mind.

What if they had not stopped when they did? What if they kept fighting? What if they bit each other harder, more often? What if they caused more internal damage? What if they broke a limb?

Rudy tried to remind himself that it was pointless in getting upset over it, yet it was difficult to push out of his mind. It was further compounded by his own guilt. Even though he knew it was useless to keep beating himself up over this, and that he should just focus on apologizing, but he still couldn't help but spend a good portion of the time scolding himself for what had happened.

This was not going to be good once they started to look for Blocky. This would hinder their efforts in stopping Terry and Von. He needed to try to be more focused, to not allow his personal feelings clog his judgment. Would he and Penny be able to do that? He hoped so, but only time would tell.

"Mr. Tabootie!" Mr. Wilter's voice suddenly cried out. Rudy let out a surprised cry. "Since you have so much time on your hands that you can daydream, why don't you give us the answer?"

"I..." Rudy stammered. He couldn't remember what the question was. He struggled to think of what it was. He turned to Penny, but realized that she wouldn't be able to help. He turned back to Mr. Wilter. He needed to give some kind of answer to the man. Desperate, he said, "Uhh... a comatose rock?"

Mr. Wilter blinked a few times at Rudy. He slowly raised his eyebrow. "...a comatose rock invented cheese...?"

Rudy slapped himself in the face as several students, including Reggie, began to laugh at him. Comatose rock...why did he say something so stupid? He slumped in his chair, his face reddening from embarassment.

Mr. Wilter shook his head. "I expect more from you, Mr. Tabootie." Mr. Wilter then turned his head towards another student. Rudy could see that Penny now had her hand raised up. "Yes, Ms. Sanchez?"

"The answer is none, as the origins of cheese date back so far that no one is able to positively identify which country was the true founder of cheese."

"That's correct, Ms. Sanchez!" Mr. Wilter said. He began to write some words on the chalkboard. "Now, can anyone tell me..."

Rudy rested his head on his desk, still swamped with embarassment, which was now intermingling with his guilt. Not exactly a good combination. Well, this wouldn't be the first and only time he had ever done or said something stupid. As horrible as it was to be laughed at, he would take this over the guilt of hurting Penny. By comparison, this wasn't so bad.

Hopefully, this class would go by fast, and he would be able to talk to Penny during lunch time. It seemed to be the best bet. It was sooner than lunch time and it would be easy for him to look around and make sure that the other students weren't eavesdropping. Plus, they would be so busy talking to themselves that they would hardly hear what he and Penny were saying. True, they could also wait for recess, as that had its advantages, too, but he would rather try to get this done and over with faster, despite his personal feelings on the matter.

Then after that... He wasn't sure. He just realized that, without ChalkZone, it was going to be really hard to communicate with Penny. They would need to discuss plans, and the only time they can do that is during recess, or lunch if they happened to have time. Before they even leave school, they would need to come up with a game plan. It was doubtful that their parents would let them visit each other too soon after the fight. The doctor's appointment was just an exception.

Despite his fear and worry, he was still hopeful that they would figure out something, and they could resume their mission to help ChalkZone. Their parents might have stopped them from going, but they hadn't stopped the mission.

sss

"Oh Snap! I'm so glad to see you!" Rapsheeba cried as she wrapped her arms around the blue and white zoner.

Snap struggled in her grasp. She was squeezing a little too tightly. "Please...stop...you're..it's...too tight.."

Rapsheeba immediately released him when she realized he was right. "I'm so sorry!" She put her hands against her mouth as she stared down at Snap. "Are you okay?"

Snap sat on the ground after he was dropped. He rubbed his side as he clenched his teeth. "Yeah..I'm fine. Don't worry." He climbed back up to his feet. He smiled at Rapsheeba. He had to admit, it was difficult to contain his joy at seeing her again. "I'm so glad to see you."

Rapsheeba took a step towards him. "I had been looking for you everywhere! I was just on my way to the Pencil Sharpener and..." She paused. Her eyes shifted as she appeared to see something behind him. "Oh...hello, Howdy.."

Snap flinched at that. She sounded..not really cold, but..he wasn't sure how to pinpoint it. It was certainly different than her usual tone of voice. He turned his head and he could see Howdy was standing next to him, or rather, behind him. He was fidgeting, and looked rather nervous to be in Rapsheeba's presence.

Snap reached down and gently touched Howdy on the shoulder. He remembered the brief explanation his friend gave. Now it was time for him to work up the courage to tell Rapsheeba the same thing. "It's all right, Howdy. Go on ahead." Snap said with a small smile on his face. With a gesture of his head, he said, "Tell her what you told me."

Rapsheeba appeared to take interest in this. She moved a little closer, her eyes focused intently on Howdy. The puppet zoner shrank away, looking ashamed of what he had done. Rapsheeba glared softly at him, as if she harbored some negative feelings towards him. Or was she just merely confused?

Rapsheeba lowered herself towards the ground, her knee pressing against the hard surface. "Howdy... I don't... I..." She bit her lip as she struggled to figure out just what she wanted to say. "I don't understand why you pushed me, why you had run away, why you had knocked out Penny... I thought you were better than that." Howdy lowered his head further. Rapsheeba's expression softened up. She reached over and cupped Howdy's chin. "But..I'm certain there's a good reason for it...right?"

Howdy looked up at her. A few tears streamed down his face. He nodded his head once, opening his mouth. At first, all that would come out were shaky, trembling breaths. He looked left and right as he tried to articulate his words. He managed to squeak, "I..I was captured...and..and I had... I..." He couldn't speak anymore and he just shut his eyes and leaned against Rapsheeba.

The singer zoner stared down at Howdy with concern. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. She gently rubbed his back and whispered soft words to him. She then turned her attention to Snap. "What happened?"

Realizing that Howdy wasn't going to be able to finish his answer, Snap stepped up. "He was kidnapped by Dr. Von Doktor and Terry Bouffant. They were using him to bring some items from ChalkZone to prolong Blocky's life so they can continue to experiment on him." His voice held a tinge of bitterness at this.

Rapsheeba gasped in horror, her hand once again finding its way to her mouth. For a few seconds, she didn't speak. Her wide eyes told all that she was feeling. After she let this horrific information settle in, she managed to speak again, asking in a weak voice, "And you...?"

Snap shut his eyes as he remembered the details of what happened. "I ran into Howdy earlier and he led me to the portal. I was captured by Terry and now she wants me to deliver a message to Rudy and Penny. Have you seen them?"

Rapsheeba shook her head. "No, I..." Suddenly she stopped. She stared at Snap with wide eyes. She leaned forward slightly and said, "Wait, you know where the portal is?"

Snap nodded his head. "Yes. It's in Pencil Sharpener. But it's dangerous as it leads straight into the base of those two creepazoids, where they are holding Blocky. It's too risky to just go in and..."

"We have to take action!" Rapsheeba called out. She had let go of Howdy. The puppet zoner took a few steps back away from her, staring at her warily. "We need to tell the zoners about this!"

"But, queenie..." Snap said softly, a stern tone to them. "It's too risky. We need to get Rudy and Penny first. They..."

"But they aren't here right now! They hadn't arrived yet! Snap, we can't just hold this off! We need to take action now! Do you have any idea how restless the zoners are getting the city? Do you know the rumors that are spreading about me and Howdy?"

At this, Snap looked over at the puppet zoner. He could see the zoner flinch at this statement and cringe. He felt bad for him. But despite that, he knew that this wasn't good enough to take action immediately. They needed to wait for Rudy or Penny first. It was just too risky going back there without the help of a creator. If a bunch of zoners just barged into the Real World...

"We need to spread the word about this so that all the zoners in the city know about the portal. They need to know that it has been located so their minds can be put at ease. They need to know what Howdy has been doing so that they know who is on which side." Rapsheeba said. "During a time like this, we need to know who is friend and who is foe. Snap, you should know this."

"I do." Snap said.

"Then come on!" Rapsheeba motioned with her hand. "Let's go tell the zoners the good news!"

"Well..that probably isn't a good idea right now..." Snap said softly. Rapsheeba stared at him in shock. He continued before she could say anything. "Queenie..I've seen what it was like in there. I saw what they had done to Blocky. Do you want them to do that to more zoners? In the Real World, we might be able to go on flat surfaces, but the humans still have an advantage. All the fluids there are deadly and they have erasers. If we aren't careful, we can easily be killed. And these humans have been gathering information on zoners, which would make them even more dangerous already." He closed his eyes lightly, folding his arms against his chest. "I'm sorry, but we can't tell any of the zoners yet. Some of them will just be rash and try to rush into this, and they will get caught and hurt, even killed. We need to think this through more, and we need Rudy and Penny, or one of them if it comes to it. We..."

"Well we can't wait for them! The zoners are getting ansty in ChalkZone City, Snap! They're about ready to go crazy! The past incidents, and the threat of the portal and new, evil creators has put them all on edge!" Rapsheeba said. She formed a fist with her hands. Her eyes locked onto his, widening in desperation. "Please, Snap! You and Howdy had been there, so you can help us! Please, let's try to end this now while we still have a chance!"

Snap shook his head. "No, Rapsheeba. We must wait for..."

"Rudy and Penny aren't always going to be able to help us!" Rapsheeba cried, stomping her foot on the ground to get attention. "We need to learn to stick up for ourselves! It's time that we took action!"

Snap stared at Rapsheeba for several moments. He hesitated to answer, thinking about what she had said. He understood why she felt this way. After how the crowd chased Howdy, he had no doubt in his head that rumors had spread about him like wildfire. He could also understand why the zoners were getting upset. The threat of the portal and more creators must be too much for many to bear. Until the threat was eliminated, the zoners were going to be quite in edge.

Still, despite that, Snap knew it would be too dangerous to spread the word just yet. Some of the zoners would be rather reckless and rush towards the portal with no planning. Given the circumstances, he knew this would be a likely case scenario. He couldn't allow the zoners to rush into danger like that. No, they had to think this through and...

"..I think she has a point, Snap..."

The blue superhero turned to Howdy. "What are you saying, Howdy? We can't just..."

"I know. I understand the risks. But..Snap... You hadn't been there as long as I had." Howdy said. Snap frowned at this. Howdy appeared to read his mind and added, "Yeah, I know it wasn't that much longer. Still, I had seen more of what they were capable of."

Snap cocked an eyebrow. "So then you agree with me?"

Howdy shook his head. "After what I've seen, that just gives me a stronger desire to see them stopped." He motioned a hand towards himself. "Yeah I'm not much and I can't really force them to do anything. But there are stronger zoners in the city, Snap. We have numbers on our side. Von and Terry are only two people. There's a lot more of us. We can overwhelm them with our shere vastness and stop them."

Snap couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Howdy even listening to what he was saying? Did he not comprehend just how dangerous and suicidal that would be? True, there were some rather strong zoners, but that didn't mean much when faced with Real World water, or a Real World eraser.

This was why it was better to just bide their time and get Rudy and Penny. He still needed to deliver the message. If Terry found out that he didn't deliver it...

He shook his head, realizing that he was wasting itme sitting around and pondering. "Look, let's just speak to Rudy and Penny first, and then we can discuss what we will do." Snap looked from Rapsheeba to Howdy. "To rush in without a plan is suicide! Rudy and Penny know that world better than we do. We should just..."

"They aren't here right now!" Rapsheeba called out. "Rudy sent a message to ChalkZone stating that he and Penny won't be able to come in for a few days!"

Snap froze at this, staring at her in shock. He couldn't believe what he heard and it took him a few seconds to fully register it. He licked his lips nervously. "Wh-What...?" He managed to choke out.

Rapsheeba gave an exasperated sigh. "Earlier, a message from Rudy Tabootie himself came. In it, he detailed an unfortunate Real World event that caused him and Penny to get grounded. They are not allowed to enter ChalkZone until that is up."

"So...you're saying they will not be able to come in and help?" Snap asked.

Rapsheeba shook her head. "Nope. However, they can still draw things and aid us that way." Snap and Howdy exchanged looks at this. "So now you know why we can't wait." Snap looked back at the female zoner. "They will be gone for five days, Snap. Five. Days. Do you really think we have that long? We need to act now, while we still have a chance! So..what do you say?"

Snap didn't answer right away. He kept his mouth shut, his eyes turned towards the ground. The information swept through him, feeling like a cold chill. He couldn't believe this horrible turn of events. How could something like this have happened? What did Rudy and Penny do that was keeping them barred out of ChalkZone?

This was bad... What was he going to do now? He needed to deliver the message to them, and if Terry found out that he didn't... His heart raced against his chest, remembering her threat. Even if she didn't try to erase all of ChalkZone, she could still do a lot of damage. Now, more than ever, they needed to watch their step and...

"I see you're still adamant about not doing this." Rapsheeba's voice cut through the air. The tone of it made Snap flinch as he turned his attention back to her. "I had hoped that, after you learned this, you would be more willing to help, but I can see I was wrong." She narrowed her eyes not out of anger, but out of hurtfulness. "Well, I'm going to inform the zoners, whether you want to help or not." She swiftly turned her back to him. "Do what you feel is necessary, Snap. And I'll do the same."

"Rapsheeba, wait!" Snap called out, reaching his hand out towards her. "Please, I..."

"There's no need to apologize, Snap. I understand your hesitation." Rapsheeba said. She looked over her shoulder and stared out at him. "Just..do whatever it is you were going to do. Howdy and I will go to the city and inform them of the update." At this, Snap noticed that Howdy went towards Rapsheeba. "If you wish to join us, you know where to find us."

With that, they departed, beginning to head towards ChalkZone City at a brisk pace. Snap watched them leave, unable to do or say anything to stop them from leaving him alone here like this.

His mind swirled with thoughts as the recent events replayed in his head. Rudy and Penny were locked out of ChalkZone? That was...going to make things a lot harder, just to be blunt and simple. And that didn't even cover everything. What could he do now? What could any of them do? He admired Rapsheeba's bravery and all, but...bravery wasn't going to win this battle.

He looked back towards Pencil Sharpener, which was quite a ways into the distance by now. He couldn't head back now, not without Howdy. And if he showed up without delivering the message... It wasn't like Terry would believe him; that was why she sent Howdy with. She would think he got rid of him. And then she would...

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to stand around and do nothing. He..he had to take action. But he was so conflicted... Should he join Rapsheeba and the other zoners' efforts in breaking into the Real World to rescue Blocky that way? Or was it better to wait and think of a plan? He would rather think of a plan, but at the moment, nothing came to mind. And if Rudy and Penny were going to be gone for five days...

..then that meant that they really were, largely, on their own...

Snap wasn't sure how well a bunch of zoners were going to do in the Real World. He still feared the worse, and he couldn't stop imagining the horrible, gruesome deaths they would most likely suffer when they try to face the two humans. He clutched his head, feeling a dull ache as he struggled to get the terrifying images out of his head, yet failed.

Unable to make up his mind, too tormented by both decisions and the implications that they might lead to, Snap dropped down onto his knees, still holding onto his head. He gritted his teeth tightly, eventually riding out the headache. He let out a sigh of relief, and took in a few breaths. He lifted up his head and stared off at the retreating forms of Rapsheeba and Howdy. Maybe he should go after them. Maybe Rapsheeba's idea was the best one to go with.

But...he needed a bit of time to think first. He needed to contemplate his actions before he did anything. Maybe he would think of a better plan if he just tried hard enough. He sat himself on the ground, crossed his legs, and began to think. He hoped and prayed that something would come up. Something that would lead to a better solution than...a possibly suicidal mission...

However, he couldn't help but feel that he have no such luck.

sss

Terry paced back and forth in the room. She had her hands folded behind her back. Once in a while, she'd look over at Blocky in the glass container not far from her. Then she'd resume her pacing, her mind going through multiple thoughts.

She wondered what was keeping Snap and Howdy. They were given a simple assignment. It shouldn't have taken this long for them to find chalk boy, right? Snap knew his creator quite well, so she would imagine. It wouldn't have taken this long for him to find his creator and deliver the message. He should have been back by now. It's been...she couldn't remember, but it's been a while at least.

She gritted her teeth, doing her best to remain calm. She tried to tell herself that Snap would be back soon, that he and Howdy knew the consequences if they did not and they would return.

But the longer she waited, the more she started to wonder if those two had ditched her. Maybe they took the chance and were telling some other zoners about what was going on. If that is the case... She clenched her hand into a fist. She would make sure those two paid for their defiance. She would make sure that they never tried to disobey her again. As for anyone else who tried to interfere... Well, it was going to be pretty fun erasing some of the zoners. She had wanted to try it, see how it would look.

She dismissed the thought, knowing there were more important things to worry about. If Snap and Howdy didn't get back here soon... She turned her attention towards the hallway, where she knew the portal was. She had no plans on going into ChalkZone. Not yet. In order to have a proper revenge against those brats, she needed to make sure she cut off any chance they could stop her, block any route they might try to take. Soon would come the time to get into ChalkZone, but it wasn't right now.

Her mind went to when she had drawn the twister. She had no idea if it worked or not. She hadn't been in ChalkZone to see it. But if it did work... A smile ticked along her face. Yeah, that might be just the ticket. If Snap and Howdy wouldn't return...perhaps she could make them return.

She would give them more time first. She didn't want to take action if it was not necessary. Maybe they were on their way back right now. Creating something might bring about suspicion. She had no idea how populated the area the portal was in truly was. She didn't know if zoners came there often or not. She didn't want to create something right there; that might lure the zoners over and blow her cover. They'd tell Rudy and Penny and... She growled softly. She just couldn't have that.

But eventually, after all these annoyances and inconveniences were taken care of, it would all pay off. She couldn't wait to see the look on Rudy and Penny's faces once everything was set and she was able to broadcast proof of ChalkZone. No one would laugh at her again.

And Rudy and Penny... She was so going to enjoy their reactions. Especially Rudy, whom she held a much larger grudge against. She would make sure he got payback for what he had done to her on national television. He humiliated her, so she was going to do the same right back at him. He was going to feel every bit of the mental pain she had to endure, and then some...

She heard a soft groan. She whipped her head over and glared in the direction of Blocky. The green zoner was laying on his back, groaning in pain. He was no longer looking at her, his eyes facing up. They seemed rather unfocused, and the way he slowly blinked, he hardly seemed all that alert.

"Hey! You there!" Terry called out to the zoner. "Pipe down, will you? I'm trying to concentrate!"

Blocky merely let out a moan at this and twisted his body around so he could lay on his undamaged side. He curled into a small ball and gave a soft whimper. Terry just glared at him and shook her head. She looked away, trying to return to her previous thoughts.

She hoped that Snap would return soon. He knew the consequences of running off. She didn't think Howdy would. Yes, that puppet zoner knew very well what they were capable of. She could trust that he would keep Snap in line and have him complete his duty. Then...

Hmm...just what was she going to do with Snap afterwards? After he delivered the message, there really wasn't much left for him to do, right? She did discuss something with him before, but she was starting to have second thoughts. After all, the initial reason she enlisted him at all was to get Rudy and Penny to understand the current situation, to warn them of what will happen if they dared to interfere.

Well...the little zoner did play a part in her humiliation. He did help Rudy get her into ChalkZone. He did pull the portal way, letting her bald head to be exposed on national television. He was every bit as responsible for that. Maybe she should pay him back...

A small smile spread across her face. Yeah, that was it. Once Snap came back, or once she made him come back, she would teach him a lesson. One that he would never forget.

But what to do? What could she do to him that would stick to him? What could she do that would ensure that he would never forget the lesson? Something that he would remember for a long time? There had to be something. She searched her mind, recalling her interactions with the zoner, and tried to locate something about him that she could use against him.

Her lips stretched back further as her smile returned. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. She recalled that Snap had a bit of an ego on him. He loved attention, and appeared to have some pride in himself. Maybe she should do something about that...

Yes, that's what she'll do. She would break him. She would tear him down, destroy that ego of his. She would take him apart, force him to return home a shattered shell of the zoner he used to be. Then, he will learn never to mess with her again. And the fact that he was a zoner gave her more liberty on what she could and would do to him. After all, zoners were just drawings. She repeated that in her head over and over. Zoners were just drawings.

But then something stopped her. She gritted her teeth. It was that darn pang again. That bit of doubt that clung to the back of her mind. The thing that had been distracting her from her work. She thought she had taken care of it before. Now it returns again. How annoying...

Time and again, she told herself that zoners were just drawings and that there was nothing to worry about. But even then, she still felt that doubt prop up again. And each time, it was stronger. It was as though the longer she was with Blocky, with any zoner, the more she started to doubt herself, and her current view on them. Blocky's cries of pain, his body squirming on the ground, the sight of it clawed at the back of her mind, telling her just how real this was. Yet her logical, rational side still told her that he was just a drawing. The two sides of her mind went at war with each other, and she clutched her head, feeling a dull ache.

No, zoners were just drawings... They weren't valuable like humans... They didn't matter... She shouldn't care about Blocky... She...

Then..why did she save him? If she didn't care, why did she go to save him from the heat experiment? Wouldn't that mean she cared at least a smidgen about him? She shook her head. No it did not. She was just doing business. She couldn't have them running out of a specimen to use. Not before they could get more.

She only interfered because Dr. Von Doktor was such an idiot. She couldn't believe how he nearly messed up his own experiment. He wasn't even paying attention to the life readings. She was amazed that the zoner survived at all.

Yeah, she somewhat nursed him back to health, but that was only because they couldn't have their specimen dying on them just yet. That was all it was. Nothing more, and nothing less. Blocky meant nothing to her.

But as she stared at the zoner, watching him shiver, that pang still grew stronger. It snaked through her body, and she started to feel the burning sensation in her arms and stomach, telling her that something was wrong. She kept staring at Blocky, her mind trying to make sense of the feelings she was starting to get. Her head hurt as she struggled to make sense of the war that went on inside her mind. She could feel the internal debate wage on as she found herself unable to tear away from Blocky.

She took a few steps back, shaking her head. She realized she must have spent too much time with Blocky. His noises were getting to her. They must have triggering her more maternal side. The clever beast...

She needed to get out of here. She needed to get away from the wild animal and walk down the hallways, or even outside, and clear her mind. Yeah, a bit of time out of this room would do her good. She would be able to recollect her thoughts and remind herself of what Blocky really was.

She turned and headed out of the room. She didn't bother telling Blocky. It wasn't like he was going anywhere. She shut the door behind her just in case he got any funny ideas and tried to escape. She then headed down the hallway. No particular direction, no destination in mind. Just a nice walk through the building.

Yes, a walk was exactly what she needed. It was true what they say, how walking helps you think better. She could feel her mind's gears turning faster, making it easier for her to think. She relaxed herself and continued her walk, her mind now having an easier time to sort out the thoughts she was having earlier.

She continued down the hallways, uncaring of where she was going. She just needed to get further away from Blocky, where his sounds would not interrupt her thoughts, or fill her with any more of those...doubts. It didn't take too long for her to get far away enough for a long enough time for the guilt to wash away completely as her rational thoughts took over. She smiled at this. Now she could get to thinking properly.

Now...what should she do next? She wondered if she should go after Snap. No, she already told herself that wasn't going to happen. She needed to wait first. Now was too early to go there.

Hmm..should she make another creation to go after him? That was a thought that she considered. But she didn't yet know if the chalkboard worked like that, or if the zoners being drawn hear what was being said. She wasn't sure if she wanted to waste her time on something that may or may not work. And if Snap was on the way, it may come across as too excessive, making it a little harder to control the little beast.

She didn't like the idea of waiting around, doing nothing. She wanted to get productive. She wanted to do something. As she wandered the halls, hearing nothing but her own footsteps and breathing, she tried to think of something that she could do.

She realized that the reason she wanted to take a walk was to clear her mind, yet she was unable to relax. Her mind kept expanding with thoughts about ChalkZone, the zoners, and those two little brats. There was also another emotion clinging to her chest. Something more positive that was truly pushing things forward. And that was excitement.

Excitement in what she was accomplishing. Excitement in what was going to happen. Excitement on what this means for her career. Excitement that she would finally get back the reputation that she so deserved. And she planned on feeding that excitement as soon as possible.

She stopped in her tracks, realizing what door she stood in front of now. With the dimming light, casting a glare on the curviture of the hallway, she could see a doubledoor, some rust on it, and two circular glass windows. Was this one of Von's labs? She recalled that he had a few rooms. He hardly used most of them. Then again, this building did used to have plenty of employees working. She frowned, wondering for a split second how Von was able to afford to keep this place up and running. Eh, oh well. She shrugged. It didn't matter.

She was about to walk away when a thought struck her. She wondered if the test results had come back in. Perhaps it had. She turned her attention back to the lab. She stared at it for a few seconds. While it wasn't really any of her business, and while she could just walk away without really knowing any of this stuff, something about the room piqued her interest. Unable to resist for long, she walked in. She took a few steps in and looked around.

She could see a few rows of long tables, most of which were covered in dust. She could see a few vials of different things. Probably chemicals and such. There were some microscopes that were placed in a few tables, a chalkboard, and she was certain she saw what looked to be a teacher's desk. She knew it wasn't, but she wasn't sure what else to call it.

She walked closer, moving up and down the rows. She looked at the different equipment and vials and other things that were there. Quite fascinating. She wondered briefly what kind of results the old man got with these, what discoveries he might have made. She soon shook her head. That wasn't important. All that was... were those test results regarding the zoner.

The results would show that he was indeed made of chalk. And anyone who saw him, watched him enough, they would know that he was alive. They would not doubt just how real he was, and no one would truly make fun of her again.

Despite her earlier actions, and what appeared to be concern for the zoner, like when Von had used the water on him, she was only worried about losing a specimen; it wasn't like she really cared too much about the zoner himself. Neither did Von. Why should they? He might be alive, but that didn't mean he was anything like humans. He was drawn and created. He could always be recreated. Any zoner could be made very quickly, could they not? If anything, zoners could be put to something useful, like expendable labor, or something along those lines.

Of course, Rudy and Penny might argue against that. She wouldn't doubt it. They were little selfish brats who had been hogging the world to themselves for far too long. They didn't truly understand the way the world works, or what zoners really were. They were just kids after all; how could they possibly see reality for what it truly was?

No matter... They'll get a wake up call sooner or later. For now, she should focus on looking for those results. She couldn't wait to see what they were. Further evidence to prove her point, and to gloat to those children when the time came.

She didn't see anything at first, besides the various equipment and test tubes and different liquids. She began to wonder if this was the room where he kept the results. She turned her head from side to side, scanning the room. She narrowed her eyes in disappiontment. Perhaps they weren't here after all. She began to turn, preparing to walk away.

Then something caught her eye. She turned her head a little to get a better look. She noticed that one of the drawers on the large desk was slightly open. She shifted her gaze from side to side, looking to see if Von were anywhere nearby. She then turned around and walked toward the desk.

Once she reached it, she grabbed onto the edge with her finger tips and pulled it out more. Inside, she found some stacks of paper that appeared to be about a foot thick. Some papers had some rubberbands around them while others were stapled or had clips. She began to skim through them, looking around to see what had been placed in the dresser.

She soon found one that looked promising. It had no title, but it appeared to have some results regarding Blocky. There were a couple mentions of the word 'zoner' and the name 'Blocky'. She grabbed this paper and pulled it out. She carried it over to one of the nearby chairs and sat down in it. She removed the clip and began to turn the pages, reading the contents of what these loose leaf papers held.

For a while, it was nothing interesting. Just detailing how he took the blood, the results of a couple of experiments, stuff like that. But then something caught her eye. There was a passage that read:

'I recently took blood from the zoner. He put up quite a fight, but that was to be expected. As I stored the blood for later testing, I eventually began to wonder something. I was still so curious on how the zoners could possibly be alive if they were made of chalk. I think I figured out something, and if I'm right, this is going to be much bigger than I had imagined it.'

Terry blinked at this, rereading the small passage over and over again. Now she was starting to become curious. Just how were the zoners alive? She had chalked it up to magic. After all, Rudy did call the white stick 'magic chalk', right? Maybe it had special properties that rought these things to life. That would explain why these lowly, non-organic things could possibly even exist, let alone be alive.

She read more more of the papers, narrowing her eyes softly as she tried to see if there was anything else the man wrote down. At first, there was nothing. At least, no conclusion regarding why zoners could be alive. The man might have had some ideas, yet none of them were listed here. She wasn't sure why, and it was frustrating. She could feel a burning sensation in her stomach as she became more and more curious on what the answer was going to be. If they figured out how zoners were alive...she could only just imagine what this could lead to. Proper control of the little creatures.

Finally, she found something that continued on with that thought process of the man. Giving a small smile, and doing her best to control her excited emotions, she read on.

This passage said:

'Just as I thought.. I knew staying here overnight was going to pay off. I didn't tell Ms. Bouffant. I didn't want her disturbing me. I needed my full concentration on these tests. Normally, they took a while, but with my dedication and focus, I was able to get results faster, and what I found was rather...interesting.

It turns out I was correct. You see, I believed I had thought of something that connected zoners to humans, at least, in the way they were alive. I wasn't entirely sure and thought that maybe it was just poppycock. I wanted to see if I was right, somehow, so I ran some tests overnight. I compared my blood to Blocky's, managing to see the internal structure. And what's when I was able to confirm my hunch.

Zoners are carbon-based lifeforms, just like we humans are. It is true, some structure still differientiates. But chalk itself, at least the ones used for chalkboards, are made from something that has carbon in it. This might help explain how zoners are alive. They have some of the same internal building blocks of life that we have.

There's more. When comparing the blood, save for a few changes, it was nearly indistinguishable from my own. I was able to see red blood cells, plasma, white blood cells, platelets, everything. They all functioned the same way, responded the same way. Really, the only true difference was a few adjustments gave the skin and fluid a chalky texture.

I am curious to find out just how zoner bodies don't fall apart, but my theory is that the chalk isn't pure chalk, but altered. It still carries some properties of chalk, like weakness to water, but it also carries some strengths similar to what is found in..what the zoners say.. the Real World. Blocky, for instance, his structure still retains the strength of flesh. The chalk still has properties that allow it to breathe, eat, sleep, and whatever else, and thus is, more or less, more durable than Real World chalk. But he would still die if he comes in contact with Real World water, as that probably breaks apart the weak points, and destroys it.

I am not entirely sure yet. But I believe I opened up the doors to truly understanding these zoners. If my theory is right, and if I find further proof, I may have just discovered an alternate evolutionary line of carbon-based lifeforms, and have explained how the zoners are alive and how they are, in a way, related to us.'

Terry nearly dropped the papers at this. Her arms felt weak. Her eyes widened. She remained still, save for a few shakes. She stared down at the paperwork after she read those paragraphs. No words came out of her. It was just dead silent.

It couldn't be possible...right? No, the man must be wrong. He was just crazy, trying to think of whatever he could. The zoners were alive by magic. That was all. That's all it could be. She tried to push it in the back of her mind. She tried to dismiss it, reminding herself that zoners were just mere chalk drawings and nothing more.

But the words...they wouldn't leave her. They continued to plague her. Even when she shut her eyes and tried to block it out, it would not work. The words appeared in her head over and over, reminding her of what she had just read and seen. Reminding her that what she thought about zoners...may not have been true after all...

The zoners were...carbon-based..? They were much more similar in structure to humans and other organic lifeforms than she thought? She wanted to tell herself it couldn't be true...yet she did know that chalk was carbon-based in some way. Structured differently, but still carbon.

Well so what...? A lot of things were made of carbon and not all of them were alive. For all she knew, this just meant that the zoners were nonliving things that could somehow move and emulate life. Yeah, that was probably all they were. The scientist did mention that there were alterations in the structure, right? Water moved, and it's not alive. Air moves and it's not breathing.

Maybe zoners were just some advanced form of that. Maybe they were nonliving things that so resembled life that they could uncannily fit in anywhere with things that were truly alive.

But...all living things are made of carbon... Anything that has ever been alive was carbon based...

Was she...was she wrong...? Were the zoners more alive than she had given credit for? Was she decieving herself this whole time? Could Dr. Von Doktor be correct? She shook her head. No..it couldn't be true. It was impossible. She was just overthinking this. She...

Her eyes widened as she recalled the screams that Blocky emitted. She remembered the looks on Snap and Howdy's faces. The way they interacted, it did feel so real. Well real on a level that she hadn't been willing to admit. She knew they were physically there, and she knew, in some way, they were alive. She realized then that her idea of them being nonliving yet emulating life was ridiculous.

But then...they were still made of chalk. They weren't flesh and blood like her, not in the same way. They were nothing like humans. They were just drawings. That was all they were.

But she still recalled what the man said, about the carbon connection. That still didn't mean much. That still didn't prove there was a strong connection. But the idea that the zoners could truly be carbon-based lifeforms, that they may not be as different from Real World animals and people as she had initially thought, did send a cold chill through her body. The implications of what that might mean...

She shook her head. No, she couldn't let herself get worked up over that. Even if the connection were true, even if zoners were carbon-based lifeforms, they were still just drawings. Still inferior life forms that could easily be created and replaced. Their only purpose was to serve and please the creators that gave them life.

After she was able to recollect herself, she placed the paperwork in the drawer and pushed it closed. As soon as she did, she nearly jolted when she heard a voice call out to her.

"Mizz Bouffant! What are you doing here?"

Terry looked over. She couldn't help but widen her eyes when she noticed Dr. Von Doktor standing in the doorway, his arms folded against his chest. He didn't look particularly pleased. Giving a small smile, she said, "Oh I was just walking around, trying to clear my head, and I stumbled in here and..."

"Uh uh..." Von said, narrowing his eyes a little futher. "You should have told me zat you wanted to zee ziz lab. I don't like it when people ztick zeir nozez when I did not give permission."

"Oh..sorry." Terry headed towards the door. "I promise I won't do it again."

Von stared at her, giving her something of a skeptical look. A few seconds later, he appeared to have shrugged it off. "If you zay zo..." He began to head down the hallway, Terry not far behind him. "Did you...zee anyzing that interezted you?" Terry lifted up her head and stared at him. "Any rezearch paperz or anyzing like zat?"

Terry froze for a few seconds, struggling to figure out what to say. She wasn't sure how he would react if he found out she read some of his papers without permission. She gave a smile and shook her head. "No. I just looked around for a bit and sat down to relax. That was all."

"Hmm..." Von looked at her over his shoulder. His eye appeared to almost stare through her soul. She did her best to remain calm and not look too suspicious to him. After a moment, he merely shrugged his shoulder and said, "Okay zen."

Relieved that she avoided detection, the woman continued to follow Von through the building. Those previous thoughts returned and started to swirl around her head. She pushed them back, managing to tame them. But for how long? As she walked, she coudn't help but ask herself a question she never thought she would.

What if she was in the wrong?

sss

Dr. Von Doktor remained quiet as he headed down the hallway. He listened to the footsteps of Terry as she followed not far behind him. Keeping his head turned away from her so she could not see, he gave a soft frown, narrowing his eyes.

He wasn't sure if he could really believe her. Although she sounded sincere, just something about it felt...off. He had no idea how long she had been in the room, either. She might have had time to read through his stuff and figure out his discovery. She may have learned that the zones may be carbon-based just like they were.

And if she did know, and she did lie...

He growled softly, almost inaudibly, as this crossed his mind. He wasn't sure why Terry would lie about that. They were on the same team, right? There was no reason for her to hide anything from him.

Why would she lie about that? Why would she tell him that she saw nothing, when in fact she did? It wasn't like knowing what he found out would change anything...right?

Or maybe it did.

The man already was uncertain of Terry before, but now those doubts were coming back to him. Terry's behavior seemed a little odd, now that he thought of it. He wasn't even sure how to explain it to himself. It just felt...different somehow. And the tone of her voice... It sounded almost like she...like she was...

..having doubts.

He narrowed his eyes at this. He had no idea if that was true, and Terry hadn't really tried anything to make him believe that. There was when she attacked him to get Blocky out, but she had just wanted to make sure that their test subject didn't die. And she didn't have any kind of strange aura to her then that made him wonder if she was going to cause trouble.

But now..that seemed to have changed. Terry's tone of voice was a little...hesitant. And the way she moved, the look in her eyes, he wondered if she had read something she regretted, or saw something that made her do a doubletake. It was possible. If she had learned about zoners being carbon-based, it could be possible that she was having doubts because of that.

That wasn't going to do the mission any good. If Terry took that information the wrong way, then she might become a threat. For the moment, Terry still seemed to be more or less on his side, even if she didn't always particularly get along with him. But if there was the possibility that she was hiding something, that those string of doubts were going to pull her in a new direction... Then perhaps he should take action sooner rather than later.

He couldn't afford any delays. He couldn't afford to lose this opportunity of a life time. He wasn't going to allow Terry to ruin that just because she started to have second thoughts. It might be best if he attempted to go solo from now on.

But he couldn't just let her go. She knew too much. She knew where the experiments were being conducted. She knew what he was up to, what his plans were. At least some of them. And she did know Rudy and Penny. If she felt gipped by him, then she might go tell the children and even aid them, all just to get back at him.

No..he was going to have to get rid of her, and not simply by letting her leave. He needed to make sure that she doesn't become a threat later on. And he believed he knew of a way. He won't try right now, but pretty soon, he would lure her to one of his other lab rooms in this building.

And then he would take care of her.


	27. Trappings

Oh you poor soul... Look at what you made me do...

sss

What bad luck she had today. Well not just her. Penny reminded herself the same would go to Rudy. The two of them had tried to speak to each other, not just about the fight, but about ChalkZone as well.

However, things didn’t go as planned. They both barely got a word in edgewise when Reggie came and interrupted them. The large boy wouldn’t leave them alone and kept pestering them, taunting them for being ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’. They tried to leave, but Reggie would just keep following them around, and rarely let them out of his sight.

Penny gritted her teeth at the rather annoying and unfortunate memory. All she and Rudy wanted was a bit of privacy, so they can speak and figure out what they were going to do. And then along comes Reggie and all that went down the drain.

She felt a tingle in her finger as frustration settled in. It was quite difficult to push back the anger and anxiety as she realized that she and Rudy had to, yet again, wait to speak to each other. She would rather not talk in the car; that gave them so little time. The doctor’s office wasn’t that far away. This was something that she and Rudy needed to talk about in one sitting, not part way and then have it get delayed.

But when would they get another chance? She wasn’t sure. She hoped it would be soon. Even though it was going to be hard, not just for her, but for Rudy too, she knew it had to be done. They needed to make amends and then focus on ChalkZone. Maybe after the doctor’s appointment, they could find time then. Maybe she could convince her mom to let her go over. She wasn’t sure what luck she was going to have, but...she might as well try.

At the moment, she sat in the backseat of the car, like her mother insisted. Sitting down next to her was Rudy. She felt a pang in her chest as she stared at him. The boy was looking at the floor, probably unaware that she was looking at him. Her eyes moved over his body, noting the bandages and bruises. She bit her lip. Had she really struck him that hard...?

They were on their way to the doctor’s right now. Her mother had recently picked them up. About two minutes ago, actually. She had never felt so glad to see her mom; Reggie was becoming truly grating on her and Rudy.

She didn’t know what had gotten into him, anyway. What did he particulary find funny about her and Rudy liking each other? They were just friends, anyway. Wasn’t like there was anything all that humorous about it. Oh well. She shrugged. It doesn’t matter. It was just Reggie. She had more important things to worry about.

Like Rudy and ChalkZone... She longed for the day that everything would go back to the way they used to be. Before all this madness with Terry and Von had taken place. But maybe that was just a dream.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the car suddenly swerved to the side. She grunted as she felt herself being pressed against the door. She yelped when she felt Rudy collide with her, pressing her further against the door. The two children clenched their teeth, shutting their eyes, for a few seconds. When the car eased into a straight line, pulling up into a small parking lot, they leaned away from each other and relaxed, both feeling a sense of relief.

They glanced at each other. They maintained eye contact for a few seconds, looking at each other nervously. They then looked away from each other, making nervous gestures. The brief physical touch couldn’t help but remind them of the fight that they had earlier. Especially since the last time they physically touched was when they had bitten each other...

“Come on, you two.” Penny heard her mom say. The door opened up and she heard her mother step out. “Let’s go. We’re nearly late for your appointments.”

Ah yeah, their appointments. In the midst of the tension, Penny almost forgot about that. She and Rudy both needed their bites checked, as well as to be sure them punching and kicking each other didn’t lead to damage that her mother had missed. She herself needed to make sure the weapon that Howdy used on her didn’t have further reaching consequences than she previously thought.

She climbed out of the vehicle and shut the door, timed in such a way that it almost seemed like an echo to Rudy’s. They both walked out towards the building, where her mother was. She opened up the door and gestured for them to go in first.

Rudy and Penny once again looked at each other. They stared at one another like this for a few seconds before her mother clearing her throat prompted them to go into the building. Penny heard her mother shut the door behind them and the three walked down the small hallway, towards a door on the side. Her mother opened that one too, ushering the children in first. Penny couldn’t help but wonder if her mother was doing what she could to keep her and Rudy within sight of each other.

The three of them headed towards the first seats they saw in the small waiting room after they had signed in. Her mother took the edge seat while she sat next to her mom, and Rudy sat a seat away from her. She felt a pang of disappointment and she couldn’t help but look over at him sadly. Not like she could blame him for being nervous, though.

“No, Rudy. You sit over here.” Her mom said, giving Rudy a soft glare. “This isn’t a large facility. Don’t be taking seats away from other patients.”

Rudy didn’t say a word to her, nor did he look at her. He gritted his teeth, giving a soft grunt. Penny was not able to determine what this meant. Slowly, reluctantly, Rudy slid over into the chair next to her. He kept his body leaned away from her, careful not to touch her, careful not to trigger that tension and fear they both experienced earlier.

The fear to touch one another... Penny hoped that they would be able to get over that fear soon. She hoped that they would be able to reestablish their friendship and mend the trust between them.

She leaned back in her chair and stared up towards the clock. Her mom wasn’t exactly correct when she said they were running late. There was still some time. Maybe ten or so minutes. That gave her a bit of time to try to talk to Rudy, but...is now really a good time? No..too many people around here. She would have to wait.

But the way her mom was looking at her... She recalled her mom wanted her and Rudy to try to speak to each other on the way to the doctor’s, which they didn’t do, or during the waiting room time, which they weren’t right now.

She bit her lip. She turned her head to Rudy. Maybe she should try to speak to him. Maybe she should at least make the attempt. She could apologize for the fight; that didn’t really require hiding top secret information from everyone else in the room. Yeah..she couldn’t put this off any longer. She..she had to try...

“Rudy, I...” She said as she turned towards her friend. However, she never got a chance to continue as a louder voice talked over her.

“Rudy Tabootie!” Called a feminine voice. Turning her head, Penny could see a tall nurse standing there with the door into the back wide open. “The doctor will see you now.”

Rudy looked over at Penny, his expression softened with a tinge of regret. Then he got up from his seat and walked away. Penny watched him leave sadly. So much for that attempt. She hung her head, wondering if they would ever get a chance to speak.

Upon feeling her mother’s hand on her shoulder, Penny looked up. Her mom stared down at her sympathetically and said, “Don’t worry. You’ll get a chance...”

Penny turned her head away. “I hope you’re right about.” She closed her eyes. “I hope you’re right.”

“I am. Trust me.” Her mother said, gently squeezing her shoulder. “Just give it some time.”

Penny did her best to be positive. Her mom was right. Even if they couldn’t talk now, that didn’t mean they never would. She just had to wait. Sooner or later, they would get their chance.

sss

Snap ran as fast as he could. He pushed himself across the ground, pounding his feet to launch himself quicker. He looked out in front of him, trying to see if he could see any sign of Rapsheeba or Howdy. He didn’t know how long he had waited, or how much of a head start that they had. So he just kept running, hoping that he would run into one of them soon.

He couldn’t believe he took so long to figure out an answer. He wanted to slap himself in the face for not coming to this conclusion faster. He should have known there was really one answer.

With Rudy and Penny unable to come, with them not able to set foot inside ChalkZone, Snap realized that Rapsheeba had been right. They didn’t have all that time. He doubted that Terry and Von would consider leaving Blocky alive for that long. For all he knew, they would likely finish him off after he had been ‘used up’. Then they might try to come into ChalkZone next... Waiting for Rudy and Penny may only result in disaster. There was little reason to believe that those two humans would do nothing for five days.

He still hated the idea. He still wasn’t sure how well thought out a plan it was. He didn’t even know if there was a plan that Rapsheeba had in mind, or if she was just acting on pure instinct. But in the end, he realized, after some long thinking, that Rapsheeba did have the right idea, and that they should mobilize and try to rescue Blocky.

Poor Blocky... Snap bit his lip as he remembered the condition his friend was in. He had no idea what state he would be in after they came back for him. He had no idea how he would recover from this... or if he would at all. What if Blocky became permanently scarred from this? What if he wouldn’t survive? A cold chill rushed through his body at that thought. He wanted to believe that everything would be okay, but deep down even he knew just how wrong everything could go...

He couldn’t let himself fall into despair, however. He couldn’t allow himself to become consumed with such thoughts. As hopeless as it seemed, as terrifying the idea of going into the Real World to mount a rescue mission frightened him, what with all the humans could do to them, he still tried his best to remain positive. Things might turn out better than he had expected. He’d never know until he tried.

Up ahead, he started to see a couple of retreating forms. He squinted his eyes, trying to see if he could figure out who it was. Upon realizing that it was Rapsheeba and Howdy, he called out their names, increasing the speed of his running.

“Hey! Howdy! Rapsheeba! Wait up!” He cried.

The two figures stopped. They turned and looked behind them. Their eyes widened in shock and pleasured surprise as they saw him running towards them.

“Snap my man, did you change your mind?” Rapsheeba asked once Snap got close enough.

The blue superhero stopped in front of them for a few moments. He put his hands on his knees, gripping them gently. He panted heavily as he tried to regrain his breath. His throat felt dry and his legs were weakened after all that running.

After he caught his breath, he said, “Yeah...I did...” He smiled at the two zoners. “I’m just...sorry it took me so long.”

“Don’t worry about it. At least you’re here now!” Howdy said. Snap was impressed with how brave he sounded. Despite the fear of what the city thought of him now, and despite the horrors that he had seen, he was still trying to be courageous.

“Yeah. With your help, we’re sure to win.” Rapsheeba said.

Although Snap felt flattered that Rapsheeba had so much confidence in him, that alone wasn’t going to win this fight. Snap could not allow himself to get too overconfident; that just might come back to bite him in the rear end.

They had to be careful. They were going to have to read lightly in the Real World. They would need to be aware of their surroundings at all times. They would have to make sure that Terry and Von have no access to any liquids, and to no chalkboard either. The Real World fluids thing was obvious, but he just realized that Terry and Von, if they knew what a chalkboard was capable of, might use it to their advantage and threaten them into submission. And unfortunately, there were a few chalkboards in that laboratory that he remembered seeing, not just the one that he and Howdy originally entered from....

Well he was certain that, once they gathered some trustworthy zoners and met up somewhere and talked, someone would be able to figure out a plan. This was going to be one of their most dangerous missions yet. Extreme caution and deep planning was required for this. They would have to give this their all.

Snap broke the silence, clearing his throat to make sure that he still had his friends’ attention, and also to make sure he didn’t slip up his question. “So...what did you two have in mind?”

Rapsheeba was the first one to respond. “Howdy and I are going to head into the city and call a meeting. We will explain to the zoners about what we found out and propose the plan to go to that portal to rescue Blocky.”

“What if the zoners aren’t happy to see you?” Snap asked. He was careful not to bring up the thing with Howdy. The poor guy must already be worried enough. Besides, both of them knew of that possibility; his expression alone was enough to convey that message.

“I’m certain there will be resistance. I am fully prepared to handle the remarks I am sure to get.” Howdy said. “However, I think their reaction towards me will lesson quickly once they find out that I have information they could use to help defend their home.” Howdy paused for a moment. He then continued, “While I know some of the zoners will not be happy to encounter me, I’m sure that their desire to protect their home from these human intruders would be of a higher priority on their list.”

“Yeah, that’s true...” Snap had to admit it, but Howdy did make a good point there. “I’m sure they’ll jump at the chance at helping to stop Terry and Von. Some of them are brave like that. “He clenched his teeth. “Some stupidly so...”

“Snap...” Rapsheeba said, narrowing her eyes at Snap.

Snap lowered his head slightly. “Yeah, I’m sorry.” He realized he should have been a little more sensitive with what he said. Wanting to move on quickly, he said, “Do you have any ideas, queenie?” He held up his hand in gesture. “I mean, I know you are going to call a meeting and all, but...” He paused for a moment, trying to think of how to word his question. “But...do you have any ideas of your own?”

Rapsheeba stared at him. She tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm...well..I admit I didn’t think that far ahead..”

Snap widened his eyes. “You didn’t?”

Rapsheeba shook her head. “Why do you think I’m calling a meeting? I’m sure one of the zoners would be able to think of something.”

“Yeah. There’s a lot of zoners in the city.” Howdy said. Yeah, that was an understatement. Snap knew just how packed the city was. “One of them is bound to know...something that we could try. I mean...rushing in isn’t going to work.” Making a gesture with his hand towards Snap and then himself, he added, “I mean...you and I aren’t exactly strangers to that. We both saw what those two humans are capable of...and why it is important to think of a plan first.”

Snap was glad to hear that his two friends weren’t going to just rush into things like he had feared earlier. They both understood the importance of a plan, and to think out a strategy before they rushed headlong into the Real World. This would give them a better chance when they have to confront Terry and Von, and rescue Blocky from his imprisonment.

Yet how they were going to pull it off... he wasn’t sure. He had hoped that one of them would have thought of something already. Something that could give them an edge when going to the portal. Snap himself hadn’t thought of anything yet, and the fact that neither did his friends...that left a nervous feeling in his stomach, making him bite his lip hard.

He wasn’t too keep on the idea of letting the other zoners decide. It sounded good at first...until he realized just how gun-ho some of the zoners would be in stopping the humans. They might think that rushing in without rhyme or reason was the best route to go, or they would be so consumed by anger and fear, that they’d rush over without thinking, and then get themselves caught. Snap would never forgive himself if more zoners were caught when he could have prevented it.

He realized that they were going to need a voice of reason. Someone to be present at the meeting, who could keep the crowd under control. Someone who has had experience with less than friendly creators.

And he knew just the one.

Biclops.

Snap gestured to his two friends. They looked at him, waiting for him to speak. “Come along! This way!”

“Uh..but Snap...” Howdy spoke up. His voice was tinged with uncertainty. “That’s...not the right way.”

“Yeah.... The city is this way. Where do you think you’re going?” Rapsheeba sounded just as confused.

Snap paused and looked towards his friends. He realized he didn’t really explain to them where he wanted them to go. He said, “We’re going to the Chalk Mine to get Biclops.”

“What? Why?” Asked Rapsheeba.

“Because he knows creators better than most zoners. And he’s one of the largest zoners in the immediate area. He would be able to ensure that none of the zoners get too crazy and try to go to the portal themselves. And since he dealt with creators in the past, he might have some knowledge on how to combat them.”

Rapsheeba and Howdy looked at each other, their eyes widening in realization. They both appeared to realize that Biclops would be of a huge help here.

Snap recalled their initial meeting, and at times, it still unnerved him. Biclops had been more violent back then, almost maniacal. He had been mentally scarred by the actions of those past creators, and he had projected it into him and Rudy. However, as unsettling as the memory was, it did remind Snap how helpful Biclops could be in this situation. His experience with dealing with a world where creators could move about freely.. yes, surely Biclops would have some knowledge on how to handle creators.

With a single nod of his friends’ head, and a look at their expressions, no words needed to be spoken for Snap to know that they agreed with his decision. It was settled: they were going to the Chalk Mine.

The three friends veered off away from the city, which could be seen in the distance, and headed towards where the Chalk Mine would be. Snap hoped that Biclops would be willing to come to the meeting. Yeah he’d have to leave the mine unguarded for a little while, but perhaps he could find another zoner to take his place for a short time. The meeting wouldn’t take that long, right?

sss

Penny flinched slightly as the doctor shoved a bottle of medicine into her hands. She looked down at it, peering at the label and expected usage of the stuff.

“I want you to take this once every day.” The doctor said, her voice stern, almost cold. The aura of emotionless professionalism. Penny did her best not to let it get to her. “Make sure to take it with food or water. This should take care of the inflamation in your body, and kill any infections you might have. Do you understand?”

Penny nodded her head once. “Yes, ma’am.”

The doctor smiled, although Penny could tell it was fake. “Good. You are dismissed.” She moved Penny towards the door. “Mrs. Sanchez...” She addressed her mom this time, who was standing near the doorway. “You may go sign out there. I expect you to call me to give me any updates on how your daughter is doing.”

“I will.” Penny heard her mom say. There was some kind of emotion laced in there, but she couldn’t quite identify it. “Come along now, Penny.” She reached over, grabbed Penny’s head, and left the room.

Penny was glad to be out of there. Her usual doctor wasn’t available, so instead she got this one. She wasn’t really mean or anything, but her whole attitude was just... It was as if she had seen so many heartwrenching patients that she just became desensitized to it. Penny felt rather uncomfortable around her. The woman’s cold professionalism did little to help her feel better, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the female doctor was blaming her for getting hurt.

Well...that wouldn’t be too surpising, considering that she had to explain to her that she was electrocuted, and had to come up with a ridiculous story of how she, one of the highest ranking students in her class, could have made such a terrible blunder. Still, she wished the doctor didn’t act that way around her. She felt bad enough; she didn’t need more encouragement.

Oh well, at least it was over now. She followed her mom as they headed towards the counter that the doctor had indicated. As her mom was filling out the paperwork required, Penny turned her head and happened to see Rudy going towards the exit. His appointment must be over already.

Penny wanted to call out to him, but she refrained, pulling her hand away. Now wasn’t the place for a talk. They can wait later. Plus, she still wasn’t entirely sure of how she was going to start her apology. She still needed a bit of time.

When her mother was done, hearing the sound of the pen and paper being dropped, Penny looked up at her mother. “Hey mom? Can I go over to Rudy’s? Or can he come over to ours?”

Her mom stared down at her for a few seconds. Then she asked, “Why? You two had plenty of time to chat.”

“Well yes, but... I think it’d be best if we talked in private.” Penny raised her hands at her sides. “I mean, the school wasn’t exactly private, and neither is a doctor’s office.” She settled her arms at her sides. Noticing her mom’s expression, she added, “And we didn’t have a lot of time in the car. The doctor’s office isn’t that far away from where we live. After what we did to each other...” Penny closed her eyes and sighed. “We...we are going to need more time.”

For a few moments, there was no response. Penny wasn’t sure if she upset her mother somehow. She dismissed it, believing that her mom was just trying to think of an answer for her. Keeping silent, giving her mom the time that she needed to respond, she followed her towards the door. They were quickly joined by Rudy, who appeared a little anxious to get home.

In silence, the trio went towards the car to prepare to leave. Her mom unlocked the door and she and Rudy climbed into the backseat. She did her best to ignore the tension of being so close to him. She tried to ignore how he was doing what he could to avoid touching her. She tried to push back the sensation of guilt, reminding herself that, soon, it would all be over and they could move past this.

Her mom turned the car and they began to drive down the road. All the while, as they passed the street signs, and the lights, they were silent, not saying a word to each other. The silence weighed down on Penny’s shoulders, creating a fog of tension around her.

As they began to take another turn, heading down a new street, Penny’s mom spoke up. “Rudy, do you want to come over to visit, instead of going back to your parents’ place? I can call them when we get back and arrange it if you’d like.”

Penny stared over at Rudy with a sideways glance. She tried not to influence his decision. She wanted him to come over on his own accord, not because she made him feel like he had to.

Rudy glanced at her for a few moments, their eyes locking onto one another. He bit his lip, his eyes filling with nervousness. He looked away, pointing his gaze towards the ground. He shifted his eyes from left to right. He looked as if he was having a hard time deciding. The longer he struggled to think, the more nervous he seemed. And each time he looked at her, he appeared to grew more and more anxious.

At first, it looked as though he was going to decline. Penny tried to ignore the pang of disappointment clinging in her chest. Despite how she felt, she knew it was up to Rudy to decide if he wanted to come over or not. After all, they wouldn’t really be able to properly discuss anything if she tried to force him to come.

At last, Rudy appeared to regain his voice. Afther he cleared his throat a few times, he said, “S-Sure...”

“All right then.” Penny’s mom said. “I’ll call your parents when I get back so they know where you are.”

A small smile spread along Penny’s face. She was happy that Rudy decided to come over. As scared as she was, she still looked forward to trying to settle things with her friend. The longer they put this off, the worse it was going to get.

But that wasn’t the only thing they had to concern themselves with. There was still ChalkZone’s safety, and their missing friend... She sucked on her lip, feeling her gut sting as she realized that Blocky had been gone for days, and Terry and Von had the portal for days. She had no idea what kind of threats now await them, or what Terry or Von had been able to accomplish in that amount of time. They needed to figure out something, and fast.

She hated to imagine what would happen if they failed. She hated to imagine the disaster that lay before ChalkZone. She knew that, if ChalkZone were exposed, Vinnie’s zoner enslavement for his amusement park was going to be the last of their worries.

sss

“All right, time to eat.”

Terry couldn’t believe she was stuck with feeding a zoner again. But Von didn’t really want to partake in it. He insisted that he go and look at his studies some more, perhaps revise some of his original ideas for the zoners. He also wanted to figure out if there were any further tests that could be made, or if they should just get on with the dissection, whether it be with Blocky or someone else.

The idea of dissection didn’t bother her initially. But after discovering the zoners’ possibility of being carbon-based, which would bring them closer to Real World lifeforms than she originally thought, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

She shook it out of her head. She didn’t let it distract her, and thankfully, the feeling was, largely, fleeting. Even if he was carbon-based on some level, Blocky was still a creation, not something naturally born, and he wasn’t human. He was just an animal. With that in mind, she was able to refocus her thoughts on feeding Blocky, rather than thinking of her own personan conflicts with the situation.

Terry opened up the glass enclosure. Blocky rested on his back. He stared up at her. His dulled eyes were still bright in fear, and he shivered at her presence. Terry ignored this and reached down. She pulled Blocky out and carried him over towards the table. Might as well feed him here rather than at the cafeteria.

Laying Blocky on the table, she removed the small bag that she had slung over her shoulder. She pulled out one of the few remaining bottles of chalk water that Howdy had given her. Along with that, she also took out a small thing of chalk soup. It appeared to be one of the microwavable kind. She didn’t want to waste time heating it up, though, and it was still edible cold anyway. She pulled back the lid and, taking out a plastic spoon, scooped up a spoonful.

“Open your mouth.” Terry commanded.

Blocky simply stared at her, whimpering softly. She growled at this. She wished he didn’t overreact this way. It wasn’t like she was trying to hurt him or anything.

“I said open your mouth!” She called to him, this time in a louder voice.

Upon seeing that the wild animal was not going to cooperate, Terry took matters into her own hands. Holding him down by his head, gripping it tightly, she brought the spoon over towards his mouth. Without bothering to plan the move carefully, she shoved the spoon into the zoner’s mouth. The resulting force splashed soup onto his face, some of it getting into his left eye. He squirmed and whimpered loudly in response.

Pull the spoon away and listening to the zoner struggle to swallow, Terry shook her head. “That’s what you get for being uncooperative.” She raised the spoon up into the air, moving it slightly back and forth in her fingers. “I hope you take this as a lesson and you work with me instead of being such a big crybaby.”

Blocky swallowed, coughing a few times as he choked. “Y-Yes, m-m-ma’am...”

“Good zoner...” Terry hissed, gritting her teeth. She scooped another spoonful of soup and moved it wards the zoner. “Now...eat up.”

Blocky stared at her, his mouth partially open. He still looked reluctant to continue eating the soup. Terry narrowed her eyes and was about to push the spoon back into his mouth when he slowly opened his mouth wider. Smiling at this show of submission, she inserted the spoon, this time more gently. A way of showing him that she can be gentle so long as he cooperated with her.

Without much further resistance, Terry continued to feed the zoner. Save for a few coughs here or there, she didn’t have any further trouble with him. Spoonful after spoonful, she delivered the food to him, and he ate it without attempting to fight back. His left eye squinted from the soup getting in, but that soon stopped, the soup droplets no longer causing a problem for him.

Soon she was done. The zoner ate the entire cup of soup. She pulled it away and looked down at it. This outta keep him fed for a while. She might feed him again later today, although she and Von did decide to only feed them once per day to keep the food rations going.

She tossed away the barbage and glanced down at the bottle of water. Did she really need to use this on him now? Probably not. There was plenty of fluid in that soup. That should keep the zoner hydrated for a while. He didn’t really need the water right now. Yeah, she’ll give it to him later. Perhaps in at night, before she left the building to go home.

After she felt she had wasted enough time with the zoner, she returned him to his cage, dropping him in like it was nothing. She ignored his cries of pain ignored the sensation of guilt as she did so, and walked away from the room. She looked over her shoulders and, giving a small smile, she said, “Have a nice nap.” She shut off the light and left the room.

As she walked down the hallway, heading towards the cafeteria so she can get a bite to eat as well, she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks. She turned her head, looking back towards the door. A part of her felt...reluctant to leave Blocky alone. She started to wonder if she should...

Oh what was she thinking? This was Blocky she was talking about. A zoner. Who cares if he was left alone? He could handle a few hours on his own. They left him alone at night all the time. Well granted he had been with his friends lately, and they were both gone...but still, they left him alone before. So why should she feel any different about this time?

She shook her head. She realized she was starting to become soft. And it was worsened by that blasted research paper that she read. She gripped her face, gritting her teeth. The feelings that arose from that began to cloud her over, creeping through her body like some kind of infection. She hoped that Dr. Von Doktor doesn’t get word of this. He would never let her live it down. Her reputation suffered enough. Now she was developing an attachment for a creature that wasn’t even... Oh what was wrong with her?

But she just couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was in the wrong, if what she was doing was right, if there was more to this than she had imagined. The carbon-based thing seemed to push this thought process forward, and she began to wonder if Blocky truly wasn’t as different as she thought, that perhaps she wasn’t imagining it.

She thought back to how he acted while she was feeding him. Why did she feel guilty about that? All she did was give him food. But..she did feed him in the worst position possible. On his back. And she wasn’t exactly gentle with him initially. The way he looked at her, it sort of reminded her of a scared child. She sucked on her lip as she made that connection. A sweeping sting spread through her stomach, and, for a moment, she became..conflicted and confused.

She managed to make the thoughts subside for the most part. There was still a somewhat chilling sting that she was feeling as the doubts started to grow stronger. She shook her head and started her walk. Maybe she didn’t clear her mind enough. Maybe she was just hungry and her mind was confused. Yeah..that was probably all it was. She headed towards the cafeteria to get a bite to eat.

sss

Blocky laid on the ground, unable to stop his trembling. He tried to clear out his throat more. The earlier time when he nearly choked still got to him. It didn’t help that he could still feel the spoon in his mouth, painfully pressing against his gums and lips. He tried to settle himself down, reminding himself of the fact that he was alone now. Terry could not bother him anymore.

But..being alone wasn’t exactly a thrill, either. His mind was racing as he looked around, realizing that he was all alone, just like he was on the day he was brought here. The old fears from those days came back, magnetized, clouding over him. His body shook harder, unable to stop the whimpers from eminating from his mouth. He shut his eyes, trying to block out what was going on, where he was. He tried to, for a few moments, forget about his predicament, and think happier thoughts.

Yet any attempt to think more positively was washed out by his current memory. The negative emotions and memories were certainly more powerful, easily destroying any positivity he tried to find in his predicament.

He couldn’t even remember how long he had been here. His fear and terror blocked out any memory of time passing. He was only aware of being here for more than one day. But how long has it been? Days or weeks, or even months? He shivered at the thought, and he found himself curling up into a small ball. He tried to at least keep his emotions tame, to not allow himself to be consumed by fear. A hard task, but he was getting sick of being terrified all the time. It was becoming exhausting, and he could feel it tear himself apart on the inside.

The negative emotions swirling in his stomach felt as if they were burning a hole through his internal organs. The cold chill creeping along his skin as he was unable to stop imagining himself being placed in another experiment...that made him feel as though his skin would turn to ice and crack, spilling out his insides. And his trembling and his teeth chattering.... He was amazed that he didn’t exert the remainder of his strength from doing that.

He moved himself a little more, but then stopped, a shockwave of pain moving through his body. He got a painful reminder of the horrors that he had been put through. His head still ached from the extreme temperature experiments he was forced into. His body still stung from the burns. His side still raged in agony from being melted and cut into. His entire being was racked in pain, making it hard for him to move around too much, which forced him on his back most of the time. The most comfortable position at the moment.

He clenched his teeth as he tried to endure the painful stomach ache. It radiated through his underside, making him want to clutch it, only to stop himself when he realized that would be even more painful. He was forced to lay there and hope that it passes.

As it continued to spread, he started to feel a sense of nausea settle in. He tightened his lips together, swallowing nervously. He hoped that he wouldn’t end up vomiting up his stomach contents. He knew full well that he would not eat again after this, at least not until the next day. Given his condition, this was not something that he could afford. And then there were his captors. They’d probably find reason to punish him if they walked in and his stomach had been emptied.

He struggled to keep it in. He fought against the growing sensation, managing to place a hand against his mouth as he tried to push it back, tried what he could to keep the food in his mouth.

But it was becoming a useless task. He could feel his heart beating against his chest. He could feel a sense of dread spreading through him, leaving him in a state of a cold chill. He squirmed on the ground, curling his body inward, ignoring the pain this caused him. He clenched his teeth tightly, his eyes widening at the sensation of something pushing through his stomach.

No...please no... He couldn’t let this happen... He had to fight back. He had to keep the contents in. He...

It was no use. His body’s will was too powerful. His mouth salivating uncontrollably, he opened his mouth and he vomited.

For a few seconds, the enclosure echoed with the sounds of his retching. He couldn’t stop, no matter how hard he tried. He heaved heavily as he continued to empty the disgusting, foul-smelling contents from his stomach. His body shook immensely at the force of the vomiting. Soon, his retching turned into dry heaves, and after a little more fluid came out, he stopped. He collapsed on the ground near the foul-smelling stuff, unable to move very far from it.

The glass enclosure filled with the horrible stank of the stuff. The mere smell of it wanted to make him barf some more, but he had nothing more to give. He was disgusted when he saw that he could make out details of his very recent meal. He let out a loud groan and, after a few seconds, slammed the side of his head against the ground, shutting his eyes tightly.

Oh where was Snap? Where was Howdy? He...he didn’t want to be alone anymore. He wanted to be with his friends. Why weren’t they back yet? They..they didn’t abandon him, did they? They didn’t decide to turn tail to save their own butts, right?

No..that wouldn’t be like them. He knew that neither of them would purposely abandon him like this. They’d come back for him. They would pull through.

But what if they didn’t? What if the reason they weren’t coming was because they ran into trouble? Maybe Von and Terry decided to get rid of them. No, not very likely...but what of Skrawl? Or the other ChalkZone villains? What if they did something? What if Snap and Howdy were in danger somewhere else? What if no one finds them? What if no one finds him?

Blocky let out a soft whimper at this. The pain of what he had gone through, and the powerful emotion that accompanied it swirled in his head, giving him a headache, a chill rising through his spine. The fact that he had no idea how long that he had left, if he would ever escape, or if he’d see his friends again left him in a state of growing fear and depression. The hope for a rescue had started to diminish, and at the realization that he could very well die here, tears formed in his eyes.

Howdy... Snap... Rudy... Penny... Rapsheeba... Everyone else... Would he be able to see any of them again? Would he be able to return to ChalkZone? Would he be able to set foot on ground that wasn’t Real World ever again?

The more he thought about it, the more he began to realize that it may never happen. His tears welled up further, and he began to feel the slick wetness move down his cheeks. He curled himself into a tighter ball. He tried to ignore the horrible smell, tried to resist any temptation to throw up further, despite how much the fear and horror was twisting up his stomach. Unable to hold it back any longer, he shut his eyes and began to sob, his body trembling from emotion.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor had finished up gathering what he needed to pull off what he needed to. He still needed some more time, and he needed to plan out how to pull it off. He knew the consequences if he did this poorly. The idea of doing this to another human being was unsettling...but when it came to progress, to gaining understanding, he couldn’t afford any mishaps. Terry was becoming a nuisance and he needed to fix this problem.

He doubted that he could get her to change. She was quite a stubborn woman, who appeared to always insist that she was right and that he was wrong. She interfered with his experimentations, even knocking him out, which he couldn’t quite forgive, and she often acted as if she had full authority over what he did. He had wanted to just play along for a while longer, but it was getting to the point where he realized that further action was required, and sooner than he had expected.

He wanted to check on Blocky first. He wanted to see how his...patient was doing. So long as he was still alive, and still of use to him, then he was good. This was important; after he got rid of Terry, he was going to need someone else to give him further information about ChalkZone. Blocky, given his weaker state, seemed to be the best choice for that.

But when he walked into the room, he was surprised and shocked by what he had found. He hadn’t expected to see the zoner curled up in a ball, sobbing loudly. The little animal sounded as though he was in a lot of pain, but when he walked around in a circle around the enclosure, he didn’t see any new injuries.

However, he did find something that might explain his discomfort. There was a pile of slightly chunky liquid on the ground in front of him. He could smell it from here and he had to cover up his nose. The sight of it caused a million thoughts to race through him.

What happened to Blocky? Why did he throw up? Did someone...

Of course... Terry... His eyes narrowed as his thoughts grew darker. Yes, Terry was responsible for this. She wanted to try to stop the experiment. She was trying to sabotage him by killing Blocky. She had poisoned him, the bitch.

He formed a fist with both hands, shaking them at his sides. He could feel his veins nearly pop in his head. His teeth grinded, and his pupils shrank into dots. He felt that cold, burning, uncomfortable feeling rise up inside of him. His body began to shake, the anger overtaking him.

He soon forced himself to relax, exhaling the emotion through a single forced breath. His thoughts remain embittered and burning, but now he could focus on what he was going to do.

So..Terry tried to one up him, eh? She decided to take away all of his fun...all for her misplaced love for the zoner. Oh she can try to dismiss it all she wanted to. She can try to deny it. But he could see it in her eyes. She was starting to care about the little runt. On a deeper level than just professionalism. As a result, she had truly become a threat.

Perhaps...he should move up the schedule... Yes, that’s exactly what he was going to do. He hoped that Terry was having a good time, because all that is about to stop.

sss

Snap smiled the best he could as he stared up at the giant. He folded his arms behind his back, twirling his foot nervously on the ground. He forgot how nervous he could be with the giant without Rudy around, and what he was about to ask isn’t something that normally came out of his or his friends’ mouths.

Not that Biclops leaving the Chalk Mine was unheard of. He has done it before, like when he came to see the Rudy Tabootie museum, or when he came to him alerting to Rudy being in trouble when he was too busy tormenting Reggie’s foot. However, those were rare exceptions, and Biclops never left the caverns for long. Part of it was out of habit; he probably had to spend a lot of time guarding the place back when creators were still around. The other part was just to be safe; while no ChalkZone villain could use the chalk, they could still destroy it, thus leaving Rudy chalkless.

Snap had no idea how Biclops was going to react to his question. He didn’t know if he was going to be willing to come with or not. He hoped that he would be able to think of something that could help, but nothing came to mind. And as he found himself in the stare of the giant, he stifled, unsure of just how to begin. The giant was quite intimidating as he glared down at him like this, and Snap cringed, gritting his teeth.

Now he found himself in the shadow of the giant. Neither Rapsheeba nor Howdy said a word. They hung back. Snap had said he would be the first one to speak to him, and they had accepted. Snap knew Biclops better than those two. With such a huge request like this, even he had to admit that he was the better zoner for the job. But that didn’t make this any easier.

“Well...?” Biclops asked, folding his arms against his chest. “I’m waiting.”

“Oh right...” Snap chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. Oh why did this have to be so hard? This shouldn’t be this difficult. He had spoken to Biclops before.... What made this so difficult now? “Well...I had a question and...”

“I know that. You already told me.” Biclops said. “Now...do you mind...” He motioned a hand towards him in gesture. “..tell me what it is? Do you have something...important..to tell me?”

Snap nodded his head. “Yes, Biclops.”

“Then what it is? I don’t have all day, you know.” Biclops put his hands on his hips. “I’m going to be late for my exercise routine if you don’t tell me what you want. Does Rudy need more chalk? You know my rule on that. He...”

“..must come get it himself. I know that.” Snap said. He winced as he saw Biclops narrow his eyes. He was clearly not happy about being interrupted. Snap pushed his nervousness aside and managed to say, “Rudy and Penny won’t be in ChalkZone for five days.” Biclops’s eyes widened at this. “They got grounded by their family.”

“I...see.” Biclops said slowly. He was a little unnerved, although not too worried. “Well, ChalkZone will be fine until then, I’m sure.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Thank you for telling me, Snap. I’ll keep an extra eye out to make sure our resident troublemakers don’t start anything.”

Snap wished that he could leave it at that. He wished that was all that needed to be done. Alas, that wasn’t the case. “Wait!” He reached out towards Biclops as he started to turn around. The giant stopped and stared down at him in confusion. “There’s more, I’m afraid.”

Biclops furrowed his eyes with concern. He looked over at Rapsheeba and Howdy, who nodded their heads in agreement to what Snap said. This made him look even more worried and he looked back at Snap. “What is it?”

“We know where the portal is, and where Blocky was taken. In the Real World, it’s located in a scientific laboratory, and Blocky has been experimented on. Those two creepazoids, Dr. Von Doktor and Terry Bouffant, had run tests on him to learn more about him. They don’t care about Blocky at all. The poor guy is so weak...”

“You have to rescue him.” Biclops said, cutting into Snap’s talking. “Get him back into ChalkZone, erase any evidence those humans got, and close the portal.”

“But without Rudy and Penny...” Snap said, raising up his hands. He paused for a moment, letting Biclops absorb this information. He continued, “It will be quite dangerous going into the Real World for many zoners, and we may need a good number to ensure success.”

“But more numbers mean that they will have an easier time catching one of you.” Biclops warned. “That will give them another zoner to experiment on. They may even try to force information out of said zoner, and they could try to blackmail Rudy and Penny that way.” He rubbed the side of his face in a thoughtful manner. “What you will need to do is figure out a way to get Blocky out with the minimal required zoner numbers.”

“There’s one problem with that. This is in the Real World, Biclops. Remember that.” Snap said, pointing a hand in the giant’s direction. “They can use their Real World water against us, and even erasers, too. If we don’t send enough zoners, then they could all be killed!”

“Or at least neutralized in some of the most painful ways possible.” Rapsheeba shuddered at the thought.

Howdy hugged his arms to himself. Snap didn’t need to ask him to know that the zoner was imagining those horrific scenarios in his head. He sucked on his lip, swallowing nervously. “We...we were hoping that...you’d have some suggestions on how to deal with the humans...”

Biclops raised an eyebrow. “Me? How come?”

Snap stared at the giant in confusion. He thought that Biclops would have made the connection by now. Then again, it might have been a while since he last had to confront a human. Rudy was the last one far as he knew, and that was a couple years ago. Maybe Biclops had become so relaxed, that the idea of confronting a human was far from his mind.

This caused a pang to spread through his stomach. If that’s the case then... He hoped that Biclops would still be of some help. He hoped that the giant remembered what it was like to confront humans. If he didn’t have that knowledge available for them...

Well, they could probably still succeed. It would just be more difficult than he had hoped. This was not something they could afford trial and error with. They needed a plan and they needed to get it right the first time. The consequences of failing were much too dire. The damages would be irreversable.

“Biclops, you were there when humans used to come frequently into this world. Long time ago. Remember? You told me and Rudy that when we first entered encountered you.” Snap said. He remembered that day all too vividly. “You told us about how creators used to run amok and you chased us around because you assumed Rudy would be the same.”

Rapsheeba nodded in agreement, but Howdy’s eyes were wide in shock. He stared up at the giant with a disbelieving look. “You did that?”

Biclops looked down in shame. He rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah..I did. I was a different person back then.” He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Snap. “I see where you are going with this, but I’m not sure how much help I would be.”

“What are you talking about? You’d be a great help!” Howdy said, his previous shock gone from his voice.

“Yeah. I don’t know why you think your input wouldn’t be valuable.” Rapsheeba said. “We could use someone with experience like you!”

Snap nodded his head. He smiled up at the giant, trying to reassure him. He had a feeling that Biclops was simply still feeling shame from his behavior back then and perhaps this talk was reminding him of that. Plus, the old memories of how it used to be so long ago must be getting to him. Those must have been such awful times. Snap could hardly even imagine how dreadful it must have been, seeing creators destroy left and right... No wonder the guy had such a sour attitude when they first encountered him.

“Please, Biclops.” Snap said, gesturing his hand out towards the giant. “Please, you have to help us. We need all the help that we can get. You’re our best chance. You know how to deal with creators.”

“Child creators.” Biclops said grimly. He shut his eyes and shook his head. “I never dealt with adult creators before...”

Howdy looked left to right. He shrugged his shoulders in confusion. “Aren’t they similar?”

Biclops frowned at this and shook his head. “No, they are not. Kids are easier to handle in some areas. They have little experience and don’t have as much knowledge of the world. To deal with them, you simply exploit this lack of knowledge and understanding, or even go for their emotions, as children are much easier to scare and terrify than adults.” He paused, biting his lip nervously. “I..admit I used some of those techniques to scare away the children.”

Snap exchanged looks with his friends. He could only just imagine what it was like for those kids. He had a feeling that what Biclops did to them to frighten them was nothing compared to how he was back then. He turned back to Biclops and said, “I suppose adults are harder because of experience?”

Biclops nodded. “Exactly. They know more things, sometimes even more than many of us zoners. They’re more calculating and deliberate. More cunning and intelligent. It is difficult to simply scare them away. And if you aren’t careful, you will just lure them back, especially with backup. They have to be handled differently than children. And I hate to say it, but as I said...” He placed a hand against himself. “I have no experience with adults...”

Snap bit his lip. This was not the news that he and the others were hoping to hear. They looked at each other nervously, wondering what they were going to do now. If Biclops couldn’t give them much information....

No, they could still use his help. Even if it was just children creators he faced off with, and not adults, he still had more knowledge of dealing with creators than any of them did. He would still be a great asset in the upcoming confrontation. Even if Biclops was unsure of himself, Snap knew that any amount of aid from him would help tremendously.

“Biclops...you still know the humans better than any of us. Sure your knowledge might be a little..limiting... But please... You have to try to help us.” Snap motioned with his hands towards the outside of the cave. “Come with us to the meeting.”

“Meeting?” Biclops asked, staring down at him in confusion. “What meeting?”

Rapsheeba answered this. “I called forth a meeting to discuss plans on rescuing Blocky. With Rudy and Penny gone for a few days, we decided that we cannot just sit around and do nothing. That’s too much time those humans have our friend, and way too long for them to have the portal. Who knows what they are going to do with it?”

“We were going to discuss with some zoners on a plan on saving Blocky.” Howdy said.

“However, we all realized the problem with that.” Snap said. “You see, some of the zoners in the city have gotten.... Antsy, for the lack of a better word. They would rush in brashly, too quickly. They could get themselves captured or hurt, or even killed. They would likely not sit down and just listen to a plan; as soon as they figured out where the portal was, they’d rush headlong into it.”

“I see...” Biclops said. He tilted his head to one side. “Is that part of the reason you want me to go to this meeting?”

Snap didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes. We were hoping that, in addition to your input, you could keep the zoners from rushing to their deaths.”

“We don’t want to risk losing anybody else.” Rapsheeba added. “I don’t want any more zoners end up like how Blocky did...”

Howdy flinched at this. “The boy guy was practically torn apart...” He shut his eyes, a few tears streaming from them.

“So what do you say? Can you come join us?” Snap asked, staring up at the giant expectantly.

Biclops stared down at the three. For a few moments, he was quiet, clearly contemplating what his answer was going to be. The three zoners waited patiently, giving the giant time to answer. It took a little while, but Biclops soon spoke again.

“No.”

Snap widened his eyes, hearing his friends express their shock and disbelief as well. “N-No..? But Biclops...You know how important this is and....”

Biclops raised his hand up. “You didn’t let me finish. No, I will not go to the meeting. It is too risky to leave the cave. You know I almost never do it unless I leave someone in here in charge, which I rarely do. However...” He folded his arms against his chest. He gave a small smile. “You are more than welcome to bring bring some zoners over here for the meeting.”

Snap gave a small gasp at this. He took a step back, staring at the giant in shock. He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t thought of that idea before. Oh why didn’t he think of it? It was so simple, yet so brilliant. He turned his head to look at his friends, who also stared at him in disbelief, both looking like they wished they thought of that sooner.

Snap looked up at the giant. “R-Really...?”

Biclops nodded his head. “Certainly! As long as you keep your hands to yourself and you don’t try to take any chalk.”

“Of course we don’t.” Howdy said.

“We are most grateful for your generous offer.” Rapsheeba said. “But..how about you help us, not just spectate?”

“Yeah.” Snap said. “Would you be willing to give us advice? Please... Any input you have will be most appreciated.”

Biclops let out a soft sigh. “Well, all right then...” He raised his head up a little. “I’ll...see what I can do.”

Snap felt positive emotion well up inside of him. He couldn’t help but grin at this. With Biclops’s help, and with the zoners’ support, he had a feeling that their mission was going to be a success. He wished he could speak to Blocky telepathically. He wanted to tell them that they would soon come for him. And they would take care of Von and Terry. They will torment another zoner no longer.

sss

No... Not now. Dr. Von Doktor gritted his teeth as he leaned against the wall. He held onto his head as he tried to settle himself down. Thoughts had rushed at him like a tidal wave, questioning what he was about to do.

Would it be right to...do this...to Terry Bouffant? He was certain that he wouldn’t get caught, that if he planned it out carefully, everything would be okay. He had some time to think about this. Being a scientist, he was able to think of workarounds, and envision several scenarios in his mind until he found one that suited his needs perfectly.

Yet, why was he still hesitant to go after Terry? It wasn’t like she was going to leave. She was a part of this plan. She wanted as much to do with ChalkZone as him. She was not aware of what he was going to do. She never acted as if she was suspicious of him. Even when he must have read through his stuff, she didn’t really act different enough that suggested that she was turning against him.

But she was still having doubts... And those doubts could turn her into an enemy of his... Even if it hadn’t appeared to yet, even though she still walked with him, called him an ally, that could soon change, all due to the information that she must have found. Exactly which one that was, he wasn’t entirely sure yet. He had his ideas. Learning that the zoners could be carbon-based might have something to do with it.

When he learned that possibility, yeah he was surprised, and it made him realize that the zoners might be closer to human than he and Terry first believed. But unlike her, it seemed, he was able to cast aside his doubts quicker. His scientific mind reminded him that the zoners were still animals, and that he shouldn’t feel that bad for them.

He wished that Terry would do the same thing. He wished that she would see that there’s little reason to feel guilt, that zoners were still not human, still not worth protecting to that degree. Their only purpose in life was to serve their creators, to serve science, to help him expand knowledge on how life can form. This could even open up new doors in learning where life came from.

But then..he didn’t even know if Terry realized this connection or not. Maybe she was being truthful and she was just looking around, not having touched anything to read. Just because he found it hard to believe doesn’t make it untrue.

Heck, he had doubted her on the existence of a chalk world. He had thought the idea was rubbish, and that such a place could never exist. Now here he stood, with a zoner prisoner in the building and a working portal in another part of the building. He knew full well just how right Terry had been. Could she be telling the truth again?

No matter. She still needed to be dealt with. He could still tell she was having some doubts, and doubt was the first seed of rebellion. If she began to question their mission...

...then it was best to get rid of her as soon as possible.

He still feared what might happen if things go wrong. If he was going to go through with this...then he would need to prepare as best as he could. This whole shebang could backfire on him horribly, and force him to live a life of regret.

So he was going to have to make this first attempt count. He would need to make sure that Terry does not get a workaround.

But wait...what about the children...?

Okay, so they were enemies. Rudy and Penny weren’t exactly buddy-buddy with Terry. Spending enough time with them revealed just how much they did not like each other. So perhaps he was just overreacting. Maybe they wouldn’t...

...but what if they did...? Rudy and Penny were smart. He had to give them that much credit, even if he wanted to deny it in the beginning. How else were they able to get passed his security? Even if Penny did use a portal from ChalkZone to get in, they still got from one room to another without triggering the alarm and even opened up the security door. This fact had led him to disable a lot of the security, as he had felt shame for implimenting it, regarding it as a waste of time. It hadn’t been replaced to where it used to be yet, despite knowing part of it wasn’t even the system’s fault. How could he account for portals to another world?

Should he be worried about Rudy and Penny? They are enemies of Terry, and thus may not have much of a reason to help her. Yet...after what he had learned of them, wouldn’t this be a tad...inaccurate?

He wasn’t sure why he was thinking this. He wasn’t sure if he was just paranoid, if he was getting worked up, or anything. But something in his head had set off an alarm. Something in the back of his mind was alerting him to the threat those children could pose. After all, they didn’t particularly appear cruel, and perhaps would come to the aid if even an enemy like Terry.

He shook his head. No, that was proposterous. The children wouldn’t be that stupid. Terry would most likely turn on them the moment that she was out of danger. She’d take advantage of their kindness, and use it to get back at them. Even he wouldn’t be that low.

He attempted to refocus his attention on going after Terry. He wasn’t sure how long he had wasted lost in his mind like that. Terry was still on her walk, and there were still some hours left before they both had to leave. He still had time.

But before he could begin to make his move, or do anything, he was stopped. The back of his head gave a dull pain and he felt a slight shiver go up his spine. This caused him to open up his eyes to another reality he hadn’t considered. Something that he should have realized sooner, and didn’t understand why it took him so long.

Rudy and Penny would still report him if they saw what he was about to do to Terry. The law is the law, and his upcoming actions would surely warrant arrest, even in the eyes of the woman’s enemies.

On top of that, Rudy and Penny would still be a threat even if they didn’t report him on Terry’s case. He was threatening their ‘precious world’ after all. From what Terry said and implied, they’d do whatever it took to stop him. They had access into the chalk world, and could storm in here to save their friend. Sure, Terry and him did have a plan on hindering them, but he realized he had no idea if that worked or not. He needed to do something else to ensure that they weren’t a threat to him anymore.

There was one thing he could do. An act was just as shocking as what he had planned with Terry. An act he normally wouldn’t have done, but now he was realizing that it was his best bet.

He turned his head and looked over his shoulder. He stared down the hallway, looking at nothing in particular. He frowned softly, giving a soft ‘hmmph’ sound. The hallway he was looking down was the same one with the room with the portal in it. He briefly thought about moving the portal, but decided not to, as the location it was in on the other side seemed safe enough.

He turned his head away and continued to head down the hallway. He folded his arms behind his back. Perhaps he should put off Terry again. She was just one person and he was smarter than she was. She could wait a little bit.

But the children...they could not.

Rudy and Penny were unpredictable factors. He knew little of what they were doing right now, or what they were presently capable of. They were unknowns that needed to be taken care of. He needed to get them and subdue them. He needed to bring them there...where he could ensure they would no longer be a threat. Not until he was finished with what he wanted. Not until he got what he deserved: praise from his peers.

But how would he accomplish this? How could he get the children without anyone knowing? The parents didn’t trust him. They...

...wait..there was someone who could help.

Von couldn’t help but give a twisted smile, tapping his fingers together eagerly. Yes, she might do... A person he had met once before, who also didn’t appear to like Rudy all that much. Although she would have no interest in kidnapping or hurting him, she just might jump at the chance to ‘rehabilitate’ Rudy.

Ms. Tweezer.

sss

Ms. Tweezer couldn’t help but stare at the man disbelievingly, raising an eyebrow. She wasn’t sure whether or not she should consider his words to be fact. He could just be another deranged person, trying to set her up for something.

But something about his words felt almost...genuine. And she had to admit, it certainly was a warm welcome compared to what she had been put through in the past. Not many had treated her as seriously as this when she had spent half the day running around about ‘living drawings’. She shuddered at the memory of that. She had prided herself on remaining sane, unlike many of the cretins and their ‘fantasy fetish’. But for her to fall into that same mindset...despicable.

It was certainly a nice change of pace to have someone speak to her like she was a human being. Someone who didn’t constantly bring up that past incident, and who didn’t treat her like she belonged in the looney bin. Even if she did find this man a little...off... he was still welcome company in that regard.

“So...you want my help?” Ms. Tweezer managed to say after a bit of silence.

The man before her, dressed up in a white science suit whom she recognized as Dr. Von Doktor, nodded his head. “Yez, madame. You zee, I have an...important program running at my plaze.”

“I thought your place got shut down after...that incident.” Ms. Tweezer said, looking at him in confusion. “Did it reopen?”

“Well you could zay zat, yez.” Von said, making a few gestures with his hands. “I’m...trying to get more people interezted, zo I may earn zee money to rebuild it. Make it better zan before.” He clasped his hands together. “I would like to teach zee ztudentz education. Help zem learn more. I do not zink Mr. Wilter iz doing a very good job. Ezpecially after zeeing zome of zee report cardz.”

Ms. Tweezer couldn’t argue with that. “Yes, those report cards are horrendeous.” She put her hands on her hips and shook her head, her eyes closed. “Really, what is wrong with the youth today?”

“I want to change zat. I want to give zeze children a better education, where zey will learn, and become productive memberz of zoziety. And you...” He motioned his hand towards her. “I would like your help in getting my firzt ztudent. To try out my methodz and make sure it all worked out.”

“Who did you have in mind?” Ms. Tweezer asked.

Von smiled at this. It was almost a knowing one, as if he realized how she was going to react. She raised her eyebrow at this. She wondered if she was going to like the answer he was about to give. She waited, thinking that, maybe, it wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.

“Rudy Tabootie.”

Nope...she was wrong.

The mention of that name caused her heart to feel like it was burning up. She could feel it twisting and turning, the back of her head feeling like it was going to explode with the horrendeous memories of that boy.

Oh how she hated him..how she remembered what he had done to her...

All she wanted to do was educate him. She wanted him to see things for how they really were. She wanted to show him how wrong it was to draw things that didn’t exist, how the best stories were etched out of reality. The boy was wasting his time drawing those...fantasies...those lies...and she merely wanted to help him blossom into a proper artist.

What did he do to repay her? He broke her mind. He did...something... and made her go crazy. She hardly even remembered the act that he did, but she did recall its after affects. She remembered how what he did had driven her insane and she babbled nonsense, and no one would ever let her live it down. They wouldn’t even tell her just what it was she claimed to have seen. They just laughed in her face whenever she brought it up.

She had pushed the boy into the back of her mind and had tried to continue life as normal. Yet he constantly came back to haunt her. No matter where she went, someone would bring up that ‘crazy incident’, and she would get laughed at again. Even after all this time, the boy still haunted her.

But perhaps fate had finally smiled upon her. This man standing before her wanted to help educate students as well, to bestow upon them knowledge of the world. Such knowledge would certainly be useful...

And it would help tame that boy’s whacky, unbridled imagination, bringing it back down to more manageable levels. The boy may have escaped proper education in the past, but it seemed like, now, at last, all that was about to change.

Ms. Tweezer gave a sly smile. “Okay then...” She folded her arms against her chest. “I’ll help you.”

Von smiled at this. “Zat iz good to hear! Juzt talk to zee boy’z parentz and convinze zem to let you take zee boy to ziz new zchool. But do not mention my name.”

“Why not?”

“I...well let’z juzt zay my reputation haz..zuffered due to a pazt inzident...” Von said softly, gritting his teeth nervously.

Ah yes, she remembered something about that. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man. He must have suffered a similar incident as she had. He knew what it felt like to go through what she had. In that case, they were something of kindred spirits. This gave her further reason to help him.

“Okay, just give me the directions and the boy will be yours.” Ms. Tweezer said.

Von took out a piece of paper and began to write on it. “Oh and make sure to bring hiz friend with, too. I zink he’d do better with a companion.”

Ms. Tweezer wasn’t sure how much she’d agree with that. The girl might actually prevent the boy from learning. Then again, she was of the more scientific mind. Maybe having her around would be a benefit. She had little reason to dislike Penny. After all, she played no part in the torment she had gone through. But if this was required to ensure the plan’s success, then she’d do it.

Dr. Von Doktor handed her the piece of paper. She took it from him and looked at it. The address appeared to be his old lab. Not that it surprised her; the man did say that he was trying to reopen the place up. It would make sense he’d use that place for his new education class purposes.

Stuffing the paper into her pocket, she turned to the scientist and said, “I’ll have Rudy and Penny at your place and ready to be taught a lesson as soon as possible.”

Von smiled at this. “Thank you.”

Ms. Tweezer watched as the man walked out of the door. As soon as she shut it, she glanced down at the address. She couldn’t stop smiling. At long last, the boy was going to get what was coming to him. He would become a model class citizen. And if he could be tamed...

Oh yes, she saw a bright future ahead for Plainsville.

sss

It was a disaster. The crowd erupted in protests and loud shouts. Many of them were demanding the location of the portal. They looked ready to tear him apart just to get that information. Snap backed away, his friends huddling close to him. The fact that they were in Biclops’s cave, surrounded by rock in all directions, did little to comfort him.

It had seemed so simple at first. And for a while, it worked. He and his friends had gathered up several zoners whom they feel would be the right fit for the mission. He explained to them where they needed to go and what he needed to talk to them about. The zoners listened and followed him. They had seemed really eager to know what it was he needed to tell them.

But when they found out he knew where the portal was, it seemed everything had gone downhill. He was glad that their negative attention towards Howdy disappeared, but now he was getting the flack now.

“Why won’t you tell us where it is?”

“Why are you holding back?”

“Do you even care?”

Snap held onto his head, and gritted his teeth. He tried not to let those words get to him. He tried to tell himself that the zoners were just frustrated, and tried to dismiss their statements as nothing. He knew what he was doing, and he knew it was for the best of ChalkZone.

But the words..no matter how hard he fought, they were still getting to him, making him shiver in fear. The way many of the zoners were looking at him, it struck panic in his heart and it was taking all his willpower not to turn and run away. He had to remain here. He had to talk to them. He had to get them to discuss the plan to save Blocky, to not rush out into danger headlong without any rhyme or reason.

Such a task would prove rather difficult, however. Many of the zoners were erupting in threats, demands, and anger. They were getting worked up. He feared that they might take drastic action if something didn’t...

“Enough!” Biclops’s voice boomed. The zoners immediately quieted down, looking up at the massive pale yellow zoner that appeared. “For shame! I would think zoners like yourselves would behave better than this!”

The zoners simply glared back, looking from Biclops and then to Snap. Rapsheeba and Howdy huddled closer to him to help him feel safe. The zoners gave a small snarl but made no move towards him. They took a few steps back, still glaring at him, but appearing to be, more or less, settling down.

One of the zoners said, “Okay then... Will you please tell us what we are supposed to do?”

Another said, “Yeah!” He raised his hands up in confusion. “Do you expect us to just sit here while those creators are out there somewhere, doing gawd knows what?”

“Of course not!” Rapsheeba called out. She put her hands on her hips. “We just don’t want to rush into this thing without a plan.” She moved her hand out in front of her, gesturing to the other zoners. “We had a feeling that you lot were going to try to leave to the portal right away as soon as we told you. I understand tensions are high, but you all need to think first!”

“We are!” One of the zoners snapped. It was the rough female from the earlier mob. Snap recognized her right away. Her meek male friend was behind her, keeping quiet. The rough female pointed her fingers at the three. “We all know that action needs to be done as soon as possible! Screw the planning! That will take too long!”

“Would you rather get caught, then?” Snap asked as he narrowed his eyes at the zoner. The rough female growled at this, but did not respond. “In case you didn’t know, the Real World is much more dangerous, with all sorts of things that can and will kill you! All those humans would need to do is grab a hose and spray you lot, and you are all toast!” He noticed the female zoner was attempting to reply. He cut her off, pointing a rounded hand in her direction. “And don’t you dare try to tell us that you can just jump out of the way and it’ll be fine! Just one touch of Real World water and you will be in a world of pain, if you’re lucky! Do you really want to take that chance?”

At this, some of the zoners in the group began to murmur softly to each other. They exchanged looks of worry, confusion, and horror. Snap wasn’t sure if they weren’t fully aware of dangers from the Real World or if they had simply forgotten and now were just being reminded of that.

The murmurs soon died down, and for a while everything was silent. Most of the zoners had stopped glaring, instead taking on more serious expressions, wanting to start the meeting officially. Snap was glad that at least some of the zoners were willing to listen enough and not just rush into this.

However, that tough female, whose name still escaped him, she didn’t look like she was going to back down anytime soon. She stood straight, her hands formed into fists, giving him an almost death glare. She looked like she was going to take action, either by rushing towards him or by running away to find the portal herself. Snap hoped that she would settle down so they can get the meeting started. They were wasting time like this. Couldn’t she see that?

Thankfully, Biclops intervened before she could take any next action. He took a step forward, lowering his head close to hers. “Don’t even think about it.”

The tough female hissed at him, but she didn’t try to retort against him. For the first time, her head lowered in submission and she took a step back, relenting to the will of another zoner. “As you wish...”

Snap knew the only reason she stepped down was because Biclops was much bigger and stronger than she was. There was no way she would be able to fight against him. To do so would be utterly pointless. She’d lose very quickly.

Giving a snort of satisfaction, Biclops leaned back and folded his arms against his chest. “Do we have any more protestors?” The zoners all shook their heads quickly. “Good.” Biclops stared down at Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy. “Shall we get started?”

Snap nodded his head. “Yes.” He cleared his throat as he turned his attention to the zoners. “We called you here because we know the location of the portal, and we need to set up a plan to rescue Blocky and destroy said portal. We would like all your input on what we can do, and we can try to set up a plan in order to get Blocky out of that situation he’s stuck in.”

Rapsheeba took a step forward. “We called Biclops here...”

“Well it is his cave...” One of the zoners said. He silenced himself when Rapsheeba shot him a glare.

“Yes, I’m quite aware of that.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway...” She held her hand up in gesture. “His experience with creators in the past is going to be of value here. Since we may run into creators during our rescue mission, we need to know exactly how to deal with them.” She looked up at Biclops. “Do you mind sharing your experiences with us?”

Biclops nodded his head. There was a flash of a haunting look in his eyes for a few seconds before it vanished completely. Snap felt sorry for the giant, having to deal with all that horrible stuff so long ago, and with no protector either... He could only just imagine what kind of nightmarish hellhole that it was.

Biclops cleared his throat and he began to tell his story.

“Those were some horrible times...”

sss

Terry growled softly as she followed the man down the hallway. Why was he moving so fast? For an old guy, he sure was quick. It took all her effort just to keep up with him, and even then, he appeared to be gaining speed. She could hear his footsteps clanging against the ground, which helped her whenever he took a swift direction and she didn’t see here he was going.

She hoped that, wherever he was taking her, they’d get there soon. She was tired of all this fast walking. Her legs were aching and her heart was beating faster than what she would have liked. Her legs were burning a little as well from the extra energy she was exerting. She didn’t remember how long it’s been since they started walking. But they had to be getting to their destination, right?

She wasn’t even sure where he was taking her, or why. He just said he needed to speak to her somewhere, far away from Blocky. He said he didn’t want the zoner to overhear what he had to say. But just what that could be, or why they had to go to a competely different level of the building, she wasn’t entirely sure. She tried to talk to the man, tried to get him to tell her more of what he had in mind. But he refused to elaborate, leaving her in the dark.

She grumbled at this. Scientists... They could be so secretive sometimes. She bet that he was just overly excited over some new invention or new discovery and he wanted to flaunt it to her. He seemed like the kind of guy that would strive for attention for anything, even something as minor as discovering a new name for a rock.

Regardless of her frustrations, she still followed the man down the hallway, zigzagging around, going deeper and deeper into the bowels of the building. As they continued on, she began to wonder just how large this building was. It was certainly more massive than it appeared on the outside.

Soon, they came to a room at the end of a long, narrow hallway. Dr. Von Doktor had finally stopped, positioning himself in front of the door. She looked back towards her, motioning with his finger for her to come in. Finally... Terry followed him into the room.

As Terry slowly entered, she looked around the room. This didn’t look like any other room in this building. She could see a table with some straps on it, a few small desks, at least one mobile, with various items, some monitors, and a bunch of other things. There was an odd smell in the room as well. Some kind of chemical. She snorted, feeling a slight headache come on from the dank smell.

“What is this place?” Terry asked, turning her head to look around.

“It’z a room where we teach newcomerz about operating on larger zpezimenz.” Von explained. “Unorthodox, and unusual, I know. But I’ll tell you what, zough. It waz affective.”

Terry wouldn’t be surprised by that. She was well aware of how hands on experience would be quite beneficial. She wondered offhandedly how many doctors may have come from this location. How many of them learned from this room? She hoped that this place offered a decent education. But considering that there had really been no complaints from the doctors in this area, she had a feeling that this place did a fine enough job.

But she was still confused. Why did Von want to bring her down here? What was the point? To show off this room? She shook her head, wondering if Dr. Von Doktor had lost it.

She turned her head to speak to him. “Why did you...” She never got a chance to finish.

She let out a yelp of surprise when she felt something seize her by her arm. She looked over and saw that there was a metal clamp there. Her eyes widened in horror for a split second, and then she reached over to pull her arm out. Then the other one was grabbed. She gritted her teeth as she fought against the machine as hard as she could, only for her aching muscles to give out. Her arms were soon stretched out beside her, giving her no room to move them.

“Dr. Von! What’s going on?!” Terry wailed, her voice tinging with anger and panic.

Dr. Von Doktor chuckled at this, his voice surprisingly icy as her legs were soon subdued as well, keeping them anchored to the ground. “Why...I’m juzt tying up zome looze endz...” The man said coolly as he took a few steps towards her, staring at her in the eyes. “I zink I let you ztay long enough. I waz going to give you more time...but zen I zaw what you did to Blocky. For shame, Mizz Bouffant. We weren’t even done with him yet.”

Terry struggled against her binds. She yanked her arms as hard as she could. She winced in pain when she felt her joints, her arm feeling like it was going to tear off. She glared at the man, baring her teeth. “Just what are you talking about, you loon?! I didn’t do anything to him!”

Von smiled at this. He began to walk around her in a circle. “Oh come now, Mizz Bouffant. You know better zan to lie to me.”

Terry watched the man as he walked around her in circles, like a vulture waiting for prey to die. It was unnerving, unsettling, but she tried her best not to let this show. She gave another yank, trying to free her leg to kick the man. “You’re insane! I never...”

Suddenly, Terry felt an arm slink around her neck, applying pressure. She gagged as her head was twisted to the side. A jolt of pain rushed through her neck, and her eyes bulged. It felt as though her neck would break at anytime. Her heart pounded at this, and she tried to struggle to get free. But Von, who now stood directly behind her, only tightened his grip further.

To her horror, Von brought a needle filled with some unknown fluid up towards her left eye. The sharp tip was placed very close, and she found it difficult to turn away. The sight of it reminded her of what she had said to Howdy, and she started to shiver. She swallowed nervously as she stared down at Von. She looked into his eyes, noting just how cold they looked. And that sinister smile...

“What...what are you...” Terry whispered softly.

“I’m juzt doing what I should have done earlier.” Replied the man, his voice making no attempt to disguise his cruel intentions. “It iz zuch a shame it came to ziz, Terry.”

Terry shook her head as best as she could with it still being held by the man’s arm. “N-No..please...” She whimpered softly, taking in a shaky breath. “Don’t... I’ll do anything...please...”

Why was the man doing this? Why did he think that she hurt Blocky? How long had he been planning this? How far was he going to go?

These questions and more flooded her mind as she struggled against the machine that held her. She jerked herself from side to side, trying to yank at least one limb away. But the binds were too tight, and she wasn’t going anywhere. The man’s cold laughter began to take a toll on her psyche, and she realized, as the seconds passed, she really wasn’t going anywhere. She eventually stopped struggling.

In that moment, she realized what a fool she was in trusting Von. She looked up at him, her eyes filling with the question of ‘why?’, silently pleading with him not to do it. But she knew, in this moment, as her heart’s beating pounded in her head, there was little she could do or say to convince him otherwise.

Von stared into her wide, scared eyes. His smile stretched further to one side, looking rather twisted. A side of Von that she never wanted to see. “Let’z..go ahead and get started...”

Terry whimpered loudly, “No..don’t!”

Von just smiled at her. The hand attached to the arm holding her rubbed the side of her face in an almost affection manner. “Why don’t you juzt relax? Zee more you relax, the zooner this will go.”

Terry shut her eyes, a few tears of fear flowing down her face. “Please..I didn’t do anything wrong...I swear, I didn’t hurt Blocky!”

“Tzk tzk, Mizz Bouffant. Again with zee lying. Why can’t you be more..truthful?” Von said, shaking his head in disappointment.

“But I am...” Terry was silenced when her head was twisted further, getting closer to the breaking point. She let out a scream for a few seconds before Von suddenly released her and walked away. Terry panted heavily, her eyes wide in pain. “I-I swear I...”

Dr. Von Doktor shot her a cold glare. Terry cringed at the sight of it. “Zinze you will not ztop telling me your liez...” He placed the needle down and grabbed another one. This was larger in size, and looked more wicked. “Perhapz ziz will relieve me of zat. Zen we can truly get ztarted.”

As the man drew closer to her, Terry’s body trembled hard. She shook her head in desperation. “No! Please don’t! Stop!” She cried as she struggled harder against her binds. “No!”

“Hold still...”

Terry yelped as she felt the man grab her hair. He yanked on it hard, forcing her head to the side. Then there was a sharp prick in her neck. She felt the cold piece of metal slink further into her skin. The man pressed down on the tip and after the liquid was fully emptied, he yanked it out.

It didn’t take long for the stuff to take effect. The woman felt her heart race against her chest when she realized that the inside of her throat felt numb. She tried to make noise, but while she could still grunt, growl, hiss, show signs of pain, among those primitive sounds, she could not articulate words. She took in a few gasps of horror at this realization, staring at the man with wide, terrified eyes.

“Now zen...” The man said, tilting his head, giving her an eerie smile. Terry widened her eys at this and gulped, gritting her teeth in fear. “Let’z begin...at lazt.”

Terry’s screams echoed in the room.


	28. Apologies

Of all the words in the dictionary, none are more powerful than two of seemingly simple words.

sss

“Rudy...”

The boy didn’t turn his head. He kept it low, staring towards the ground. He bit his lip, sucking on it nervously.

“Come on, Rudy... We need to talk about this.”

Rudy slowly lifted up his head and stared over at his friend. He found it difficult to look at Penny in the eyes, shame overwhelming him as he was reminded of what he had done to her. He only looked at her for a few moments and then he turned his head away.

He wasn’t sure if he could do this. He wanted to. Oh how he wanted to...but how would he go about apologizing to Penny? How would she do the same? How could either of them begin, when the very sight of one another reminded them of what transpired between the two? The screams they both emmitted, the angry growls, the punches and the kicks and everything, it came flooding back to him with a vengeance.

This was not something that they could forget so easily. It wasn’t something that he felt they could set aside as easily as he would have liked. They had both hurt each other pretty badly, and all because neither of them had the sense to leave, to back down. He wished he had been responsible enough to do that. He should have done that. Why didn’t he do that...?

He shivered when he felt a hand on his. Penny stared at him intently, her eyes filled with care and worry. Rudy wanted to pull his hand away, but he fought against the urge, realizing that it might just make Penny feel worse.

But the sensation rising up inside of him as their skin touched one another... The flashes in his mind, it was like watching a movie in his head, mental images showcasing to him the fight that he and Penny had gone through. It wouldn’t leave him alone, and it caused emotion to well up inside of him. In seconds, he couldn’t take it any longer and he leaned away from Penny, pulling his arm to himself.

He felt a pang in his chest when he saw the look on Penny’s face. He lowered his head in shame. He didn’t mean to make her upset. He didn’t mean to be such a coward. He should be better than this. If he could handle facing off against the likes of Skrawl and Jacko...

...why couldn’t he be brave enough to face this?

“Rudy, I know you’re scared. So am I...” Penny said in a gentle voice. Rudy gave her a sideways glance. “Believe me, it’s hard for me to be in this room with you, trying to settle this. But we have to do it... You know I’m right.” She leaned a little closer. “Don’t you?”

Rudy nodded his head stiffly. “Y-Yes...” He managed to say in a soft voice. That was the whole reason she wanted him to come over to her house, right? To fix this.

Penny reached towards him. Her hand stopped about a foot away, her fingers arching slightly inward. Penny bit her lip and, appearing to have changed her mind, pulled it away, resting it at her side. “Come on, Rudy. Let’s talk. Let’s get this over with.” Rudy closed his eyes. “Rudy, the longer we wait the worse it’ll get. We need to talk. Rudy, I don’t want to be angry at you anymore.”

“I don’t want to be upset with you either.” Rudy’s voice came in a soft whisper, barely audible.

“Let’s get started, then. Turn around and face me.” Penny said. She reached over again. Rudy jolted a little when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her with one wide eye. “Come on, Rudy. I know you can do this.” She gave a small smile. “We’ve been through tough situations before. We fought before, and we always made up in the end. Let’s not make this any different.”

Rudy couldn’t help but frown softly. “Our fights had never been that serious before.”

Penny’s expression softened up and she looked at him sympathetically. “I know, Rudy. But..come on...we can still make it better.” She leaned against him a little as they sat at the edge of her bed. “Let’s try. Please...”

Rudy stiffened up at her touch. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. His mind was racing, and a part of it was telling him to fight back, that a threat was going to get him. He had to push back those thoughts, constantly reminding himself that it was just Penny. He pushed back his fight or flight instinct the best that he could, keeping himself in the same spot.

But despite being able to keep himself from fleeing or defending himself unnecessarily, he couldn’t stop his teeth from gnashing, or his body from shaking. He could practically feel Penny’s concerned eyes bore straight through him. He tried to calm himself down, but he found it so hard, and he seemed to only succeed in making himself shake harder.

“Rudy...please...” He could hear Penny’s voice behind him. “Let’s talk...”

Rudy let out a soft sigh, his shoulders relaxing. The warmth of Penny against him still unnerved him, but it was now starting to relax him a little. He took in a few breaths, in and out, slowly. The tension began to leave his body as he realized that Penny was right. They had to get this over with soon, before it becomes such a huge hassle that... he didn’t want to think about it.

Rudy turned his head to face Penny. The girl gave a small, reassuring smile at this, leaning a little away to give him some space. This was it. Time to get started. “Penny, I...”

But he didn’t get a chance to finish.

Suddenly, some footsteps came rushing towards the door. Light yet fast, almost like pitter pattering of many small animals. The door was flung open quickly, and the two children stiffened up at this. They turned their heads to see Penny’s mom standing there.

“Mom..?” Penny asked, her voice laced with confusion. “What’s...what’s going on...?”

The smile her mom gave only served to confuse the two children even further. They glanced at each other, and then looked back at the woman, waiting for her to begin talking. “I’ve got wonderful news!”

“What is it?” Penny asked, her voice filled with a bit more urgency.

“Oh I’m sorry. I just got excited and..” Mrs. Sanchez cleared her throat, rubbing it with her hand. “Well, I just got a phone call from your teacher, Mr. Wilter. It appears that he is starting a new type of educational program in another part of the city. He’s found another teacher to help him with this. He is hoping to revolutionize the way schools are run and provide better education.”

Rudy and Penny remained silent at this. They weren’t sure what to say to this. They still smiled, not wanting to make Mrs. Sanchez feel stupid for bringing it up. But this didn’t stop the rage of confusion going on, tugging away at their stomachs.

Just what kind of program was this? How come Mr. Wilter never said a word about it sooner? Why would he keep something like this a secret and then just happen to bring it up with Penny’s mother? Rudy and Penny wanted to speak up, to say something, yet they weren’t entirely sure how they felt about this. They needed more details. They needed more information to understand this. They needed...

“And he’s chosen you two to be the first students there!” Mrs. Sanchez said, her smile stretching further against her face. “Isn’t that great?”

Rudy and Penny stared at her, wide-eyed. For a few seconds, they were speechless, unable to respond.

A few seconds later, Rudy managed to work up the energy to speak. “Wh-What...?”

“You two have been hand chosen to be the first to start this new program. You two will be helping to usher forth a new era of education! I think this will be just wonderful for this community. Education has been a bit of a problem lately, especially with the current generation.” The woman said.

Rudy frowned a little at this. He felt that was a bit of an exaggeration. He hadn’t really noticed a decline in intelligence in the town. But maybe that’s not what the woman meant. Maybe she was simply referring to an increased number of students like Reggie, who was a troublemaker and not exactly bright, or maybe something else he wasn’t thinking of.

Still, despite the fact that she wouldn’t think this of him, and never indicating that she did, he couldn’t help but feel as though she was referring to him in that statement. He was just paranoid, he realized. He did his best to push those thoughts aside.

Mrs. Sanchez continued, “He wants you two to get started as soon as possible. On the weekends, of course, so that your regular education isn’t screwed up.”

“So this coming Saturday, we are going?” Penny asked.

“Or Sunday?” Rudy inquired. The idea of losing the only two free days of the week that they had was rather unnerving. He hoped they would be given at least sometime for ChalkZone.

Mrs. Sanchez frowned slightly, rubbing the back of her head. “He didn’t say. I guess he was in a hurry. He was pretty excited on the phone...” She lowered her hand and looked back at the children. “He does want you two there today, to get a tour of the place. He has sent you a ride to go there.”

“Oh my...” Penny said, stammering a little. “This..this is all very sudden. I...”

“Can’t we have a little time to think about it?” Rudy asked.

At this, Mrs. Sanchez folded her arms against her chest. “Have you two apologized to each other? If you need more time for that, I’ll be glad to give it to you.”

“N...” Rudy started to say. Penny cut him off.

“Yes! I mean...yeah we did.” Penny stood beside Rudy. She slunk an arm across his shoulder and pulled him close. “We’re doing just fine now!” She grinned. She gave Rudy a nudge prompting him to nod and return the smile as well.

Mrs. Sanchez smiled at this. “That’s great to hear. I knew you two could work it out.” She turned her back to the children and gestured for them to follow. “Now come along. He can’t wait for too long. He has somewhere else he has to be.”

“We’ll be there in a few minutes.” Penny said.

“All right then.” Mrs. Sanchez said. “I’ll be downstairs when you two are ready.”

After Mrs. Sanchez walked out of the room to wait for them, Rudy turned to Penny, giving her a disbelieving look. “Penny, why did...” He stifled himself when Penny raised a hand up. She turned to Rudy, looking at him with a sideways glance. The look in her eyes...the expression was unreadable. What was on the girl’s mind?

“I have a feeling there’s more to this than what my mom is saying.” Penny said in a soft voice. Rudy’s eyes widened at this. What made her think that? “There’s just something...off about the whole thing. Why would Mr. Wilter open up another education center, especially when he already has a class to run?”

“You do have a point.” Rudy realized that Penny was right. Not only does this seem unlike Mr. Wilter, as he usually woud only have one-day substitute teachers come in, but where would he find the time and money for this? Maybe Principal Stringent was involved but...no even then, it made no sense. “What do you think we should do?”

Penny narrowed her eyes softly. “I am not sure. A part of me is considering just going along with it, as there might be a chance that this could be related to...”

“..what? What makes you think that?” Rudy asked before Penny could finish. How would this have any kind of correlation to ChalkZone or what happened to Blocky?

“I know it sounds weird, and I could be way off the mark.” Admitted Penny. She clenched her teeth. “That’s why I’m hesitant.” She turned to look at Rudy. “We also don’t know just how persuasive our folks are going to be about this, or even Mr. Wilter. They might just force us to go anyway.”

Rudy wasn’t sure what to think of this. They were faced with an unknown situation, one that could either make their predicament worse, or potentially lead them to their friend, get them closer to resolving this whol situation. What were they going to do? What should they do?

They were going to need a bit of time to discuss this. He hoped that Mrs. Sanchez will be patient. He hoped that Mr. Wilter won’t get antsy. They just needed a little bit of time to figure this out, and decide what course of action they should take. He hoped that, whatever choice they made in the end, it would be the right one.

“Penny? Rudy?” They heard the woman shout from the bottom of the stairs. “Have you two gotten ready yet?”

“Hold on, mom!” Penny shouted back. She turned her head back to Rudy. “What do you think we should do, Rudy?”

“We need to discuss this for a bit first.” Said Rudy. “We can’t afford to make a mistake.”

Penny nodded her head. “Yeah, I agree.” She gritted her teeth as she looked towards the steps. “I hope my mom will be patient.. I’ve never seen her this excited before...”

“Yeah...me neither..” Rudy said, nodding his head up and down slowly. Mrs. Sanchez was usually the calm type, and rarely got worked up over anything. To see her this excited.. it was strange and, in this case, a little unsettling. “Okay, let’s get started...”

sss

Ms. Tweezer leaned back in the driver’s seat of the car. She hated having to wear this ridiculous disguise, but Dr. Von Doktor insisted that she did. After he found out about her...reputation... he wanted her to remain in disguise so that Rudy and Penny would be easier to pick up. He had even had her go as far as forge a phone call and pretend to be Mr. Wilter. She only succeeded because she was lucky enough to have a bad enough connection to fool Mrs. Sanchez.

All this was rather strange, she had to admit. Disguising herself just to bring education to those two students? And as Mr. Wilter, no less? Really, if Doctor Von Doktor wanted them to think she was Mr. Wilter, why didn’t he just use Mr. Wilter himself? There was a reason, but it was so convoluted that she didn’t bother remembering it.

A part of her felt a little guilty in tricking them like this. But it was fleeting, only lasting a few seconds, if even that. She knew that she was only doing what was best for their education. Their parents will know where they were. It wasn’t like they were going to be trapped there or anything. Yeah, it was all going to be good.

After this rocky start of a new educational program, she was certain that the results would come in swiftly. The students would get proper education, understand the difference between fantasy and reality, and put their imaginations to proper use.

Oh how she had longed for such a day... Even as a child, she had always hated the fake, the unreal, and had wanted to turn things around in this backwater society. Now she was getting a chance to help with that. Oh sure, she would get a complaint here or there, but in the end, they would thank her for brightening up Plainsville’s future. No more wasting time on useless fantasy stuff. There would be more focus on reality. Then and only then could children learn to be more productive members of society.

And what better way to start than with one of the most rambunctious children she had ever met? Rudy Tabootie was certainly a tough egg to crack. She almost succeeded, but he bit her back. He drove her insane, and he ruined her reputation.

She squeezed the steering wheel tightly. She wasn’t sure how well she could hold up her disguise while he was in the car. But she knew she had to do it. She had to keep silent, keep herself in this stupid disguise, and take the children to Von’s laboratory. He was going to give her money for her troubles, and she could leave, knowing that the children will get the education that they deserved.

Forcing Rudy to face the fallacy of his lifestyle choice would be the best revenge she could possibly want. Her only regret is that she wouldn’t be there to see it for herself.

After a few moments, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw the mother and the two children walking out of the house. She kept her head to one side, knowing that if she stared at them too long, one of them might notice something off about her and realize she was in a costume.

Instead of the mother staying back, however, she realized that she was coming over towards the car. Ms. Tweezer felt her heart skip a beat. This isn’t what she had expected. Why was the mother getting closer? Why wasn’t she just bidding the children farewell so she could go? Was...was she wanting to come with...?

This was not good. It was one thing to try to trick her over the phone, where she could not see her, and where bad reception was able to allow her to fool her. But if Mrs. Sanchez got into the car itself...and she turned to look... She would definitely notice. Rudy and Penny would be in the backseat and it would be harder for them to tell...

..or maybe it wouldn’t... Ms. Tweezer realized that maybe she did not think this plan out very well. She hunched her shoulders a little, hoping to disrupt her shape enough to make them not realize it was her.

She kept her head turned to the side as she heard the sound of the door opening up. She could feel the weight of the car shifting as Rudy, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez got into the car. The vehicle wobbled slightly for a few seconds, and then settled down as the doors were shut.

There was a bit of an awkward silence as she felt their stares on her. She did her best not to look at them, keeping her attention on the steering wheel in front of her. She tried her best to ignore how they were all looking at her, likely confused as to why she wasn’t speaking to them. She sucked on her lip nervously. She could not mimic Mr. Wilter’s voice that well, and she had no idea how they were going to react when they find out that she had been forced into a disguise by Dr. Von Doktor.

Well, if it came to that, maybe they...at least the mom..might be understanding. After all, this wasn’t her idea. She had never wanted to pretend to be someone else.

After what felt like a few minutes of silence, Mrs. Sanchez spoke up. “I hope you don’t mind me coming, Mr. Wilter. I was just curious about this facility, and I would feel better coming with them.”

Ms. Tweezer supposed that makes sense. She didn’t know why Mrs. Sanchez hadn’t mentioned it earlier, or what even brought this on in the first place. Despite wanting to ask about that she kept her mouth shut, knowing that just a single uttered word would be enough to give her away.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Mrs. Sanchez asked as she buckled in her seatbelt. Ms. Tweezer swiftly shook her head. “That’s good. Besides, I’m interested in seeing this new education center myself. I have a love for science. Will there be a wing dedicated to that?”

Ms. Tweezer nodded her head. She began to reach for the keys to turn the car back on. She wanted to eat least get onto the road so they were on their way. Even if they discover who she is, they wouldn’t really attempt anything while she was driving a car.

She turn her eyes up and saw that Rudy and Penny were still looking at her funny. Their suspicious glances made her wonder if they could see right through her disguise. This made her stomach twist in knots. She licked her lips nervously, sucking on them. She hoped that everything was going to turn out okay. That money better be worth this.

“You certainly seem quiet, Mr. Wilter. Is anything wrong?”

Ms. Tweezer kept her mouth clenched shut tightly as she shook her head.

“Oh I see. You’re just excited, aren’t you?” Mrs. Sanchez inquired. At Ms. Tweezer’s nod, her smile appeared to broaden. Ms. Tweezer turned the key and the car turned on, but remain parked. “Oh I understand. Opening up a new education center must be rather stressful. I have to wonder how you’re going to...”

Suddenly the woman’s voice trailed off. Ms. Tweezer looked at her out of the corner of her eyes. The woman’s expression appeared to be that of a mixture of shock and confusion. Ms. Tweezer felt her heart skip a beat. Did the woman see through her disguise? Was she going to sound an alert due to a misunderstanding?

Ms. Tweezer turned her head a little more so she could see the woman’s face more clearly. Only then could she tell that the woman wasn’t looking directly at her. Instead, they were tilted more upward, as if she saw something interesting on the ceiling.

Ms. Tweezer couldn’t help but narrow her eyes in confusion, especially after she noticed that Penny was giving a similar expression. Just what was going on around here? What was happening? Why were the Sanchezes reacting this way? A look in the mirror told her that Rudy is just as confused as she was. Obviously, this had nothing to do with him. Not that she thought he had done anything to begin with.

Then Mrs. Sanchez shot a look. The eyes were widened in horror, and the woman was taking in a few shaky breaths. Ms. Tweezer looked from side to side, wondering what the woman was going to say.

“Y-You...” Mrs. Sanchez said, her head moving up and down as she appeared to take in what she looked like. “You’re not Mr. Wilter...”

Ms. Tweezer pulled her head back at this, clencing her teeth, her eyes wide. She turned her head to look at Rudy and Penny. They looked just as horrified, although there was a lot more confusion in their expressions than Mrs. Sanchez.

She turned her head back to the woman. She could see her attempting to get out. But instead of hearing the telltale signs of the door opening, she was instead greeted by a very confusing sight.

The woman was stumbling. Her fingers fumbled along as she tried to grab the handle to open it. Her body trembled a little uncontrollably, and she wondered if she was cold, or of there was something else at work here. She watched as the vet swayed slightly and then pressed herself against the door. Her breathing continued to sound off, and her eyes began to look strange. It was hard to explain.

“Penny.. Rudy...” Mrs. Sanchez coughed, her nostrils flaring. “G-Get out... Gas...” She took in another shaky breath as she began to slump downward. “Sleep...gas...” Her words became slurred after that.

At this, Ms. Tweezer’s eyes widened in horror. “What?!” She managed to squeak out. She whipped her head towards the back and found that the children had slumped as well.

“You..why..?” Rudy murmured.

Penny coughed and shivered. “What is...going on...?”

Ms. Tweezer felt her heart beginning to race. No...no this isn’t what she wanted. No.. This couldn’t be happening... She..she had to get help. She had to get out of here and get help. Someone did this. Someone was going to...

Dr. Von Doktor... This had to be his work... Oh she was such a fool. Why did she listen to him? However, she knew she couldn’t waste time being angry at him. She couldn’t spend any second wondering why he would do this. She needed to get out of here, before the gas affected her as well.

She grabbed onto the door to try to get herself out. But she realized it was locked. She began to panic. Why wasn’t it... Oh, of course. The keys. She needed to get them out of the ignition. No problem. She grabbed on and started to pull. But it was so tight. She twisted and turned it, feeling an ache in her wrist. It wouldn’t budge. She pulled harder, cursing herself for using a car with a sticky key.

Then, suddenly, her arm began to slink down. Her hands felt so weak, and she was unable to keep holding the key. Her arm slunked down further, away from the ignition. She found it difficult to keep herself sitting up, and she began to sluch against the car door.

Oh so weak.. She never thought she could feel this weak... It felt as though she hadn’t slept in days, or weeks. Her eyes began to feel heavy. She tried to keep them open, but they kept closing on her. After blinking a few times, she realized that her vision was becoming blurry. No matter how many times she shook her head, her vision remained blurred, her mouth dropping open a little, a bit of drool starting to form.

Her mind began to shut down. She could barely think. She could barely register where she was, or what was happening. She thought she could see a figure approaching the car, but she was just so tired...

She needed a nap. Yeah.. She had been working too hard. She hadn’t given herself enough rest. Yes..that’s all it was. All the fear and worry left her body, her mind entering a much more tranquil state. She couldn’t even remember why she was worried in the first place.

Unable to keep her eyes open, she shut them tightly as she pressed her head against the back of the driver’s seat. She curled herself up a little, and she went to sleep. Sweet, peaceful sleep... When she wakes up, it’ll be all better. She’ll see. Just sleep for now.

sss

Von approached the care slowly, carefully. He didn’t want to make himself look too suspicious, in case anyone was watching. It wasn’t exactly that dark out yet. And he never knew when someone was looking. So as he walked out of the bush and towards the car, he did his best to make it seem like he had come from the house, so that when he went into the car, no one would think it was suspicious. After all, he was just a visitor. Even dressed up in a different outfit to make it that more plausible to people.

He wondered if his gas worked. He hadn’t originally thought of doing that, but after how convoluted the plan had gotten, he realized how easily it could backfire. Using a ‘knockout gas’, as people tend to call it, was his safest bet, as he could deposit Ms. Tweezer back at her home and she would be none the wiser, and he could take Rudy and Penny with him to secure them.

It was such an easy plan, over all. So simple, yet so affective. Once he had Rudy and Penny in his custody, making sure to leave a note for the parents to ensure their children’s safety and to eliminate any alarm or suspicion, he was going to talk to them. Maybe he could get them to tell him some secrets that would certainly be of a big, major help to him down the line.

He no longer had Terry to talk to. He had dropped her off in front of the hospital. The woman was not going to remember what happened to her, and even if she did, it would not be enough to convict him. Besides, she was going to have her own problems to worry about.

Pushing that out of his mind, he turned his attention back to the car. He approached it and soon reached the driver’s seat. Just as he hoped, he could make out the details of Ms. Tweezer laying in the seat, unmoving save for the breaths that she took in and out. In the backseat, his smile spread further as he saw that Rudy and Penny were also sleeping as well. Or at least, were so tired and groggy, they were hardly aware of what was happening around them.

Von opened up the door, carefully slipping on the mask so he wouldn’t get knocked out too, and began to push Ms. Tweezer aside. He found it surprisingly difficult to do so, and pushed a little harder. When he turned his head to see what the probem was, he took a quick intake of breath.

Mrs. Sanchez..? What was she doing here..? She should be back in the house. He needed to take her back. He stared to move, but then stopped when he realized something.

That might not be the best move. She might get suspicious if her daughter is gone, and the note might just make it look worse, especially if she didn’t remember reading it herself earlier. He had already sent a note to the Tabooties’. They would be fine as they read the notes and appeared fine with their son ‘going to an educational class’. But Mrs. Sanchez...

It might be fine. For all he knew, everything would work out in the end. But what if it didn’t? What if he had another Terry to worry about? Only worse... Mrs. Sanchez was a vet after all, and had some more knowledge of science than Terry.

He had to take care of her, too. He had to do something to make sure that she woudn’t become a problem. But what?

There was only one thing he thought that could be done. Only one thing that could keep Mrs. Sanchez from becoming a bigger threat than Terry. She was going to have to come with. Not something that he wanted. Not more people to bring. But..there was hardly a choice.

But what would he do with her when he got there? How would he subdue her?

He didn’t have time for that. He had to leave now. He could figure this all out when he got back to the lab. With the key already turned, the car already running, all he had to do was pull the shift so he could back the car up. Then, once he was on the road, he turned the wheel swiftly, and he began to drive out onto the road.

He felt a sense of accomplishment. He had done it. He had pulled it off. Things were truly looking up for him. Now if they could just continue looking up, he would get exactly what he wanted.

And more.

sss

“Urgh...what...what happened...?” Rudy muttered to himself. He pushed up on one arm, his free hand clutching his head. It felt like he had been struck by a hammer. He shook his head and looked around.

It was so dark and blurry. He could hardly make out any details. There was barely any scrap of light, filling his vision with mostly darkness. He looked left and right, trying to figure out where he was and just what had happened. If he had been more conscious in the mind, he’d probably be panicking. But he was still in a daze, and his emotions were having a hard time clawing up to the surface.

Letting out another moan, he sat himself up completely. He moved to one side and winced as he felt himself hit something hard and stiff. He put his hand on it and moved it around. Something cold...something almost slick... He formed a fist and gave a weak pound. The way his hand hit made him think of glass, but the reverberation that accompanied it told his groggy mind that it was, instead, plastic.

Plastic...what was he doing beside a wall of plastic..? Just what had transpired? He clutched his head more tightly, driving into his scalp his fingernails. He clenched his teeth tightly. There had to be something that would help him remember. Anything...

Again he looked around. By this point, his vision had cleared up some more. He blinked a few times, beginning to make out a few new details. He saw what appeared to be a door of some kind, half way open. There was a chalkboard with some writing on it. He saw a table, and what appeared to be some test tubes of some kind. His eyes widened slowly as he realized that he was not in his house, or the school. This place, it was...different...yet there was something so familiar about this place...

A soft groan from his left prompted him to turn his head. He looked over and he could see a mass laying on the ground. He froze at the sight of it, pulling his arm towards himself in a cringe. It took him a few seconds to realize that it wasn’t moving towards him, remaining on the ground. Curious, he began to approach slowly.

Step by step, inch by inch, he moved closer to the form. He could see some movement, but it was steady and repetive. Up and down, as if the form was...breathing.

Realizing that this mass was definitely something alive, Rudy froze yet again. Wherever he was, whoever had taken him, was he about to be fed to some beastly animal? All for sick amusement? True, he knew of no one who’d be sick enough to do that, except maybe Skrawl. But this just didn’t feel like his doing. Something else must have...

He reached towards the figure once he got close enough. Despite his eyes adjusting, he still couldn’t make out the details. He still could not recognize who was laying beneath him. He hovered his hand above the figure, pausing as he tried to figure out what the best move was going to be. He curled his fingers inward for a few seconds, then, taking in a deep breath, he pushed himself forward, placing the hand against the figure.

Immediately, he could feel something warm and soft. Skin that felt so familiar... His eyes widened further. Could it be...? Then he heard a soft groan and the figure moved. The groan...yes, it has to be...

“Penny...?” Rudy said softly as he leaned away. He gritted his teeth as he watched the shadow move on the ground, attempting to sit up. Although he could not see Penny’s eyes, he still kept his gaze straight, feeling as though he had found her eyes in the darkness. “Is that you?”

A croaked voice answered him. “Rudy?” She gave a few quick coughs. “Where...where are we...?”

Rudy bit his lip. He wished he could give her some good news. But sadly, he was just as lost as she was. He could only shake his head slowly, speaking on a low voice, “I...really don’t know...”

Hearing Penny’s grunts in the darkness, hearing her slip a little as she tried to sit up, Rudy reached his hands forward. As he touched her, he could feel her freeze in surprise, and he stiffened up as well. A rush of emotions swept through him, his mind flashing back to the fight. He remained still, his pupils shrunk and mouth dropped open. He soon shook his head, pushing those feelings aside. Doing his best to fight through his sea of emotions, he retained his grip on her as he helped her up, leaning her against the strange wall.

The two lay beside each other, their heads leaned back against the hard, plastic-like surface. Silence fell upon them, save for their breathing. They kept their gaze away from each other, both lost in their own thoughts.

Rudy tried to think of just what had happened. He could barely remembered what happened earlier today. Something about a doctor’s appointment and agreeing to come over to Penny’s house... At least that’s what he thought went down. Yeah, those had to be it. He wasn’t sure how. It just felt...right.. Maybe after his head cleared up a little more, he could be more certain.

As the seconds passed, as the silence seemed to almost choke them, he found himself looking over at Penny. His eyes had adjusted more, and he was starting to make out her features better. She was staring straight out ahead, at nothing in particular. She had a contemplative look on her face. He wondered just what was on her mind, what she thought of their current situation. He thought about asking her, but it appeared as though his voice went missing.

Again, he tried to figure out what could have happened. He didn’t recall anything that would lead him up to this point. He didn’t remember wanting to go somewhere like this. He didn’t remember anyone wanting to take him somewhere. It was all just so...strange. His throbbing mind made it difficult to think, and it felt as though some of his memories were just...clogged up for a lack of a better term. Such a realization only made him feel even more antsy; something was very wrong here and he had to figure out what it was.

He took another look around the room. By this point, his night vision had taken hold, at least as well as it could with a human. His vision still wasn’t all that better, but it was good enough that he could make out better details, allowing him to realize he and Penny were located in what appeared to be a lab, not simply a science class room, which was another possibility.

His mind reeled back at this, and he once again had that sense of recognition. He hadn’t been exaggerating to himself when he realized the room looked familiar. He was right...because he and Penny had been here before.

It was the same room he had been brought in before, when Dr. Von Doktor had tried to get him to tell the secrets of perpetual motion.

And the door being open... That only provided a false sense of hope. He and Penny would not be able to reach it like this. It didn’t take too long to realize just why: they were in a large plastic container.

A sharp intake of breath. Fingers pressing against one another. A bit of sweat emerging on the side of his face. Rudy was unable to control the wave of shock that swept through him. He turned his face to Penny, his wide eyes staring at her confused ones.

“Penny...we’re at Dr. Von Doktor’s lair...” Rudy whispered in a hushed voice.

Penny took a gasp, her head making a quick movement as she reeled from the information. Even in the darkness, Rudy could see her wide eyes staring back at his own. “What? Are you sure?!”

Rudy nodded his head. “Yes I am.” He leaned away from her. He lifted up a hand and motioned with it. “Take a look around for yourself...”

Biting her lip, Penny did so. He turned her head from left to right and back again. Her eyes shifted around, taking in the information from all that she was seeing. Her eyes became more horror filled as the time passed, and when she looked back at Rudy, the boy could tell, just from her expression, that she realized they were indeed trapped.

“How...how did this happen..?” Penny asked. She took in a few shuddering breaths. Panic was dripping off the edge of her voice. Rudy couldn’t help but look at her sympathetically. “How did we get here? How did Von...”

Rudy reached over and touched her shoulder. He flinched at the same rush of emotion, but this time, it felt restrained, replaced with more of the comfort he usually felt when he was physically close to his face. “We’ll get out. I promise..”

“Oh izn’t zat zweet?” A cold voice chuckled. “And I prezume you already have a little plan worked out?”

Rudy and Penny turned their heads towards the door. They bared their teeth in response to seeing Dr. Von Doktor standing there, his arms folded against his chest. His arrogant smile seemed to cut through the air, stinging Rudy’s stomach with intense bitterness.

Von noticed their expressions and he shook his head. “Well I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you. I do not intend on bringing you any harm.” He held up his hand in gesture. “I juzt..needed to make sure you two were out of zee way...” He moved his arms back into the fold. “...zo I may get everyzing prepared. I am on the brink of learning zomezing..fazinating, and I am not going to give you two a chance to wreck all zat up.”

Rudy bared his teeth as he moved up onto his feet. He wobbled a little, his head still hurting from whatever this man had done to him. “What have you done..?”

Von shrugged his shoulders. “Oh come now...don’t be too upzet. I do plan on letting you two go after everyzing iz zaid and done...” He paused for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “Zough I might let you out zooner...if you agree to cooperate and tell me exactly what I want to know...”

“Fat chance!” Rudy found himself shouting. He held a hand up, clenched into a fist. “Like hell we would ever tell you a damn thing!”

“Yeah! What makes you think we’ll tell you anything?!” Penny rose up to her feet as well. Rudy grunted as he felt her grab onto him for support. “You...you won’t get anything out of us. We won’t betray our friends...”

Dr. Von Doktor cocked up an eyebrow at this. Rudy shuddered at his expression. It had so much hidden meaning. What was he getting at..? The cold chuckle that accompanied that did little to settle down his nerves. But right than tell him anything, the main simply turned his head away, looking towards the door.

“Well I zink I’ll leave you two alone for now. I have zome zings to attend to.” Von said, his hand moving along his bald scalp, as if he were trying to flick away imaginary hair. His eyes locked onto Penny’s for a fleeting moment. “I’m sure zat your..dear mommy..will want to be updated.”

At this, Penny’s mouth dropped open and Rudy could hear her gasp. Before he could say anything, she rushed forward, staring intently at Von. “What do you mean? What have you done with my mother?!”

Dr. Von Doktor merely sneered at her. This lasted for a few seconds. Penny kept shouting at him, but still he remained silent. Only after Rudy grabbed her shoulders and managed to get her to settle down did Von offer his reply. With his hand raised up, that cool smile still etched onto his face.

“Az long az you do not give me a reason, she will remain fine. But if you two mizbehave... I wonder how well she would do if I gave her zee zame fate az Terry...”

“What have you done to Terry?!” Penny’s voice called out. She struggled to free herself. Rudy found it hard to keep a hold of her, and Penny managed to squeeze out of his grasp. She began to pound against the plastic surface. “What did you do?! Tell me! What do you plan on doing to her?! What did you do to Ms. Bouffant?!”

Rudy stared at Penny, biting his lip. He lifted his head up and looked out at Von. He narrowed his eyes slightly, but he could not bring himself to say a word. He simply stared at him with an expression of rage and horror. Dr. Von Doktor merely smiled at them before he walked out of the room, leaving him and Penny alone.

He listened to his found pound against the plastic surface over and over again, constantly shouting at the man to come back, to tell her what happened. Yet she got no reply from him. Rudy knew she would never geta reply.

Soon, Penny stopped pounding the plastic wall. Her energy appeared to have been exhausted. Her breathing became shaky, and Rudy thought he could detect a small cry here or there. He watched as his friend slid down to her knees. She lowered her head, her body begining to tremble from the intense emotion she must be feeling. With the realization of her mother possibly being in trouble, she began to cry softly.

Rudy couldn’t blame her for her reaction. He was just as shocked and disgusted. He did his best to keep his feelings internal, an attempt to remain strong in front of Penny. Her cries signaled him to get closer to her. Without much hesitation, ignoring his previous fear of touching her, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Penny stiffened at his touch, but soon relaxed. She laid herself against him, crying softly, giving a few sniffles.

Rudy’s mind raced, gathering up this new information and trying to digest it. Dr. Von Doktor had taken Mrs. Sanchez as well... Or maybe he was just trying to scare them. There was no way he would be dumb enough to pull off a kidnapping...

...until he realized that’s exactly what happened. Von had kidnapped them... What if he had done the same to Mrs. Sanchez..?

And what of Terry...? As much as he hated her, he couldn’t help but feel a pang in his chest when he realized Von had done something to her. What was it? What did the man do? The only thing that he knew was it had to be horrible; why else would he threaten to do the same thing to Penny’s mom?

Somehow, someway, they would get out of here. He would see to that. Even though he had no idea how they were going to accomplish the escape, he was certain that they would come up with something...somehow.

But for now, he didn’t want to focus on that. For the time being, he wanted to focus on Penny. She needed him right now. And he needed her. They both needed this. Now was the time to begin their first step towards healing after their fight with each other.

He kept his arms wrapped around Penny, gently rubbing her back, trying to tell her it was going to be okay. Penny did not respond, the only thing coming out of her mouth being soft cries. Still, he held on, listening to her sniffles as they sat together in the darkness.

sss

Her mom... What did that fiend do to her mother...? Penny’s mind raced with thoughts. She found it hard to stop crying. The emotion just kept welling up inside of her, dripping through her fingertips. Her cries filled the air, giving the air around her a feeling of melancholy.

Penny continued to cry against Rudy. In that moment, her previous fears regarding their fight were gone, clouded by intense emotion, fear and sadness and anger towards Von, regarding her mother. She clenched her teeth tightly, feeling tears flow down her face, beginning to sting her cheeks. Her poor, poor mother... Was she okay..? Where was she? Was she all right?

The fact that she had no way of knowing only increased her anxiety, making her body shake harder. She needed to get out of here. She needed to find her mother. Every part of her body was telling her to get up and run.

Yet anytime she tried to move, Rudy would hold onto her tighter. At first, this filled her with anger. How dare he try to stop her... How dare he try to prevent her from getting what she needed... But any attempts to get out of his grasp were futile, and she soon slumped against Rudy more, her sorrow overcoming her anger.

Soon, as her body trembled hard, she began to feel some logic returning to her. She realized she had no way of getting to her mother right now. Even if she pounded with all her might against the plastic wall, it would be useless. It was made of thick plastic, so pounding on it won’t work, and cutting into it would be problematic, especially considering they didn’t have anything sharp enough to cut it with anyway. As much as she hated to admit it, she realized that their only chance was to remain here and wait.

That Von... If he did anything to hurt her mother..she would see to it that he regretted it dearly. He would not get away with this. She would see to that.

But for now, she couldn’t do anything about it. She remained in Rudy’s arms, crying softly. For now, this was all she could do. She closed her eyes, her head filling with the echoes of her own sobs.

sss

Terry let out a soft groan as she slowly turned herself onto her side. She kept her eyes closed, feeling a heaviness in them that she did not expect. Her mind was a blurr, her thoughts a swirl. She reached her hand up and rubbed it carefully against her head. What..what happened to her...?

She felt something soft against her face. A sleeping mask? She didn’t remember buying one, but she was so tired that maybe she just forget. She grabbed onto it and started to pull it off. Man it was so sticky.. She pulled harder and soon it gave way. She winced as it came off, feeling as though it was stuck to her face for a long time. Soon it was off and she rubbed her hand along her face. She was confused by the bit of pain, but dismissed it as the result of a sticky sleeping mask.

Terry attempted to sit herself up. At first, she could not do this. She felt such a sudden weakness in her arms. They slipped out from underneath her and she grunted as she hit against something soft, yet firm. This send confusing signals through her mind as she tried to make sense of it. Soft and firm...and soon she became aware of something thin yet cool.. A sheet..?

That was it. She was in some kind of bed. Was she back home? Is that where she was right now? If that were the case, then maybe she just had bad dream of some kind. A night terror. That might explain her headache and her tiredness, right? Yeah, that’s all it might have been. A bit confusing; she never had night terrors before. But..there was always a first for everything, right?

Ow...it feels like she hit her head really hard. Maybe she had been thrashing in bed. She might have been struggling to get away from...whatever it is that had been chasing her in her night terror. Oh man her head... She should get up and take some medicine.

Terry sat herself up. She wobbled from side to side, feeling a strange weakness in her back. It was as if she had been asleep for a long time, like days. She smacked her lips together, licking them a little. Her throat seemed so dry.. Yeah a drink would do her some good. She still didn’t have her eyes open, the tiredness still having such a strong hold on her. She rubbed her head again before bringing it down to her neck.

Suddenly she recoiled, feeling a jolt of pain there. She remained frozen in confusion before moving her fingers back to that area. Small raised bump...and it felt incredibly sore. She swallowed, and she shivered as she felt more pain. What happened? Had she slept with her mouth open for so long that she somehow dried up her own mouth?

Oh well, no need to worry about that. This wasn’t anything a glass of water couldn’t cure. She just needed to get into the kitchen and get something to drink. That was all.

She managed to stand herself up. Her legs felt weaker than she thought they would be. And she thought she felt some sweeping sensations of pain. Had she banged her legs up a little in her sleep? It was possible. She tried her best to ignore the dull pain as she took a few steps forward. Walking forward was a little hard, and she had to keep her arms out to steady herself. After she took a few trembling steps, she stopped, taking in a few breaths.

She wouldn’t get too far unless she opened up her eyes. She couldn’t see anything like this. But...she was just so..tired... She wanted to lay back down and sleep. But she needed water first. Just some little bit of water. Then sleep.

With this resolve, she started to open up her eyes. It was a difficult task at first. They were so heavy, it felt as though the lids felt like they were sticking to each other. She pulled harder, and she flinched when she felt them finally tear away from each other. She slowly opened them up.

Only to immediately begin screaming.

Seering agony swept through her head. Rapid tears began to pool out of her eyes, staining her cheeks. She brought her trembling hands up towards her face. The extremely blurred and distorted vision only lasted a few seconds as she immediately shut her eyes, feeling an intense burning feeling underneath the lids.

The pain... oh gawd the pain... It hurt so bad... She tried to ride it out, but the pain only seemed to intensify, prompting her to hold her hands against her closed eyes even tighter. The agony seemed to almost echo through her skull, pounding against the interior of the bone. She shook her head from side to side, trying in vain to ride out the pain.

And the fluids... Some of it felt unusually thick and sticky. She moved her fingers through it, noting its different texture. What was this..? More terror filled her heart as she continued to feel this stuff, intermixed with her tears, going down her cheeks.

Soon she dropped down onto her knees. She kept her hands placed against her face, almost like a woman would do when in mourning. She kept her mouth open, letting out shuddering breaths, loud sobs escaping her throat. She remained like this for several moments, her teeth grinding a few times, her crying getting louder, more intense.

What happened to her? What happened to her eyes? Why couldn’t she see anything? Her mind swirled with confusing thoughts as she tried to search her memory. But the pain made it hard for her to focus, bringing her back to present time, forcing her to face the agony that had a tight grip on her. She trembled even harder, her crying refusing to die down. She felt helpless to do anything, and could only remain on the ground, her hands placed protectively over her face.

Suddenly, she heard a gasp coming from where she guessed the door was. It was in that moment, amidst her painful confusion, that she realized this place did not smell like her home.

Where was she...?

“Doctor! She’s out of her bed! Hurry!” Called a clearly feminine voice.

Footsteps. Another gasp. “My gawd she is... Ms. Bouffant!” The sound of someone approaching her. “What are you doing?! You should be in the bed! Why did you try to leave?”

Terry couldn’t answer him. Any time she tried to open her mouth, she would only let out a sob. She could feel the doctor grab onto one of her arms. She hissed and grunted, trying to keep her hand over her face. But it was wrenched away as was the other one. She felt herself being dragged back towards where she had come from.

“Help me get her back in the bed!” The doctor called out.

“Yes, sir!” The female voice said.

Terry soon became aware of being lifted off the ground. She squirmed left to right, the agony becoming too much to bear. She struck out towards them, despite not being able to see where they were. She hit something, but she couldn’t tell if it was them or not. Her legs kicked out as well, trying to reach some kind of target.

Then she felt something soft against her back, and the pressure was removed from her limbs and body. She still continued to thrash, the pain confusing her mind, making her think as if she were still being attacked.

What happened? Who could have done this to her? Or did she do it to herself? Why was she in so much pain? Why was she in the hospital? How long had she been here?

Her head echoed with these questions. She clutched her hands against her head, digging her fingernails into her scalp. What happened...? What could have happened...? Why was she away from her home? Why couldn’t she remember anything? Why...

Her eyes bulged as she felt a sharp prick in her arm. Her body gave a jolt and she turned her head towards the location. She dare not open her eyes, and she took in a few breaths through clenched teeth. A needle... It was a needle. A feeling of dread rose up in her stomach, wondering just what was going to happen to her. She turned her gaze up towards where she thought the doctors were. Even with closed eyes, she still managed to give them a terrified expression. There was no other expression she could give them.

It wasn’t just pain filling her mind. It was fear. No..raw terror. The kind of terror that she would expect from a frightened little boy or girl who thought they had been attacked by the boogie man. No...worse than that. This was something more..primal. A deep fear that was shared among many, even crossing the boundaries of species. Something that would leave many helpless, at such a disadvantage.

She...was blind.

This realization did not strike her with as much as fear as she thought, for the drug she had been injected with was taking hold. The tiredness from before returned, and the pain had begun to dull down. Slowly, she slumped her head to the side, welcoming the calmness that had been with her earlier.

And soon she became completely unaware of everything.

sss

“Poor lass...” The doctor said, tsking as she stared down at Terry Bouffant’s sleeping form. “We may need to put someone in here to monitor her.”

“That’s what I said before.” The female nurse growled softly at him. Despite the grow, the doctor could tell she wasn’t so much angry as she was fearful for Ms. Bouffant’s condition. “But you...”

“Yes, I know. I thought she would do fine on her own. But I underestimated that chemical’s effects.” The doctor clenched his teeth tightly at this. “Even after we got it out, its effects remain...”

Poor Terry had been dropped off at the hospital by a random stranger. They didn’t catch his name or anything. The only thing that they knew was that he must have found Terry like that. They immediately took her in. Insurance or not, they couldn’t just leave a person laying out of the hospital like that. They had to take some initiative. He knew how poorly it would reflect upon them if they just left her outside.

Examination of her revealed that she had been hurt by someone, and it appeared to be deliberate. They hadn’t found anyone yet, but he was positive once enough evidence was gathered, they would find a suspect.

For the time being, Terry had to remain at the hospital. She did not suffer too much internal damage, though her leg had been beaten a little and he noticed a few cuts on her body. The worst damage, however, was to her eyes.

Thankfully the gashes weren’t as deep as he initially feared, with only damage to the cornea. Nothing a careful transplant couldn’t fix. Her eyelids, however, were badly damaged. On top of that, there were traces of some kind of chemical that was poured into her eyes, increasing the amount of damage. He had placed bandages over her eyes to keep them shut, realizing that opening them would not only leave her in agony, but would cause more damage. The woman must have ripped it off, but why?

Well for now, at least he had her settled down. The drug he had given her should keep her relaxed for a few hours. They would have to reapply the bandages to protect her eyes. In addition, he was going to need place someone in this room to make sure she didn’t try that again. The last thing she needed was more problems.

Turning his head to the nurse, he said, “I’ll be charging you to stay here with Ms. Bouffant. Please make sure she doesn’t try to get out of bed again, and try to keep her calm. Inform her of what happened. I’m sure she will have a lot of questions once she’s awake and stable.”

“Will do, sir.” The woman said as she walked towards one of the chairs.

The doctor watched as the nurse sat down and took action to stop the bleeding from her eyes. Satisfied that Ms. Bouffant would be attended to, he turned and walked out of the room. He wasn’t sure if the woman’s sight would return, but one thing he can promise is that whoever did this to her would be caught. He was certain of it.

sss

Rudy wasn’t sure how long it had been since Penny stopped crying. He wasn’t sure how long they had been sitting here in the darkness. All he was aware of was their breathing, the cool feeling of the plastic wall behind him, and his own internal struggle as he tried to understand how this could have happened.

He still couldn’t remember all of the details that led up to this. He couldn’t recall how he and Penny and Mrs. Sanchez were kidnapped. He didn’t even remember seeing Von show up at Penny’s place. He didn’t remember him showing up anywhere in his recent memory before he woke up. He could feel his head hurt as he tried to remember. But soon he gave up, realizing that he may never regain the memories of what had transpired. Until Von decided to tell him, he and Penny would remain in the dark.

He turned his head and looked at Penny. His vision had become a little better, and he could see Penny’s face better. Her cheeks were stained slightly red from all the crying she had done. Her eyes were closed as her head was pressed against the wall, looking as if she was ready to pass out from the exhaustion of letting out her emotion.

At the moment, they had separated again. When Penny let out her sorrow, the fear appeared to return, and it was clear she was reminded of the fight. She moved away from him, as Rudy did the same, no longer able to push back the terror he had felt.

Rudy gritted his teeth, feeling a pang of guilt at his moment of weakness. He had done so well with holding onto Penny and ignoring the fear that caused him. How...how could he have let it take a hold of him again? How could he let his emotions ride out his logic like this? Penny was his friend. He didn’t need to be afraid of her.

But no..he wasn’t afraid of her. He was afraid of hurting her... And the look in Penny’s eyes.. He could tell that was what she feared as well. He lowered his head, biting his lip. He realized that if they didn’t try to patch things up soon, this was only going to get worse. He didn’t want to be afraid of harming her for the rest of his life. He didn’t want to be afraid to touch her, to be close to her. He wanted to be able to hug her without worry or fear. He wanted to go back to being her best friend.

This wasn’t the place he had hoped they could apologize. This wasn’t where he imagined they would be. But right now, the location mattered not. They had put this off long enough, and he wasn’t going to let fear stop him any longer. Now that they were together and alone... They needed to do this.

“Penny...” Rudy said softly, staring at his friend sadly. Penny didn’t look at him, but she made a quick gesture of her head to show that she was listening. “I...I wanted to...” He went silent.

At this, Penny lifted her head and turned it towards Rudy. She stared at him expectantly, but didn’t do or say anything to interrupt him. Rudy struggled to find the words to say. This was so hard...

But he had to do it. He had to push himself forward. He had to keep talking, let the words flow. Things won’t get better until he does this. He needed to speak up now, before they would run out of time, before this intense emotion became a permanent part of their lives. That was not something he would ever want.

“I...what I want to say... I mean.. I’m...” But it was so hard. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t articulate the proper words, and he started to trip over his own tongue.

He wanted to slap himself in the fact. Why was he making this harder than it should be? Why can’t he just say it? Why can’t tell Penny how sorry he was? Why did this have to be so dang difficult?

His thoughts were interrupted when Penny spoke up.

“I’d like to say something myself, Rudy.” Penny said as she stared at him. She bit her lip as she paused for a moment. She turned her gaze away only for a few seconds, looking as if she were struggling to find the words to say. “I’m...I’m so sorry..about what happened between us, Rudy. I never meant for that to happen...”

“I know, Penny. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have accused you like that. I shouldn’t have called your mother names.” Rudy felt a sharp pang as he remembered those horrible words. “I..I was so wrong.. I’m sorry.”

“I should have controlled myself more. I should have understood where you were coming from better. I shoudn’t have accused you of being the reason ChalkZone is in trouble.” Said Penny.

Rudy looked at her sadly. He lowered his head in shame. “But it was my fault, Penny. I should’ve closed the portal. If I had just done that...”

Penny interrupted him. “I should have been more suspicious of Dr. Von Doktor. I should have had myself checked out sooner. Maybe I could have at least minimized the damage more.” She sighed as she lowered her head. “I had no right to get upset at you for pointing out the truth. I’m sorry about that, Rudy. I’m so sorry...”

Rudy remained silent for a few seconds. Regardless of Penny’s words, he still felt horrible. He still felt as though he could have done something different. Something that could have turned the tides of what happened. Yet he didn’t...

“I should have realized the fight was escalating. I should have just got up and left the room. Instead, I stayed..and when you insulted my mother... I snapped, saw red, and I attacked.... I’m so sorry, Rudy.” Penny looked at him, her eyes welling up with tears again. “I didn’t mean to hurt you so badly. I’m sorry..”

“No, I should be more sorry. I’m the leader. I should have been more mature. I should have left when things were heating up. And then I...” His mind felt like ice as he recalled all the horrible things he did to Penny in the midst of their rage. He looked at her bandges, scanning his eyes up and down. “I’m so..so sorry Penny...for everything I’ve done to you. I shouldn’t have done it.. I can’t believe I lost control of myself like that. I’m so very sorry, Penny.”

Penny stared at him, silent, and then she moved in closer towards him. She reached out cautiously, Rudy staring at her hand warily. A part of him envisioned her punching him again. Thankfully he kept himself from cringing, and soon he felt the warm hand against his cheek. “And I’m sorry for hurting you as well. I’m still horrified by what I’ve done. I..I never thought I would hurt my best friend like that...”

“I didn’t think I’d live to see the day I hurt you either.” Rudy said, a heavy tinge of guilt overflowing in his voice. A few tears dribbled from his eyes. “I take it all back, Penny. Everything I did to you.. I take it back...”

“Yeah..so do I...” Penny whispered. She leaned closer towards him, her hand slinking onto his shoulder. “Do you..forgive me for being such an idiot?”

Rudy’s eyes widened at this. He felt that if anyone had to apologize, it was him. He stared into Penny’s pleading eyes, biting his lip. He then nodded his head, giving a small smile to her. “Yeah..I do...” He looked away from her. “Do you..forgive me?”

“Yes.” Penny said.

Rudy couldn’t help but smile at this. Penny returned it. They stared at one another for af ew seconds before Penny leaned in even closer, pressing herself against him. Rudy could feel her warmth as her body laid against his own. Her arms slunk around him, her head resting against his chest. He looped his arms to secure her in the embrace.

“I love you, Rudy.” Penny whispered as she rubbed the side of her head against him.

This prompted Rudy to cuddle closer to her, holding onto her tightly. His chin rested on her head, the softness of her hair as well as the warmth of the embrace helping him to calm down, finally conquering that fear at last. He whispered to her, “I love you, too, Penny...”

The two friends remained in this embrace. They both knew that they had a tough journey ahead. They knew there was more that needed to be done. Von was still out there, still a threat. ChalkZone was still in danger. They had to do something to save it before it was too late.

But for now, they just held onto each other, listening to each other breathe, feeling each other’s warmth. Small smiles plastered on their faces, a few tears staining their cheeks. At last, they had finally reached closure on the incident that could have easily drove them apart. Now at last, they could begin healing.

Suddenly a cruel laughter filled the room. The two children pulled away form each other and turned their heads towards Dr. Von Doktor. They both glared hatefully at him. Of all the worst times...

“Aww did I interrupt anyzing?” Von asked, a smirk spread across his face. “I do apologize..”

“What do you want?” Rudy asked, his teeth bared.

Von raised his head up, tilting it slightly to one side. “Oh I juzt zought you two were interezted in an update...”

“On what?” Penny demanded.

Von chuckled as he stared straight at her. He didn’t say a word, but the way he was looking at her..the implications of that...

Penny appeared to realize what the man was implying. “What have you done to my mother?!”

Von reached behind him to pull something out. “Why don’t you zee for youzelf..?”

Rudy and Penny widened their eyes as Dr. Von Doktor held up a very familiar form. They stared at it for several moments, neither able to form any words. All they could do was look in shock, their teeth clenched so tightly, their teeth could have easily popped out of their skulls.

Then, at least, Penny found her voice, so weak, barely a whisper.

“Mom...”


	29. Discoveries

The destination is yet just another start for something else.

sss

“How far away is it?”

“Aren’t we there yet?”

“Are you sure it’s here?”

“I don’t like this...”

“Hurry up!”

“I want to go home now...”

“Oh hush up, you big crybaby!”

Snap growled to himself as he listened to the banter behind him. Ever since they had left the meeting and started the journey, he had heard nothing but complaints from the zoners. He didn’t get much of a moment of silence. One zoner always had something to say, and others would respond to him or her, resulting in a constant conversation.

Well...at least it sort of provided a kind of ‘background music’ for the ‘trip’. A way to pass the time. Though he had hoped for something better than this. He wanted to cover his ears to try to block out the sound.

He turned to Rapsheeba and Howdy. They appeared to be holding up better than he was. They were focusing more on the journey, and on saving their friend. Snap envied them. He wished he could so easily ignore what the zoners behind him were saying. He wished he could focus on what was important. He tried. Oh how he tried... But the zoners were getting more noisy, more annoying, and some of the stuff they were saying was starting to grate on his nerves.

“I have to wonder if there’s even a portal at all there, or if they are just pulling our legs.”

“Since it’s Howdy we’re talking about, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Well, Snap is with him...”

“So what? Snap might be in cahoots with him!”

Snap resisted the urge to turn to glare at the zoner who said that. The only thing that prevented him from doing so was a look from Rapsheeba. She stared at him for a few seconds, then shook her head slowly. Snap sighed. She was right. It simply wasn’t worth it. He continued on his walk, staying out in front of the others, sticking close to Rapsheeba and Howdy.

The meeting had went over pretty well. Biclops had been able to keep everyone in line. There was a hiccup or two, and some fights nearly started. Thankfully, Biclops was able to stop them before things went too far.

The presence of Biclops kept the zoners relatively tame. In his shadow, the zoners appeared to feel inclined to be submissive to the giant. They bowed their heads slightly and kept quiet, allowing him and his friends to relay to them the information and what they should do.

Biclops hadn’t been able to provide as much information for them, partly due to the fact he never had to face adult creators before. It was a shame, and disappointing. However, it wasn’t all bad. There was some information he could give them that, he hoped, would help them out.

The biggest advice that Biclops could give was for the largest zoners to surround the adults, preventing them from going anywhere. Should they have a piece of chalk, he recommended some zoners offer a distraction while the other targets the arms of the creator, binding them or, if they have to, hurting it enough to hinder the artist’s ability to draw.

He also adviced to stay away from the artist’s mouth. Human teeth were strong and could, in some zoners depending on how tough their skin was, pierce into their flash. This alone would cause a lot of pain, but human saliva, due to its Real World properties, woud increase the damage and the pain. A simple human spit would cause great irritation and, in enough quantities, even dissolve parts of them. Not that Snap thought that Von or Terry would bite them, but it would be best if they did not dismiss that possibility.

This information, as well as a few other tiny tidbits that were given, would be helpful in this quest. More would have been nice, but he could understand why Biclops couldn’t provide that much information. At least they had something they could use.

He could only hope that the other zoners remained patient...

Listening to the zoners behind him, he could tell they were getting even more antsy. They were restless, eager to defend their home, eager to stop Von and Terry from committing their heinous crimes. They were zoners of action, and Snap couldn’t help but feel a sense of impressiveness at this. But he still hoped they would be able to control themselves when they got there. He was all too aware of what would happen if they ran in willy nilly into the place. The screams...he could already hear them in his head.

But with his friends here, he was certain that they would be able to keep everyone in line while they prepared to depart into the Real World. If they were lucky, maybe they could even sneak around, find Blocky, and come back without any of them realizing that they had been there. A long shot, but he remained hopeful for that. True, some of the zoners, particularly the aggressive female, whom he learned was named Helga, would be disappointed. But oh well. Avoiding a fight was more important here.

“Oh come on!” One of the zoners cried. “Just how far away is this place, anyway?!”

A cold chuckle came from Helga. “Maybe they lost their way. I wouldn’t be surprised. Neither of them look too bright to me.”

Snap gritted his teeth at this. He did his best to ignore the zoners’ words, especially Helga’s. They were just agitated, frustrated that there exists a man who wishes to take apart everything that they held dear. Well most of them anyway. Helga was just looking for a fight. He didn’t want to encourage her, so he did his best to keep quiet.

But it was getting rather difficult. As time passed, as they continued to walk, he heard more and more snide remarks from Helga. It seemed as if she thought that, if she couldn’t take her frustrations out on Howdy, she would do so against him.

“Is this the best you can do? Really? You promised us that we would have a chance to defend this world! You promised that we would face against the very people who dare try to harm one of our own! And yet you are dilly dallying, taking us in circles instead of straight to the portal!” Helga snarled. “How do I know that you are even telling the truth? How do I know you’re not another traitor, Snap?”

“Yeah!” One of the zoners said. “Maybe we shouldn’t believe you! Maybe this is all just a front!”

Snap stopped walking. He heard the footsteps beside him and behind him cease completely. His body shook, his teeth grinding together. He swiveled his head around, giving a glare back at the zoners. A few of them stared at him in surprise. A few, like Helga, merely glared back or smirked, as if they felt they had gotten him to show his ‘true colors’.

The blue superhero zoner turned a little more and he began to walk towards Helga. His pace was slow and deliberate. He stared straight in her eyes, his gaze betraying now amoung of feelings that he was having right now. Helga stiffened her posture, her fists clenched as she did her best to look tough. Snap returned the gesture, a way for him to show her that he was not going to back down.

For a few seconds, they stared at one another. Everyone around them was silent, just as they were. Snap and Helga glared at each other, both refusing to turn away from the other. It was like a staring contest, a test of dominance. And Snap wasn’t about to yield to this zoner. But he could tell she would not do the same for him.

After several more seconds, Snap spoke. “What...did you call me?” He asked in a stiff, tension-filled voice.

The female zoner’s smile spread across her face, so full of arrogance. “You heard me, little guy.” She took a step forward, pointing a finger against his shoulder. “I said you were a...” She pushed against his shoulder, making him flinch. “Traitor.”

Snap pushed her hand away, baring his teeth in an angered smile. “Oh yeah? At least I didn’t chase another fellow zoner halfway across town only on a hunch.”

“Well if he had just stayed and talked to us, then maybe...” Helga started to say.

“Stop it, you two!” Snap and Helga turned their heads towards Rapsheeba. She walked towards the two, her arms folded, glaring at both. “We have no time for this!” She looked from Helga and then to Snap. “I would have expected more from you.”

Snap lowered his head slightly. “Yeah, I know...”

Rapsheeba’s expression softened up. Obviously not wanting to linger on this for long, she said, “Let’s just continue on. We’re not far...right?”

At this, the zoners turned to Snap. Helga’s expression just barely softened up. The quick flash in her eyes showed that she was now more interested in their destination than continuing her gripe with him. That was one good thing he can say about her; at least she has her priorities sorted out.

Snap took a look around. He had only been to Pencil Sharpener once, he realized. He didn’t know the terrain as well. He hadn’t been able to memorize it, and the locater things they used, they were useless to them right now. They had no device they could use to detect them with. At a loss, Snap turned towards Howdy.

“Are we close?” Snap asked his friend.

Howdy didn’t answer right away. He took about ten steps out in front of everyone else. He paused and turned his head from the right, the nto the left. He did this a few times, as if to gain bearings on his surroundings.

Snap did nothing to try to hurry his friend along. He was confident that Howdy had some idea of where they were, and how close they had to be. After all, he was stuck doing those monsters’ bidding for a time, and he must have made more than one trip, right? But if Howdy didn’t know...

He could only hope that the zoners would be understanding and remain patient.

After a few seconds, Howdy turned to face the other zoners. His expression had Snap concerned for a moment. It was something of a confused frown. At first, it looked as if Howdy didn’t know where they were, making Snap wonder if either they had gone the wrong way, or Howdy really didn’t know the way as well as he had implied.

But then, Howdy made a gesture with his arm. “We shouldn’t be too far away.” He turned his head and looked out in front of him. He put his hand over his eyes and squinted. “Yeah...very hard to tell, but I can see the first remnants of the Pencil Sharpener over there!”

Snap gave a sigh of relief. Okay, good. So they were going the right away after all. And if even Howdy could start to see signs of that place nearby, then that must mean they really weren’t that far. He looked behind him, at the other zoners. They looked less irritated now, and more excited at being so close.

Rapsheeba took a step twoards Howdy. “You are sure we are close?” A difficult question to ask, and it did cause some renewed tension. But it was still necessary.

Howdy nodded his head. “I’ll never forget it...”

After a few more moments of silence, Snap spoke up. Addressing the other zoners, he said, “Okay, let’s get moving! We needed to be there as soon as we can! We have to remain cautious and be careful. We cannot screw this up. Remember, not only is one of our own over there, but our whole world is being threatened! Let’s make sure that those creepazoids never get that chance!”

Shouts of approval filled the air. Any frustration the zoners had earlier was gone now, replaced with determination. Even Helga, with the meek zoner, Arnold, standing beside her, looked ready to follow them. Without further prompting, the zoners began to make their move, Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy remaining in front of them, Howdy himself leading the way.

sss

Penny stared out in horror. She was completely stiff. Even her body didn’t shake, something that would have surprised her if her mind wasn’t already frozen in ice. She could barely register Rudy’s hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. She gave little attention to the smile that Von was giving. Right now, all she could do was stare at the thing that had gotten her attention.

Her mother’s limp body, held up roughly with the man grabbing the back of her shirt collar. Her mother was unconscious, not moving, not giving any signs of life, save for her rib cage inflating and deflating with each breath.

She found it hard to look away. Her eyes scanned her mother’s body, trying to see if she had been badly hurt. It didn’t seem like it. She didn’t detect any notable injuries on her. But this did little to calm her down. What if there were internal injuries? What if the wounds were hidden? What if Von had gone much further than it seemed?

Penny resisted the urge to scream. She tried to hold herself back. But now, the shock was starting to leave her, replaced by rage. She could feel her body start to shake as emotion began to sweept through her. She clenched her teeth tightly. She could feel Rudy squeezing her shoulder tighter. She swatted his hand away, her eyes remaining focused on Von. She took in breaths through her clenched teeth, creating a hissing sound. She pulled her head back as her shaking increased, her teeth bared. Then, unable to handle it any longer, she let out a scream.

“You monster! What did you do to her?!” She pounded on the plastic wall as hard as she could. She didn’t care how much it hurt her hand, or how useless it was. She kept striking over and over. “What the fuck did you do to my mother?!”

Rudy grabbed onto her again. This time, he seized both shoulders, trying to push her away from the plastic wall. “Penny... This isn’t helping...”

Penny shot a glare at Rudy, growling at him. This only lasted a few seconds. When she heard a chuckle, she turned her gaze back towards the person who truly deserved it.

Her eyes leveled with Dr. Von Doktor’s. They stared at one another. Penny felt as though the man was staring into her soul. She refused to look away, however. Her anger towards the man made it possible for her to maintain eye contact with him. To her frustration, this only seemed to make the man happier. It was as if he felt so superior to her and her behavior was ‘proof’ of that.

The fact that the man was acting like this and how odd it would be he’d behave this way and take such risks did cross her mind. But she couldn’t really focus on that aspect at the moment. Her attention was fully on the disgusting man, wanting to do something to make him pay for hurting her mother.

Dr. Von Doktor’s expression changed to that of mock concern. “What’s zee matter, little girl? Did I do zomething that bothered you..?”

Penny bared her teeth. “Oh don’t you fucking dare play dumb with me!”

The scientist snapped his head back. His eyes bulged, as if he were shocked by what she had said. Then he placed a hand out in front of him, a finger pointing up. With a smile, he wagged it back and forth. Penny snorted at this. The man was scolding her... How dare he...

“I would expect better language from a pretty lady like yourself.” The man said coolly.

Penny gritted her teeth at this. She couldn’t help but feel disgusted by that nickname he had given her. She opened her mouth to try to respond to him, but a nudge from Rudy forced her to pause herself. She turned her head and looked at her friend. She glared at him, wondering why he was interrupting her. But seeing his concerned expression, seeing him shake his head slowly, did give her reason to hesitate.

She realized she was starting to get worked up again. She was letting her emotions get the best of her. She realized that if she kept this up, Von may be given a reason to do something worse than what he may have already done. She clenched her teeth, breathing in and out slowly to settle herself down. It was difficult getting her anger in check, but soon, she managed to, mostly, calm herself down. She resorted to simply glaring at the man, her eyes telling him everything that he needed to know.

Dr. Von Doktor smiled at this, looking amused. Penny bared her teeth at this. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Rudy glaring at the man as well. Their show of anger only served to amuse him more, and that disgusting smile of his broadened.

Penny wasn’t sure why the horrid man was acting like this. Didn’t he realize the extend of his actions? Didn’t he realize just what the hell he was doing? He didn’t act this way before. Sure he was nutty, but he didn’t act happy to be causing misery to her or Rudy.

She quickly realized what it must be. She recalled the man had started to go off the deep end in their original encounter. She remembered that he had every reason to be pissed off at her and Rudy. His reputation was ruined, and he had several months of being scorned and scoffed at behind him. Perhaps that, combined with the discovery of Blocky, was causing the man to become increasingly paranoid and aggressive. His mind, twisted by his own desires, burdened by the taunts he was given, was making him act this way.

Blocky especially had increased this in him. Blocky was something new and different to him. He had been so desperate with showing the world perpetual motion. Now he had something that may grant him even more attention: a creature that, by Real World standards, should not be alive.

And Terry... The man’s paranoia became apparent when he mentioned that thing about Terry. He hadn’t exactly told her or Rudy what he had done. She only knew it was horrible. As furious as he was for him threatening to do that to her mother, a part of her couldn’t help but be morbidly curious about what had happened to Terry. Just what had that man done to her? And why did he do it?

The only thing that she could think of is that the man had gotten extremely paranoid lately, and it had finally shown with Terry. He must have thought that Terry was going to turn against him once they had everything set up, and he sought out to ‘get rid of her’. Well maybe not that far, but he had done something to her.

If that was true then...

She widened her eyes with a hint of horror as she realized just what kind of trouble she and Rudy were in. Dr. Von Doktor was insane. He was too dangerous to be around. If they didn’t get out of here...

“I would relax more if I were you.” Dr. Von Doktor said a soft, almost friendly voice. He took a few steps forward. He dragged her mother forward a little. He raised her up further with a swift yank. “She iz fine. Don’t worry. I didn’t do anyzing zat bad.”

“What did you do to her, then?” Rudy spoke up, his voice stern. “If it wasn’t that bad, then why don’t you tell us?”

“Oh, zo you really are curiouz to know? I zought you would be fine juzt zeeing she waz ztill here, ztill breathing.” Penny felt a pang of horror as she heard the evil man say that. “Well zen, zince you’re zo interezted in zuch a minor detail..”

“Minor?!” Penny snapped, narrowing her eyes. “That’s my mom you’re talking about! Of course I’m going to...” She stopped herself, baring her teeth as she growled at him. She realized it was no use in trying to argue with him. “Just...tell me what you did to her..” She said through clenched teeth.

Von simply stared back at her for a few moments. Nothing but a smile on his face. He did not answer her right away, much to her ire. She would have demanded again for him to tell her, but she kept her mouth shut, knowing that she might prompt him to do something worse. After a couple more seconds passed, Von merely shrugged his shoulder and said, “I juzt injected her with somezing to keep her out for longer. That iz all. I haven’t actually hurt her...” He tilted his head. “...yet.”

Penny, unable to resist, pounded her fist against the plastic wall again. “You better keep it that way! Or else, I...”

“Or you’ll what? Zpout more of your fabulous wordz to me?” Dr. Von Doktor taunted. “Faze it, little girl. You can’t do anyzing to me. You can’t do a damn zing to help yourzelf, your friend, or your mommy. I heard Terry had referred to you as worzlezz... I zink she was right.”

Penny’s eyes widened at this. For a fleeting moment, Terry’s hurtful words came back. She quickly shook them off. No, she was not going to let herself be dragged down by that again. She won’t let this filthy man play mind games with her.

“Aww did I upzet the little child? Do you need mommy to make it all better?” Von taunted, his grin broadening. Penny found herself grinding her teeth harder, feeling as though they were going to crack. “Well I would love to ztay here and entertain you two furzer. But I should really get ziz woman into an..enclosure zoon, before she wakez up.”

“She’s not a wild animal!” Penny cried.

“Let her go!” Rudy chimed in. “She has nothing to do with this and you know it!”

Von chortled. He raised his shoulders nonchalantly. “Yeah, I know. I never meant to have her captured, too.” He looked down at her. His smile faded, instead a frown spreading across his face. “But she juzt had to show up in zee car, didn’t she? She couldn’t juzt...let it alone.” He turned back to the children. “I had no choize but to bring her. I didn’t have time and it waz too rizky.”

“You could have done something else! You could have just left her!” Penny shouted. When the man stared at her, cocking up an eyebrow as if he had no idea what she was saying he ground her teeth further. How dare this man act as if nothing was wrong..as if he had done the right thing by taking her with... “Just let her go! Now!”

Rudy nodded his head affirmatively. With narrowed eyes, he said, “She has done nothing to you. She isn’t a part of this. She was not involved with what happened to you a few months ago. She didn’t make you look like you had gone insane.” Von narrowed his eyes at this, showing brief bitterness at the reminder. “Let her go.”

“I don’t zink zo, kiddo.” Dr. Von Doktor. He lifted the limp woman up higher. He looked at her for a few moments, the smile never leaving his face. “She might become a threat to my plan. I muzt not allow zat to happen. It iz better if she ztayz here.”

“No! Don’t! Let her go!” Penny demanded the man. Her emotions swirled through her head as she watched the man start to drag her mother carelessly through the door. Soon, the emotions weighed down on her further, causing tears to form in her eyes. “Please let her go! Please don’t drag her into this! Please!”

Von paused where he was. He turned his head and looked back towards the children. He narrowed his eyes in contemplation, staring intently at them, mostly focusing on Penny. This lasted for a few moments. Penny said not a word, staring at him almost pleadingly.

Soon, unable to take the silence anymore, Penny started to speak again.

“Please, sir.. You have to let her go...” The anger that ruled her mind had given way to fear and horror. Even the feel of Rudy’s hand over hers wasn’t enough to help her feel better. “Please..don’t hurt her.. Let her go... Please... I’ll...I’ll do anything...”

The man’s eyes twinkled at this. He tilted his head to one side. “Anyzing...?”

Penny couldn’t believe herself. She should have been stronger than this. She should have resisted. She should have been more strong willed. Instead, she was actually pleading with this man. She had given him the opportunity to truly screw her over. She wanted to slap herself in the face. But now, it was too late to take it back. She had reeled the man in, and if she tried to back out now...

She looked over at Rudy. He was staring at her in shock, clearly unable to believe what she had just said. She could only look at him sadly, showing a glow of regret in her eyes. Rudy reached out towars her, opening his mouth to speak. But no words would come out, and he ended up closing his mouth enough to just bare his teeth nervously. Penny closed her eyes and turned away from him. She let out a sigh before her gaze leveled with Von’s again.

Penny nodded her head up and down slowly. “Yes... Anything. Just as long as you let my mother go.” She lowered her head, her body giving a few shivers. “Please...let her go...”

Silence fell upon the room. Save for her shaky breathing, there was almost no sound to be heard. The silence was thick and deadening all around her. It felt as though it was dragging on forever. She was unaware of how much time was passed. And with her head low, she could not see the man’s expression. She could not tell what he might be thinking.

Penny could feel a cold shiver go up her spine as she realized what she had done. She didn’t need to see Rudy’s horrified expression to know that she may have made a huge mistake. She licked her lips nervously, trying to fight back the feeling of nausea rising up in her stomach. She had to remain strong. She had to go through with this. She had to do it for her mother.

Von rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He stared at Penny intently, keeping his contemplative expression. His hand moved up and he started to rub behind his ear and along the back of his neck. “You know... zat iz a good idea...”

Rudy’s eyes widened in horror. “What...?”

Penny remained silent. She simply glared at the man, showing him that she still had some defiance left in her. Just because she was willing to do anything it took to protect her mother didn’t mean that she was going to act like a submissive puppy to him.

Von glanced down at her mom again. “Well, it would zertainly zave me zome time if I let her go. I don’t need any... dead weight around here.” Rudy and Penny narrowed their eyes at this, keeping quiet. “But your offer..” The man turned to look at Penny again. “It iz zo...tempting...”

“I mean it. I’ll do whatever you want.” Penny said. Her previous fear was still there, but now she was trying to mask it and look brave. “If you release my mother, I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Penny...” Rudy said in a low voice. He looked at her with great concern. “I don’t think this is such a good idea...”

Penny closed her eyes. “I know...but what choice do I have...?” Penny reopend her eyes and glared at Dr. Von Doktor. “So what will it be? Do we have a deal?”

Von simply smiled at her. A grin spread across his face, his teeth exposed. He spoke a single word that cut through the air like a knife. It made Penny freeze as she realized what kind of decision she had made. “Deal!”

Penny felt a swirl of emotions at that statement. On the one hand, she was happy that she was freeing her mother from this dreadful place. She didn’t deserve to be here. She didn’t do anything to deserve to be stuck here. She didn’t want to see her mother suffer for something that wasn’t even her fault. But on the other, she knew that she may have just signed up for something horrible. With the man’s deteriorating sanity, who knows what he may end up forcing her to do...?

She could hear Rudy’s frantic words beside her. She didn’t want to look at him. Not right now. She knew how disappointed he must be in her. She could already tell what he was going to say. She should have been stronger. She should have been more resistant. She should have stood her ground.

But..her mother was in danger... She didn’t want that fiend to hurt her mother like he had done to Terry... What kind of daughter would she be if she allowed that to happen? She would never forgive herself if her mother ended up tortured, even killed, all because she had been too weak to speak up...

Despite her fears, she didn’t completely regret her decision. At least her mother would be safe. At least she could rest soundly knowing that she was going to be all right.

“I’ll take her zomewhere to be ztored.” Dr. Von Doktor said.

Penny’s eyes widened. “B-But you said...” Was the man already backing out of their deal? Did he suddenly change his mind?

“Juzt for now. I’ll releaze her, don’t worry, little girl.” Von said in a mock reassuring voice, raising his hand up in gesture. “I juzt need keep her zomewhere zafe for a little while zo I can fetch your...friend.”

Rudy and Penny widened their eyes in horror at this. They glanced at each other, many questions running through their mind. The most prominent one, they both asked at the same time. “Blocky...?”

“Yez... Blocky...” Dr. Von Doktor.

“What did you do to him...?” Rudy asked, his eyes slowly narrowing.

“He iz...alive. I can guarantee you zat much. Az for fine... Well, I’m afraid not.” Von said, waving his hand dismissively.

“What did you do to him?!” Rudy repeated his question, this time with more force and energy. Now it was Penny’s turn to hold him back. She didn’t want the man to be given any reason to ruin their deal. She had no idea what might happen if it were broken, what else the man might do.

Von sneered at Rudy. “You will zee him zoon enough. Shortly, az a matter of fact. And zince the pretty girl here waz zo nize to be zo helpful...” He gave a quick chuckle at this. “I zink zings are about to get razer... interezting...”

Penny widened her eyes in horror at this. Just what was this vile man going to have her do...?

sss

Howdy couldn’t stop the tense feelings from rising up in his chest. He clutched his chest, feeling his heart trying to jump out of his body, as if to seek safety from this place. He could feel the chilly feelings all around him. Trying to push those feelings aside was rather difficult. He kept looking left and right, as if something or someone was going to jump out after him.

He had been here before. He had moved through this horrible forest more than once. The Pencil Sharpener hasn’t changed at all during those times. No new creatures or new formations. Just the same mountain with the same eerie mist and the same eerie ground and the same eerie trees. Yet, somehow, it had gotten even more terrifying to move through. He couldn’t quite explain it, nor could he concentrate on that fact.

Still, he continued to lead the others through. He had to do this. He had to help rescue Blocky. The poor guy had suffered enough in there. He didn’t deserve what he got. He didn’t deserve to get hurt like that. Von and Terry...they had been so awful towards him, and what did he do to deserve it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

A pang of bitterness clawed at his chest. Howdy did his best not to let himself get too angry. He couldn’t allow his anger to control him right now. The important thing was that they were going to get Blocky back. He had support this time. Unlike before, these creators aren’t going to get the upperhand. They will be outnumbered and outmanuevered. For once, he was glad those zoners from before were coming. They would be perfect.

His friends being here also helped. He felt safe being around Snap and Rapsheeba. He knew that they would make sure that nothing happened to him. They would see to it that the other zoners leave him alone and keep their attention on what was important.

Saving Blocky.

“Oh come on!” A disgruntled zoner groaned. “Aren’t we there yet?!”

Rapsheeba turned her head and hissed at him. “Be quiet! We’ll get there soon!”

Despite Rapsheeba’s words and testimony from Snap, the zoners behind them were growing even more restless and eager to make a move. Howdy could practically hear their hearts beating from where he was. They were getting worked up, and he knew that if they didn’t have something to focus their anger on, they may begin to lash out at each other.

Howdy wasn’t sure what he could say to settle them down. He couldn’t make them all walk any faster. They had no creator help them right now, and if they moved too fast through here, it may cause some problems. He wasn’t sure just what they’d be, but he just a bad feeling about this place over all. He never ran too much through here before, and he wasn’t exactly about to start right now.

But he had to say something. He might not know right now what he should say, but there had to be something he could say to settle them down. He could hear them getting antsier as time passed. If he continued to say nothing...

“Will you guys settle down?!” Snap called out. There was a tinge of frustration on his voice. “We’ll get there soon! Just keep yourself settled down! If you don’t calm yourselves, then you can’t come with!”

“We can’t have those two creators get drawn too quickly to us!” Rapsheeba explained. “If we do that, then...”

“I don’t care! I just want to get in there now!” One of the largest zoners growled. Howdy gulped as he heard him slam his fist against his palm. “I am ready to teach those humans what happens when you mess with us zoners...”

A female zoner nodded her head. “Yeah, come on! Let us at them! Hurry it up!”

“We want some action too!” Called another.

Yet another shouted, “Yeah, me too!”

Howdy bit his lip. He slowed down his pace a tad as he listened to what was going on behind him. His two friends continued to try to reason with the zoners, doing what they could to settle them down. But nothing appeared to be working. He flinched as he heard Helga spout out some nonsense, which caused the oners to increase their shouts, their agitation growing rapidly stronger.

Unable to take it for much longer, Howdy stopped walking forward. He could hear some grunts as the zoners struggled to stop. He barely flinched as he felt one of them hit against him, who was unable to stop himself in time. Slowly, Howdy looked over his shoulder and glared back at the zoners behind him. His glare must have been more intense than he had thought. Even Snap and Rapsheeba flinched and took a step back.

“Look, I know all of you want your chance to get at these two creators. I know you are all angered at what they did and what they are trying to do. I understand that completely. You don’t think I don’t have a bone to pick with them?” Howdy asked as he placed his hand against himself. “You don’t think I want to get them to pay as much as you do?”

None of the zoners replied. They simply looked at one another, their teeth gritted in uncertainty and confusion and worry. A few of them still frowned, but they were faltered, and they came undone easily as Howdy narrowed his eyes further.

Rapsheeba and Snap moved a little further back, their bodies leaning away. They clenched their teeth, staring at him in worry. Howdy looked up at them, his expression softening up a little. He hadn’t meant to make them feel scared and frightened. That wasn’t his intention. Seeing his friends so worried made him realize just what he might be looking like right now. So he took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get angry at you. I know that you just want to defend your homes and you are afraid of what these people might do.” Howdy spoke again. He smiled the best he could, although his feelings made it a little faulty and crooked. “I promise, we will get there soon.”

For a while, there was just silence. The zoners stared at him somewhat cautiously. He couldn’t tell if they thought he was just waiting to explode or what. He felt a tinge of guilt in his chest. Had his change in demeanor, a usually nice zoner to becoming irritable, giving them a look that could kill, really shaken them that much up?

He hoped that wasn’t the case. He didn’t want to make them feel afraid of him. He didn’t want to spook them like this. He just wanted them to cooperate more. He wanted them to realize that their actions weren’t going to solve their problems any faster. He wanted...

His train of thought stopped when one of the zoners spoke up.

“So, you are saying we are nearby?” Helga asked. Her eyes were narrowed somewhat darkly. But despite that, he could tell her anger and aggression was not towards him. He gave a nod. “Where is it...?”

Howdy said, “It’s in a cave in the mountain. I’ll lead you right there.” Howdy looked behind him. He shifted his eyes up and down. “We aren’t too far away.”

“How long will it take us to get there?” Arnold, the meek zoner, said, his body hunched as if he were afraid of getting hit. This fear appeared justified as he got a glare from Helga, which made him cringe.

Howdy paused for a moment. He looked back at the mountain, trying to take note from the visuals how long it woud take them. Once he figured out an answer, he looked back at them. “I would say around twenty minutes if we keep up the pace. Less than that even.”

At this, the zoners appeared to grow more excited. They began to move forward even before he resumed his walk. Quickly, before the zoners walked out in front of them, he and his friends resumed their positions in front of the zoners. He began to lead them once more towards the mountain.

As they got closer, Howdy couldn’t help but feel a tinge of..not excitement, but something a bit grimmer, yet still drove him forward. They were getting ever closer to the hell that his friend had been trapped in for days. All that time laying there, the wounds festering a little, of barely being fed or given anything to drink.. Soon all of that would be over for his friend. They would be able to get him out of there, and soon the nightmare was going to be over.

Or at least, he hoped it would be.

sss

Penny’s mind went numb for a few seconds. It felt as thought it was shot full of ice. She stared out at the horrible scene in front of her, taking in quick breaths. She tried to keep herself from hyperventilating, but considering what she was seeing, that was going to be rather difficult.

“Y-You want me to do what...?” She breathed, trying her best to control herself before she let out a scream of terror.

A cold chuckle beside her, and a hand on her shoulder. She shuddered as she felt the scientist pull her close to him. “I explained it already to you, little girl. All you have to do iz follow my instructionz.”

“No! Don’t!” Rudy called out from behind.

Penny turned her head. She looked over at her friend sadly. Rudy had been restrained to the door. The cuffs kept his hand pressed up against the locked knob. The boy kept yanking, pulling, trying to free himself. There was a look of anger and raw terror in his eyes. It was painful to look at them. Penny had never seen him look so desperate. His expression reminded her of a trapped animal.

This was even more so apparent in what laid down in front of her. She could see Blocky staring up at her, his body laying flat, stomach exposed up. His arms and legs were secured by cuffs on the table. If she thought Rudy’s expression was hard to look at, Blocky’s made her want to scream. Those big eyes, his quivering lips, his expression begging her to free him, yet she was helpless to do anything.

“Let him go!” Rudy cried. He yanked himself from right to left. He yelped when he pulled his arm a little too much. Penny shot a concerned look at him, hoping that he didn’t pull a muscle. “Please let him go! There..there has to be another way!”

Dr. Von Doktor turned to glare over at the boy. His lips curled back into a snarl. Penny watched nervously as he approached Rudy. She wanted to rush after him, but dreaded what would happen if she did. Having no choice, she watched Dr. Von Doktor back Rudy up against the door, grabbing his shoulder and pressing him against the hard surface.

Von lowered his head and peered close to Rudy. The boy glared back, though there was still a hint of a cringe in his posture despite his obvious attempts at looking tougher and braver. Von’s eyes appeared to trail him up, his mind looking as if he were contemplating through several thoughts of what to do. He then said, “You’re going to be zo diztracting, boy. Why don’t you zettle down? Be quiet?”

Rudy bared his teeth at this. “I won’t stop until you let my friends go!” He gave another pull, his cry louder, more pain shooting through his arm. Yet he hid most of that behind a mask of fury. “If you hurt Blocky, I’ll...”

Penny let out a gasp of horror as Rudy was slapped, his head tossed to the side. His body tensed up, his eyes bulging in shock from the attack. Slowly, he looked back at Von, whose hand was held up high, the palm open up, indicating the source of the attack. Rudy’s mouth dropped open and he took in a few shuddering breaths. He slowly locked eyes back onto Von’s.

The man stared at him intensely, his eyes shining of anger, yet his mouth ticked into a smile. A creepy expression that made Penny want to race towards Rudy and save him from the man’s potential wrath. Yet she remained frozen, as much affected and frozen in terror by the gaze as Rudy.

Slowly, Von moved his hand behind his back. Penny felt her heart skip a beat as she watched him reach into something in his pocket. “I zink you need a little help being quiet...” He said as he pulled out a piece of cloth. “Here, let me help you wiz zat.”

Rudy let out a yelp as the cloth was forced into his mouth. Von pressed it in as far as it would go, stretching back his lips in the process. He then took two ends and wrapped it around behind his head. He began to form them into a tight knot, securing the cloth against his face. As soon as he was done, he let go and took a step back.

“There, that should hold you...”

Rudy attempted to pull the cloth away from his face. But his hand was immediately seized by Von. It was bent behind him in a painful manner. Rudy let out muffled whimpers of pain.

“Don’t even zink about it, boy.” Von said in a dark voice. “If I turn around and find that you have removed zee muzzle, I’ll give your girlfriend a very painful lezzon.” He leaned in closer. “Do you underztand me?”

When Rudy didn’t answer, Von pushed down harder. The boy let out a cry of pain, muffled by the cloth in his mouth. Penny looked on in horror, unable to believe this cruel treatment. Rudy shut his eyes and nodded his head. Only then did Von let go of him.

“Good. Keep it zat way.” Von turned to look over at her. In seconds, his smile appeared to get more friendly. “Now..where were we..?” He said as he approaced the table once more. “Oh zat’z right...” He pulled a tray over, positioning it beside Penny. “I zink it’z time we begin, don’t you?”

Penny looked down at the tray. Her mind was racing, going a million miles per hour. If she didn’t know what Von was planning before, if he hadn’t already made it clear enough after he let her mother go, then this sight was a wake up call.

The tray was filled with different instruments. Sharp and pointed. Scalpels and small saws. So many things to slice into flesh, to ruin the body with if used in the wrong hands. The sight of them made her increase her breathing more. Her eyes shifted around, going from left to right. She wanted to shake her head, to plead no, to beg him to give her something else to do. She..she couldn’t do this...

But the look in the man’s eye as she stared up at him pleadingly showed that she didn’t have much of a choice. The man was not taking no for an answer. He folded his arms against his chest and stared at her expectantly. A turn of his eyes from her, to the scalpels, and back silently told her what he wanted her to do. And a jerk of the head solidified it in case she still didn’t get it.

How..how could he expect her to do this to her best friend? How could she hurt him? How could she go through with this? This was cruel and inhumane...

“Come on, Penny. You zaid you’d do anyzing to protect your mom. Now here iz your chanze.” Dr. Von Doktor said. He picked up a scalpel and held it up. He stared at it intently. “Or did you change your mind?”

Penny shook her head. “N-No.. I would do anything, but.. does it have to be this..?” Penny looked down at the helpless Blocky. “Please..he doesn’t deserve this. I-I can’t butcher my best friend, I...”

Von narrowed his eyes at this. “It iz eizer you vivizect your friend here...” He turned his head to one side. “Or I bring your mozer back, and she can join Terry in her zuffering.” Penny’s eyes widened in horror. “It iz your choize...”

“I...I...”

“Choose...” Von said in a warning tone, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Penny’s heart raced against her chest. She looked to Rudy. He was shouting at her, his eyes wide in desperation. He tried to get himself free. He tried rush towards her. He tried to plead with her, but his words were muffled. She couldn’t tell what he was saying, but his eyes told her enough. Seeing them made her look away in shame of what she was being forced to do.

She looked down at Blocky. The zoner was shivering against his binds. He was staring up at her in fear. He hadn’t spoken a word, too scared to even try. He looked so weak and he was in so much pain... Her eyes trailed over his body, noticing his injuries. And she knew he had more internal ones, and there was massive mental scarring, she was certain. The poor guy had been through hell here, and the worst part was that she would be made to contribute to that.

She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want to hurt Blocky. She came here to rescue him, not vivisect him. How..how could Von be this cruel..? How could he make her do this to her friend? Had he truly gotten that insane...?

But..she couldn’t bear to have her mother get hurt either. Von had agreed to let her go, and he had been true to his word, or so she thought. It was hard to tell, but what if he was? And what if her inaction right now made him decide to bring her back, and hurt her mother? Penny couldn’t let that happen either. She loved her mother, and she wanted to do what it took to keep her safe.

But, if that meant hurting Blocky...

Oh gawd..what was she going to do...?

sss

“Here it is...” Howdy breathed, his voice indicating he felt a great burden being lifted from his shoulders.

The group of zoners paused where they were. There were soft whispers among each other, zoners looking at other zoners, some arguing. At first, it didn’t seem like there was a portal. It was so dark, barely a light being flickered in here.

Snap knew that Howdy was correct, however. He had been in this spot enough to know this. He moved out forward. He turned his head to face the skeptical zoners. Recalling the exact position of the portal wasn’t easy, but it didn’t take his hand long to find the rim. He grabbed onto it and pulled it around. The telltale squeaks of the movable chalkboard could be heard, silencing the zoners.

Exposed before them was the dark, not well lit room where the portal was being kept. The proof that the zoners needed that this was, indeed, the right spot, was laid bare before them. He watched as their eyes widened in realization, all hints of anger and frustration leaving them, replaced with awe and some fear. They all knew what this meant.

Now the travel was finally over. Now the time for talk was done. It was time to finally put their plan into action. This was it. There was no turning back now. It was time to do something that most zoners dared not to.

It was time to go into the Real World.

Admittingly, Snap was afraid. He was hesitant to walk through that portal and back into a world where so much could kill him or maim him, in the world run by the creators. But Blocky was in there. That was motivation enough for him to take action.

And despite the fears of the zoners before him, as well as his two friends, none of them wanted to walk away from this. They were all eager to put an end to this nightmare that had been bestowed upon their world. These zoners, regardless of what was shown to them, weren’t going to back down easily. This was the kind of bravery that they were going to need to win. Knowing just how vicious Von and Terry were, they could use all the courage and steadfastness that they could get.

He allowed Howdy in front. He knew the place better than him. The puppet zoner stood in front of the portal. He stared at it in fear, his body shaking a little. He then swallowed hard, narrowing his eyes in determination. He then looked behind him, staring at the others. He gave a nod of his head.

“Let’s go in.”

The zoners, one by one, began to enter the portal, finding themselves in the Real World. Snap felt a strong sense of...something rise up as he realized they had finally realized they had reached their destination. But there was still more. Now they had to initiate the plan to save their friend. He asked the same question over and over in his mind: Would they succeed?


	30. Escapes

Fourth rule: If the boogeyman sees you, run.

sss

Mrs. Sanchez awoke with a powerful headache. She groaned as she pushed herself up from the ground. She put her hand on her forehead, gently rubbing it.

Just what had happened? She could barely remember anything. It felt as if a hammer had been struck against her skull. It was so painful, she felt around for any signs of a crack. For a split second, there was a sense of panic, but it went away as soon as she was able to confirm to herself that she didn’t have any such grave injury.

So why was she so sore? Why did she feel as though a mountain had been dropped on her? And where was everyone? Where was her daughter? Taking a quick look around, she could tell that she was indeed by herself. She couldn’t remember any interactions she had with her daughter recently. At least not within the past couple hours.

Mrs. Sanchez couldn’t help but yawn, her mouth stretching wide open. She winced as she realized just how dry her throat was. She could use a glass of water. She climbed up to her feet, stretching out her legs. She began to walk forward. There was a weird splash sound but she thought nothing of it. She only stopped when she realized something.

She had no idea where she was.

This didn’t strike her with fear at first. Her mind was still muggy, and it was taking her a while to put all the pieces together. She simply yawned again, wiping her mouth as a bit of drool came down her mouth. She shook her head, trying to stave off the mugginess. Man, it felt like she hadn’t slept in years, or had fallen asleep for that long. She couldn’t tell. She made a mental note to herself to take more care in watching how much she slept. Maybe set up an alarm.

Her eyes widened in horror when her mind suddenly snapped back to attention. She took a moment to look around, left and right. She gritted her teeth as she realized that she couldn’t recognize this place at all. This...this wasn’t her home...

Her heart began to pound against her chest. She was in cellar. Well not really a cellar. It was too small for that. The room looked to be about the size of her bedroom, which wasn’t that large to begin with. There were walls surrounding her everywhere. Cold and hard, and not made of the same material as her house. No doors either.

Tilting her head up, she noticed there was some kind of formation. A bulge, and remnants of some rope. This caused her to suck in a deep breath, terror gripping her heart. She realized that this place had some kind of ladder to climb down in, and she could see a ledge above, where she was certain there was a door. With her being here, and the ladder being missing, and there being no doors here, she realized what must have happened.

Someone had trapped her down here. Why? Who would do this? How did she end up here in the first place? Did she have any rivals? Well there was one person she knew how also had a vet clinic, but she wouldn’t go as far as try to trap her to up her business. Someone else must have...

Dr. Von Doktor and Terry Bouffant... Did one of them have something to do with this? It was possible that one of them was responsible. But at the moment, she really had no way of knowing. And at the moment, she couldn’t really think too hard; her mind was too shaken from the initial shock. She could feel her body trembling as she looked left and right, trying in vain to find some way out. There had to be one..anywhere.. Please...

But no.. There was nothing. There was only one way out and at the moment, she couldn’t even reach it. She was trapped down here like a wild animal. She was so tempted to scream for help, but that may not do her any good.

No, she had to sit down and try to think of a way out of here. Maybe she could think of something that could help her. The last thing she should do is panic. She took in a deep breath, riding out the fear, getting her mind to be as calm as possible. Only with a clear mind could she begin to think of the solution to her dilemma.

She walked over towards a corner of the room. Despite its uncomfortable feeling and dankiness and smell, Mrs. Sanchez pressed her back against it and slid down slowly. She suddenly felt something wet again. She gritted her teeth in disgust. Just what was she touching? And why did it feel so strange? Just what was in this water?

Wait a minute...

With eyes wide, she looked down at her hand, which glistened from being wet. She stared at it, noting how it did indeed look like water. But something was...off about it. But it felt as though it was a slightly different texture. And it didn’t smell like water. It smelled like...

She stiffened up for a second. Then she let out a scream of terror, unable to hold back her emotions. She jumped back, looking down at the floor. One part of the room was beginning to flood with this stuff. That smell...it was this stuff... She looked at the flooded ground in horror. It was at this moment that whoever did this, they weren’t seeking to just keep her locked away for a time. They were trying to murder her.

This realization sent ice through her body. She shook harder, her legs growing weak. She dropped down on the dry patch of ground. She stared out ahead, looking at nothing in particular. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of her predicament.

Now, more than ever, she had to figure out just who was doing this to her, and why. Who would want to kill her? What had she done to anyone to deserve this? Did she tick someone off? She wasn’t sure. She took in several quick breaths, looking left and right. She clenched her teeth tightly, her body shaking even harder, unable to stop it.

The emotion starting to get to her, she could feel tears begin to form in her yes. She tried to control herself. She tried to get herself to calm down, to try to focus on the task at hadn. But all this that was happening..it was just too much. She couldn’t make sense of anything. She couldn’t get her heart to stop beating so fast. She couldn’t stop herself from shaking. All she could do was press her legs against herself, her arms looped around them. She took some comfort in her own warmth, but it wasn’t enough to stave away the fear.

Her heart twisted when she thought of Penny. Where was her daughter? Was she all right? Did the fiend get her too, or did she manage to escape? Mrs. Sanchez wished she could find out. She wished she could get out of here and find her daughter. And what of Rudy and his parents? Did they get captured as well? Did they become targets?

Mrs. Sanchez never felt so helpless before. She had nowhere to go and she was trapped in a room where part of it was partially covered by this chemical, this substance, and she knew if she came in contact with it directly too much, she would get horrifying affect. This stuff could kill her... She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, letting a few more tears fall. Oh gawd, who could do such a thing to her...?

Suddenly, a sound catch her attention. It was faint, but there. She tilted her head to one side, struggling to hear what it was. Some kind of...not dripping sound, but one she would expect from a fluid.

Her heart nearly stopped. There was only one explaination for this. Only one thing that could explain what was going on, why she was hearing this sound. Please..no..it couldn’t be true..no...

She looked over at where the fluid chemical was. She got up and she took a few steps towards it. She looked at it carefully, watching closely. She did this for several moments, looking to see if there was any kind of change. It took a while, but she soon realized just what was going on.

The fluids..they...they were spreading.. The room was being flooded with this stuff.

Mrs. Sanchez froze in terror at this. She felt her heart nearly rip in two, raw fear creeping over her mind. She look left and right again, panic starting to take her over once more. She started to cry harder, unable to believe what was happening. At the horrific realization of being trapped in a room of rising acid, she pulled her head back and let out a scream.

sss

Blocky’s mind was swirling. He looked from the scalpel up to Penny. He tried to shake his head, but it was strapped down by metal now, limiting his movements. He stared up at Penny pleadingly, begging her not to do this. But in his head, he realized what fate awaited him. Even if Penny didn’t give into the man’s desires, he may still end up being... No please no...

Blocky wanted to cry. He wanted to burst into tears and sob. He wanted to curl up in a ball and forget what was happening. Yet he was forced to stay here, unable to escape, and he had cried so much he didn’t think he had any tears left. He bit his lip, taking in several shuddered breaths. There...there had to be something he could do to get out of here. Anything...

But what could he do now? He couldn’t plead with Penny. She wanted to stop. She wanted to turn away, but from what he could hear, this evil, vile, disgusting man who dare call himself a scientist...he had her in a tight grip. He had the gall to threaten the girl’s mother. He was forcing her into a sadistic choice, where either she hurt him or allowed her mother to be hurt. And he was not giving her a third option, nor could he see a third option available for her.

If only he could get himself free... If only he could find a way out of here... There had to be someway. This situation couldn’t possibly be this hopeless, right? No... There had to be a way. He just had to look elsewhere to find it.

He shifted his eyes, trying to see Rudy. From this angle, it was really hard to see him. He could only make out a few blurred colors and a bit of movement to indicate his presence. Despite not seeing him, Blocky had a very good idea of just what he looked like right now: terrified and infuriated.

“Have you yet dezided, Penny?”

His thoughts were cut off when Dr. Von Doktor spoke to Penny again. How long had it been since he last spoke to her? Since he awaited her response? Likely just several seconds, but he could just imagine it being many minutes, even an hour. The tension and fear he felt made time appear to slow down, forcing him to endure for an extra long time.

He tried his best to look over at Von. Unfortunately for him, he could see the man’s face quite easily. The man stood next to the table, next to Penny. He had slung his filthy hand over her shoulder, keeping Penny there. Should she try to move, he would just tighten his grip on her to prevent her from leaving. Blocky could only look at her sadly and sympathetically, intermixing with his looks of terror.

Von, of course, just smiled. This smile wasn’t like the one the man had given to him in the beginning. This one was a look of insanity. Something had caused this man to grow unhinged, and now he was taking wilder, more dangerous risks.

Why? Why must he be this way? Why must he do this? Blocky had a feeling he’d never know for certain. He would never know if this was desperation, if he had a hidden grudge, or anything. The only thing that he did know was the man was becoming more and more of a threat.

However, there might be some light in the corner. In this situation, he realized what would happen if the man were to get caught. All it would take is a single slip up...

“Well? Aren’t you going to anzwer me?” Dr. Von Doktor said as he gripped Penny tighter. The girl winced at his touch, hunching her shoulders. She stared up at him pleadingly. Von narrowed his eyes. “I gave you an eazy choize. I would have zought you were zmart enough to chooze quickly.”

“This isn’t fair.” Penny said, biting her lip nervously. She looked from Blocky and then towards Rudy, who was still chained to the wall. “Please..you can’t do this. Let my friend go.”

“Why are you ztill trying to beg?” Von’s voice was tinged with...something uncomfortable that Blocky couldn’t properly identify. He couldn’t tell if the man was angered or disgusted. “I already gave you a choize. Yet you chooze to be indezizive. How pitiful...”

Von released Penny and turned around to face her completely. He seemed to tower over her, making the girl take a step back. Despite Von being not a very tall person to begin with, at least among adults, compared to Penny, he seemed almost massive.

Penny didn’t say a word. She looked as if she wanted to speak, but her wide eyes showed just how afraid she was to speak up, as if she were worried about what the evil man might do. Considering all that’s happened so far, even in his pain and agony, this did not surprise Blocky at all. The man was growing dangerousy unhinged, more so as the time passed. He did not want to imagine just how far this man might go to secure his position of...whatever it is that he wanted.

After a few more moments, Penny appeared to find her voice. It was shaky and weak, but nonetheless, she started to speak. “I-I can’t choose... I can’t choose between my friend and my mother. I would never forgive myself for either choice I make.”

Von’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “And now you are going to regret ziz choize.”

Penny’s eyes widened in horror. She shook her head in desperation. “N-No..please...”

Von grabbed onto Penny’s shirt. He roughly pulled her over. She let out a cry of surprise. He put his face close to hers, glaring at her in an almost threatening manner. “Zen make up your mind, little brat, or I will dip both your mozer and your friend in a vat of boiling oil...” Penny took a sharp gasp at this.

Blocky’s heart tightened at this, a wave of cold fear washing through his body. He had no idea if Von would even carry out such a threat. The way he said it, the way it was worded, it seemed more like it was just a statement of desperation. But did he really want to take that chance? What if the man really was so desperate, that he would commit such a heinous crime, despite the risks of being caught? He found his body trembling, and he attempted to pull himself free, yet the cuffs felt as tight as ever. Even tighter.

He could hear banging towards his side. He didn’t need to try to look to know that Rudy was trying to get free. Even with him gagged, he could hear the boy’s cries, muffled but still there. He could even detect the angered emotion that dripped from the boy’s voice. And he could understand completely why he felt that way.

The way this man was treating Penny was absolutely disgusting. Blocky stared at her, seeing her terrified face. He felt a pang in his stomach, and he wanted to do something to help her, despite fear for himself. Yet he was helpless, as well as Rudy. They were forced to watch as the man continued his mental torment of Penny.

“I zee you cannot make a dezizion.” Dr. Von Doktor said after only about a minute of silence. “I gave you plenty of time to chooze, and yet you ztill remain zilent. I felt I waz being zo..generouz.” He released Penny and took a step back. “I zuppoze I have no choize zen.”

Penny shook her head. A few tears glinted in her eyes. “Why can’t you just let my friend go? Why can’t you leave my mom out of this? Please...why are you doing this?”

“Why...? I’m zurprized you have to azk zuch a ztupid and eazy queztion, Penny.” Dr. Von Doktor’s voice was icy and cold, as if he were about to breathe the element itself. “I am tired of being zee laughing ztock of my peerz. Do you know what it iz like to be mocked? To have everyone point at you and zay how much of an idiot you were? Well? Do you?”

Penny opened her mouth to speak, but nothing could come out. This caused Von to seethe at her, baring his teeth. He looked almost as if he was going to attack her, and it honestly surprised Blocky when he didn’t.

“I knew you wouldn’t. Of courze you could not pozzibly underztand my zituation.” Von raised his hands up in the air. “And why should you? After all, you were the one who put me here in the firzt plaze!” He pointed at Penny accusatory. Penny’s eyes widened in confusion. “Don’t try to lie to me, girl! I know zat you and your boyfriend over zere were out to humiliate me in front of my peerz! You zwitched the machine and becauze of zat, everyone now mockz me! I nearly lozt my lab, and I lozt all my fellow workerz! I lozt my reputation! And it’z all becauze of you two!”

Blocky’s eyes widened at this. He couldn’t believe the man was trying to pin all the blame on Rudy and Penny. It wasn’t like they meant to ruin his reputation...right? Blocky wasn’t honestly sure, but knowing them, they only wanted Von to leave them alone.

And even then, that was no excuse for what the man was doing right now. He was holding them hostage here. He was committing illegal acts to get what he wanted. Did he really think this was going to be worth it in the end? Even in his scared state, Blocky could still feel disgust and confusion over the man’s decisions. Did he even think any of this actions through?

The zoner’s thoughts were interrupted when he felt the man grip him tightly. He winced as the man’s fingers interlocked against his head. He felt some pressure as the man pulled on him. He let out a whimper, but otherwise remained silent. He stared up at him fearfully. Just what did he have planned for him?

“Zinze you can’t dezide... I’ll make the dezizion for you.” Dr. Von Doktor said, a sneer spreading across his face. “After all, you two children didn’t give me a choize. Zo naturally...it would be razer fitting for you to have your choize taken away...”

Rudy shook his head and let out loud cries of protest. He pulled harder, reaching his hand out forward. Penny’s body started to tremble as she shook her head. Before either child could speak, before Blocky could even think of trying to say something, the man brought a scalpel towards his throat.

“I have to wonder what hiz zroat lookz like.” Von said in a cool voice. At this, Blocky struggled harder, his heart pounding against his chest. “I’m sure it will be very interezting. Zo flat and yet zo functional.”

“No! Don’t!” Penny screamed. She rushed towards the man, her hand reaching out to grab the scalpel. “Please, I...”

Von snarled at the girl. He pulled his foot back and he struck it against her stomach. Rudy and Blocky looked on in horror as the girl staggered back, her hands clutching her stomach. She gritted her teeth in pain as she looked up at the scientist. Von stared at her coldly, showing no signs of regretting what he had done.

“Don’t look at me zat way.” Von said, narrowing his eyes dangerously. “You dezerve zat for what you did to me. Bezidez, I waz nize enough to give you a choize. Yet you botched up your chanze. You have no one to blame but yourzelf.”

Penny continued to hold onto her stomach. She took in a few seething breaths, her eyes clinched shut tightly. After a few moments of trying to ride out the pain, she said, “Y-You...were the one who...”

“Who what?” Von interrupted. “Zee one who wanted to share this wonderful dizcovery with zee world? Zee one who felt that your boyfriend’s findingz could change the world?” He raised his hand up in the air in gesture. “All I wanted to do was better mankind. Waz zat zo wrong?”

At this, Penny couldn’t answer. This made Von’s eyes narrow again, his teeth bared as anger washed over his face.

“I did nozing wrong and yet you two children ztill wanted to punish me for it!” Von growled at her. “Now it iz my turn...”

“You kidnapped my friend!” Penny cried.

Von scoffed at this. “I only took him to my lab to zpeak to him. I never had any intention on hurting him or holding him for ranzom.” Penny remained quiet, her panicked mind likely not allowing her to make a coherent response. “Faze it, little girl. I’m the victim here. All ziz happened becauze of you two.” He pointed a finger at her. “Now let uz get back to zee topic. I will give you one more chanze, Penny.” He took a step towards her, releasing his grip on Blocky. “Will you help me learn what makez your friend tick....or are you more zan willing to watch him die?”

Blocky’s heart froze at this. Again with the sadistic choice. This time, he knew that Von was not going to give Penny much time to respond. He took in a few shaky breaths, tears forming in his eyes. He wanted to speak, but feared that he may only make things worse. He shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the potential impact of cold blade against his skin.

“I..I-I...” Penny whimpered. Her sounds of distress were intermixed with Rudy’s muffled shouts of anger.

“Ah well, zinze you can’t dezide...” Von started to say.

“What?” Penny’s soft voice called out. “No...!”

Von turned his attention away from her, smiling down at Blocky. “I made the dezizion for you. Zo don’t worry, Penny.” He lowered the scalpel once more towards the zoner. “I am ztill zo curiouz about hiz...unique anatomy...”

“No! Don’t!” Penny shouted in horror. “Please!”

Blocky looked up at the man pleadingly. He sucked on his lip, feeling cold terror grip him. He managed to squeak out a word. “P-Please...”

Suddenly, there was a loud crash. The man jolted in shock, the scalpel slipping from him. Blocky would have cried out in pain when the blade cut into his body a little. But at the moment, his mind was diverted. Turning his eyes, he could see the door had been opened up, forced down by a great force. Rudy was laying on the ground, the heavy door laying upon him. Blocky was about to ask if he was okay when his eyes caught sight of who had rushed in.

At first, he froze, unable to believe what he was seeing. He thought, at first, this had to be a dream. Maybe he had been drugged and he was just seeing things. Maybe his mind had become so clouded and he so desperate, he was just seeing what he wanted to be there. In all his time of feeling hopeless, it was hard for him to grasp that this could really be happening.

But the more seconds he stared, the more he listened to the voices, he realized this was real. It had to be. Please...don’t let this be some kind of dream... Don’t let fate play a cruel joke on him... Please...

Then he heard the voice he thought he’d never hear again since their last departure.

“Leave my friends alone!”

It was Snap. And this time he wasn’t alone. Blocky could see that not only was Howdy with him, but Rapsheeba and several other zoners as well. He watched as a strong zoner freed Rudy and the others took a defensive stance, facing the man bravely.

One of them, a female, took a few steps forward. She formed a fist and slammed it into her palm. “Hello there. You must be this..Dr. Von Doktor person... Now I have a question for you..” Her eyes narrowed. “Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?”

sss

Rudy had a hard time wrapping his mind around what was going on. He hadn’t expected something like this to happen. It was like some kind of weird dream.

How did this happen?

What led up to this?

Was this even real?

Rudy leaned against the zoner, his mind still swirling. He looked around him, noting there were several zoners now in the room. Among them was his best friend, Snap, along with two other friends of his, Rapsheeba and Howdy. Rudy breathed in and out slowly, turning his head from right to left, looking at all around him, his mind desperately trying to process what had happened.

One minute, he was shouting in desperation, trying to get the evil man to leave his friend alone. He was trying to help Penny, trying to free himself to stop Von. He was trying to protect Blocky from getting more hurt. He was struggling, and then he pulled real hard then...

When the door had slammed onto him, he was aware mostly of a sudden pressure. The pain didn’t register until seconds later. He had groaned, his body giving a few shivers of pain. He hadn’t expected the door to fall down on him, and when it had, it took him by surprise. He couldn’t be that strong, right? This door was metal or steel or something, complete with a keypad to lock it. How did he do that?

It turned out that he didn’t do it. A bunch of zoners had rushed in. The strongest ones had knocked the door down. Rudy just couldn’t get out of the way in time. In fact, cuffed to the door, there was no way for him to dodge.

His legs were still shaky, trembling from the shock, forcing him to continue relying on the zoner beside him for support. He kept his arms wrapped around his thick, strong arm. He pressed his body against him, preventing himself from falling over. The zoner, who was larger than him, gripped his arm with his large hand, helping to steady him. Rudy didn’t recognize this zoner in particular, but he was glad for his help.

He watched as the rough female zoner, whom he recognized as the same one who led the chase against Howdy, turned her sights and hostility against Dr. Von Doktor. Rudy bit his lip. Why did he have a sinking feeling that this wasn’t going to end well? He wanted to shout and warn the zoner, urge her and the others to flee, but no words would come out.

What was she thinking? What were any of these zoners thinking? They should be running. They were in the Real World. They have to get a move on.

Von glared at the female zoner. His eyes zimmed up and down her body, as if to study her. A smile soon spread across his face. Small, faint, but just as unnerving as ever. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

The female zoner gritted her teeth. “Of course I do!” She pointed a finger at the man. “Do you think that we are just going to let you take over our world like that?!”

Rudy could hear some of the zoners voice their approval.

“Yeah!”

“You made a mistake, pal!”

“You’re in big trouble!”

Rudy tried to voice his concerns. He tried to get himself to tell them to run. Anything. But he was so shaken, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything. All he could do was look on in horror as the scene played out before him. Thankfully, Penny was able to say something.

“Guys..This isn’t a good idea...” Penny spoke up. The zoners glanced at her. “Please... you have to run.. Leave.. Get out of here...” Penny pleaded with them. She occassionally glanced at Von before turning her gaze back to the zoners. “Run, before he....”

“No way!” One of the zoners said, swiping his hand through the air as if it were a knife. “We ain’t going nowhere!”

Another nodded in agreement. “Yeah! Why should we go?” The zoner asked, folding her arms against her chest.

Rudy and Penny turned their heads towards Rapsheeba, Snap, and Howdy. Their eyes widened in desperation, looking at them pleadingly. They both silently hoped that their friends would be able to talk some sense into the zoners.

But from their expressions, it looked like they had lost most influence over the zoners. It appeared that they had been the ones to lead them here, but now that they are here, the zoners have no further use for them. These zoners were hellbent on defending their home, and now that they were here, they were going to take full advantage of that. Nothing Snap, Howdy, or Rapsheeba said did anything to change their minds.

“Guys, we should...” Rapsheeba started to say.

“Oh hush up! We are here now! This is our chance!” Another female zoner snarled, forming a fist with her hand. “Let’s take it!”

“We won’t run! We won’t cower!” Another female zoner cried. “Isn’t that right, Helga?”

Rudy watched as the aggressive female, identified as Helga, nod her head. She looked at the group she was with, a dark smile on her face. She looked so arrogant, as if she was sure to win. Oh why won’t she listen? Why won’t she turn and run?

“Come on everyone!” Helga shouted as she raised a fist in the air. “Let’s teach this guy what happens when you mess with...”

Suddenly, Helga let out a pained gurgle and a surprised grunt. Her body stiffened up as her eyes bulged. Slowly, she looked down towards her cheset. For the first time, possibly in all her life, her eyes registered fear and horror. Gone was her courageous, if impulsive, bravado. Present, an expression fit for a frightened child.

A long eraser, designed for easier cleanup of chalkboards, stuck through her chest. Some blood slowly oozed out of the wound, along with bits of what appeared to be organs. Small bits that either represented what remained, or parts that were severed off. The eraser itself had a coating of blood on it and stuck out at least a few inches out of the zoner’s chest.

The sight of this horrified everyone in the room, save for Dr. Von Doktor, who held the eraser, standing behind Helga and smiling gleefully. No one spoke a word, too stunned by what happened to even react.

The zoners that had rushed in so willingly, so determined to fight, were now shocked into silence, horror washing over their faces. Their eyes were wide as they appeared to realize just what they had gotten themselves into. They swallowed in fear, glancing at each other nervously. Many were shaking, a few taking a few steps back. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy did what they could to calm the zoners, but they had a hard time, their eyes glued on the horror that laid before them.

Rudy and Penny glanced looks of terror. Neither of them could believe that this had happened. They wondered if this was some kind of horrible dream and that they’d wake up soon. Yet when they looked back, they could still see Helga standing there, eraser still through her chest.

Rudy’s lower lip quivered at this. How..how could he have let this happen..? He should have reacted faster. He should have done something sooner. Why didn’t he try harder to get Helga to leave?

He looked over at Blocky. He was glad that the angle that Von and Helga stood was a bit too far for him to see completely. But he was able to see enough to realize what happened. The injured and tormented zoner’s eyes widened further and he let out a series of confused and pained whimpers. He began to struggle against the cuffs more. The poor guy was so terrified...

A sickening slurp sound cause Rudy to turn his head back towards where Von stood. He had slipped the eraser out of Helga’s body. She dropped down onto her knees as it was removed. Rudy and many others had to hold back their vomit when they saw the gaping hole. They could see some of her ribs, muscle, and a bit of her organs. Their view rapidly became obscured by the flow of fresh blood from the wound. Helga held onto her stomach, her eyes wide in fear. She looked over at Von, her eyes filled with the question of ‘why?’. A few tears formed in her eyes as Von didn’t respond to her silent question and just smiled at her.

With a gasping breath, crimson fluid pouring from her mouth, Helga slumped ot the ground. Her body hit with a sickening thud. A pool of blood rapidly formed unerneath her. Helga’s breathing became shakier and weaker, and in seconds, her chest stopped rising. It only took a moment for Rudy to realize what happened.

Helga had died. And Von was her killer.

Von raised the now bloodied eraser up, brandishing it almost like it were a sword. “Ah..zo zat’z how zeze babiez work... How fazinating...”

The horrified zoners stared at the man in horror and, slowy, they began to back away. Some were shaking their heads in denial, as if they didn’t want to believe that this had just happened. A few of them looked at the man in the eyes. Judging from their expressions, they looked as if they wanted to say something, but they had been rendered speechless.

The first one brave enough to get closer was Snap and his friends. Rudy and Penny watched as the three zoners approached the fallen zoner. They examined her carefully, briefly. Rapsheeba put her fingers against her throat to check for signs of life, desperately hoping, against the odds, that she was live. But just as Rudy and Penny thought initially, it was too late. The humanoid zoner lowered her head and shook it.

Despite not knowing Helga that well, Rudy couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. What a way to go... Having something shoved through her chest cavity... To be alive long enough to remember it going in... That was just the worst...

“H-Helga...?” The meek male from before said. He approached the fallen form of the zoner he had hung out with for an unknown reason. “Sis-Sister...? It’s me... Arnold...” He laid his hand on her head. “Come on.. You have to get up...”

Rudy felt as though ice shot through his chest. So...that’s why he kept following her around despite how he had been treated.

Arnold nudged against her. “Please wake up... please...”

Snap approached Arnold. He put his hand on his arm. Arnold stared down at him, his eyes watery and mouth open. Snap shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry, buddy. It’s too late. She’s gone.”

Arnold took in a few shaky breaths. He shook his head in denial. “No.. It’s not too late...” He attempted to lift up Helga. “Please! Show them they’re wrong! Wake up, Helga! Please!”

Several zoners rushed forward and grabbed onto the frantic, panicking zoner. They worked together to drag him backwards, staring at him with stern yet solemn expressions. Arnold kept calling out, shouting at Helga’s lifeless form, begging her to open her eyes. It was rather heartbreaking to listen to. Eventually, the zoner stopped struggling and he hung his head. His shaky sobs filled the room.

Rudy stared at him sadly before fixating an angered expression towards the evil man who had caused this pain and suffering. Just who did this guy think he was? What made him think he had the right to do something like this? What did Helga, or Blocky or any of these zoners, ever do to him? He formed a shaky fist with his hand, wanting so much to charge towards him and make him pay.

No... His rational mind still had a hold over him. Despite his anger, he was still able to think clearly. He knew that if he tried to take action against this man now, he may soon regret it. No, he had to erase the portal. Get these zoners back, and erase the portal. But of course, he wouldn’t erase it until he was certain that the vile scientist had no way to get into ChalkZone. He was not taking chances.

Rudy wretched himself free of the zoners. This was easy due to them being too distraught and shocked over Helga’s sudden death. Rudy didn’t bother listening to see if Von was going to say anything. He quickly moved towards Penny. He grabbed onto her to get her attention.

“Penny, unhook Blocky and take the zoners towards the portal!”

Penny stared at him in confusion. “But Rudy... We don’t know where the portal is...”

“I do!” Snap said as he approached his friends. A quick glance up revealed that Rapsheeba and Howdy were still by Helga’s body. They looked almost as though they were attempting to defend her body against whatever Von was threatening to do to it. Rudy paid his words no mind as he focused on Snap. “I can lead them out of here! But... Bucko..what about you?”

Penny turned to Rudy expectantly. “Yeah, Rudy. What are you goign to do?”

Rudy narrowed his eyes in determination. “I’m going to keep his attention. I’ll make sure he’s distracted while you guys flee.”

Penny widened her eyes. “No, Rudy! You can’t do that by yourself!”

“Yeah Bucko! We’re sticking with you!” Snap cried out. He made desperate gestures with his hand. “You’re just a little boy in your own world, Rudy! You can’t...”

Rudy raised up his hand, silencing both of his friends. He stared at the two of them sadly, a small, faint smile spreading across his face. “I know what I’m doing. I know the risks involved. I will be fine. I promise.”

His friends didn’t look convinced. They stared at him with wide eyes, shaking their heads in denial. Neither of them wanted to back down from this. Neither of them looked like they were going to move anywhere. Their feet remained planted firmly on the ground. Although they did not speak, their eyes did most of the talking. He knew that message anywhere.

They were going to be with him, whether he liked it or not.

Rudy clenched his teeth. He wished that his friends would be more reasonable. They didn’t have time to formulate a better plan right now. They had to get going before the mad scientist decided to stop toying with the zoners verbally. For the moment, he didn’t hear them speaking, or at least, he never indicated it. Who knows how long this was going to last?

There was little choice left. Someone had to keep the man busy and it had to be him. After all, the man had the most beef with him. He was the one who ruined his reputation, made him lose everything. He could keep the man’s attention quite easily, or at least he hoped.

But his friends... They had to go. They were both important for helping the zoners. They both played a key role. They had to go now, leave him behind. There was no choice.

“Penny, you have to go. You have to erase the portal when they leave.” Rudy said as he stared at her in the eyes. He placed his hand against hers. “The zoners can’t do that and you know it. Please...have them go through the portal and then erase it so Von can’t hurt them again.” Rudy then turned to Snap. “And you know where the portal is hidden in this building. You need to help Penny get to it, so that she can erase the portal once you guys all head through.”

“But Rudy...” Penny started to say. “We can’t just leave you behind.”

Rudy narrowed his eyes. “You have to. There isn’t a choice here.” Rudy looked from Penny and then to Snap. “You both should know that. So go on. Get out of here! Lead the zoners to safety!”

Snap shook his head slowly. He sucked on his lip, staring at Rudy in desperation. “Please, Bucko... There must be another way to do this...” He whispered softly. “Why don’t you come with us?” He reached his hand out towards him. “Who knows what that creepazoid will do to you?”

“Yeah, Rudy. Dr. Von Doktor has gone insane!” Penny said. “He might..”

Rudy glanced down at Blocky. “What about him? He needs to get to a hospital, you guys. He’s badly hurt. I-I don’t know how long he can...” He couldn’t finish, a few tears forming in his eyes.

Poor Blocky... He had once been one of the happiest zoners he’d ever met or created. He would always look forward to almost any adventure he had been a part of. Now he was reduced to a whimpering mess, his body a canvas for many a wound. He needed help, and here they were, wasting time talking.

Rudy immediately uncuffed the zoner. The cuffs weren’t too difficult to remove. At least they didn’t require any keys. He just needed to work the clamps until they became dislodged. Once he was free, he gently picked up Blocky, careful not to irritate his wounds further. He stared down at Blocky sadly, biting his lip. The way his friend was staring up at him like that...

“It’s okay..” Rudy whispered softly. He lowered his head and gently pressed his forehead against Blocky, careful not to irritate him. “You’ll be okay.. I promise...”

The zoner didn’t reply. The poor guy was too much pain, and the terror that had been struck into his heart from nearly being vivisected... He couldn’t blame the guy for not speaking. He turned to Penny and held out Blocky’s body towards her. The girl carefully eased the zoner into her arms, gently holding him.

“Please...get him to safety, Penny.” Rudy said. He stared at his friend, his eyes filled with a pleadingness that he only ever displayed in the most urgent of situations. “You’re his one chance now.”

“I...” Penny still looked reluctant to leave Rudy behind. She stared at Rudy, clenching her teeth. She then looked down at Blocky. She listened to him moan in pain, watched as he cried softly in her arms. She soon closed her eyes and sighed. She then shot a glare at Rudy. “You can count on me.”

Rudy smiled. “Thank you.” He looked down at Snap. “Can I rely on you to help Penny and the zoners get back to the portal?”

Snap bit his lip, staring at Rudy in desperation. He then took a moment to look at Blocky, Penny, and then he looked back at the other zoners. Seeing the situation, appearing to round it all off in his head, he turned back to Rudy and gave an affirmative nod. “I’ll try my best, Bucko.”

Rudy couldn’t help but smile. He knew he could count on his friends. He wanted to say something more to them, but as he saw Von take a step towards Rapsheeba and Howdy, he knew that there was no time left for that. He immediately ushered them. “Go on! Get out!”

He watched as his friends began to make their move. They began to rush towards the zoners. He didn’t watch them for long. Instead he turned his sights on the man who ‘deserved’ it the most: Dr. Von Doktor.

sss

“I have to wonder what it taztez like.” Dr. Von Doktor said in a cruel tone of voice. “If she’s chalk, does her flesh taste like chalk, too?”

“No! You won’t touch her!” Howdy said. His voice was shaky, but despite that, there was clear bravery in his voice.

“We will not let you disgrace her death like that!” Rapsheeba snarled, earning a couple nods from the other zoners.

There was no way that Rapsheeba was going to allow this..this vile human do anything to this poor zoner. Wasn’t it bad enough that he killed her for no fucking reason? Helga hadn’t done a damn thing to him and yet he still skewered her through the chest like it was nothing. And he thought that she was just going to back down like that? He had another think coming.

She and Howdy stood protectively in front of her dead body. They stared hatefully at the man as he towered over them. They listened to the whimpers of Arnold, the horrified gasps and whispers of the other zoners, fueling their desire to stand up to Von even more.

Dr. Von Doktor chuckled at this, a sneer spreading across his face. “Well, I didn’t zay it had to be her...” He took a couple steps towards the zoners. His eyes fixated on Rapsheeba. “You will do nizely.”

Rapsheeba cringed back, staring at the man in fear. But she did not run. She formed fists with her hands, baring her teeth in anger. “You will not get...”

“Rapsheeba! Come on!” Snap cried. “We have to get out of here!”

Rapsheeba turned her head, watching as the blue superhero zoner approached her, waving his hands in the air frantically. Following close behind him was Penny, and she was holding something in her arms. Rapsheeba gaspedi n horror, putting her hands to her mouth, when she realized who it was.

“B-Blocky....” The singer zoner said as she reached out towards the zoner.

Blocky looked horrible. Pale, shivering, whimpering constantly, covered in blood stains and bruises, bandages... It was clear that her friend had been put through a lot. So much misery... What did the poor guy do to deserve this? Her mind flooded with so many questions. The more she tried to push them out, the more they began to crowd her mind.

Why didn’t she move faster? Why didn’t she think fast enough? Wasn’t there anything she could have done to prevent this tragedy? There had to be something she could have...

“Queenie! Come on!” Rapsheeba grunted as she felt Snap push against her. “Let’s get out of here!”

Rapsheeba looked down at the body. “But..what about...”

“No time!” Snap called out, his voice tinged with regret. “If we don’t move now, then we may never get another chance!”

“No don’t! Don’t leave her behind! Please!” Arnold called out in desperation. He reached his hand out forward. “Please bring her with! She doesn’t deserve this!”

Rapsheeba knew he was right. Helga may have been an ass, but she didn’t deserve this kind of fate to befall her corpse. She deserved a proper burial in ChalkZone. But, with Dr. Von Doktor around, the direness of the situation, and Blocky, did they really have time? She could have one of the zoners grab on, but who knows how much time they had left?

There was no choice. They had to act now.

Rapsheeba turned to the other zoners. “Everybody! Run!”

“Follow me and Snap!” Penny shouted as she began to run towards the door, Snap positioning himself in front of her.

Rapsheeba felt a little dizzy. Everything was happening so fast. She could barely register the zoners’ words as they questioned where they were going or what the plan was. She barely remembered when she had started to run. She couldn’t make sense of where each zoner was, except for Snap and Blocky up ahead with Penny, and Howdy who ran beside her. She could hear desperate shouts from Arnold, who was being dragged away, but everything else was muddled.

Then a shout rang through the air when she believed she was getting close to the exit. It had only been a few seconds, but in all the confusion, she had completely lost track of that. The shout was enough to shake her back to her senses and she turned towards the voice.

“Where do you zink you zonerz are going? Ztay here!” Dr. Von Doktor said, raising up the eraser threateningly. “If you ztep out of zat door, I am going to...”

“Leave them alone!”

Rapsheeba’s eyes widened in shock as she saw Rudy jump in front. He spread his arms out, glaring hatefully at the man. “If you want to get to them, you will have to go through me first!”

Dr. Von Doktor’s eyes twinkled at this. His expression did not betray any desite of what he felt of the idea. “Zat can be arranged...”

Rapsheeba gasped in horror at this, widening her eyes. She wanted to go back and help. But as soon as she and Howdy tried to go back, one of the larger zoners grabbed them in his large arms and wisked them away.

“We need to get going now!”

“But..but Rudy...he...” Howdy stared to say.

“Rudy will be fine!” The large zoner insisted. “He can take care of himself!”

Rapsheeba squirmed in his arm. She tried to wriggle herself free. She looked over at Penny and Snap. Why weren’t they trying to help their friend? Didn’t they realize what was going on? But then she caught a glimpse of their expression, and when she saw grim acceptance, she knew what was going to happen.

The female zoner turned her head and watched as Von approach the boy. The look of anger that melted from his eyes even from this distance told the zoner how stronger a desire for revenge against Rudy was in comparison to getting any of them. Her heart clenched when she realized just what kind of trouble the little boy was in.

“Rudy!” Rapsheeba called out. She reached her hand out towards Rudy while she was being carried off. “No!”

Her voice got cut off when they got out of the room and one of the zoners slammed the door shut. Rapsheeba and Howdy were helpless to do anything as they were carried down the hallway.


	31. Chases

Fourth rule: If the boogeyman sees you, run.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor scowled as he glared at the boy in front of him. Memories came flooding back to him, recalling how this boy had tricked him, humiliated him, whatever else. His desire to get revenge on him caused his blood to boil. His logical side was numbed, fueled only by raw emotion as he stood a few feet in front of the boy.

His enraged side continued to only see red as he glared at the boy, his mouth ticking into a twisted smile. He was going to enjoy this. He would force the boy to feel what it was like having his reputation torn apart. He was going to know what it felt like to be scorned and mocked by his peers. Oh, he would make the boy pay for all that he had done to him. He was alone in this room with him and he...

..wait...alone...? Wait a minute...

In the midst of the man’s rage and anger, some of his logic started to come back. His mind began to think a little more clearly and he took a moment to look around the room.

It was empty. Save for him and the boy, it was empty. There was no one else here. The only sound that could be heard was his own breathing, as well as the boy’s. The man’s expression softened up for a few seconds, his eyes locking onto the boy. Rudy simply glared at him, his body remaining in a defensive posture. Then, once the realization truly hit him, his eyes widened in shock.

He had been played. He had been tricked again. This boy... He must have known how he was going to react. He must have realized that he would be so consumed with emotion that he would focus only on him and not anyone else.

The man couldn’t believe it. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have allowed himself to be tricked utterly like that? He should have been able to realize what was going on. He should have noticed the zoners leaving. He should have noticed that his ‘patient’ Blocky was stolen from him. And yet his own anger and rage got the better of him, and he had made such a foolish act. He knew that going after Rudy wasn’t the best thing to do right now, and yet, that’s exactly what he had done.

As a scientist, he should have realized the fallacy of that mistake before he even made it. He felt like such an idiot. What kind of scientist is tricked and made into a fool by a ten year old boy? He was supposed to be the smarter one here, and yet the boy, he had...

That’s when he realized that he had fallen for the boy’s trick yet again. This was the second time that the kid had made a fool out of him. He glared at the boy, his lips curling back into a snarl. He had been made fun by this boy for the last time. Now, he was going to make sure that he doesn’t get another chance.

“You...” Dr. Von Doktor said as he took a few steps towards Rudy. The boy moved back, but did not break out into a run. “Do you have any idea what you...”

Suddenly, he stopped. A realization dawned on him. No... He wasn’t going to fall for this. He realized this was exactly what the boy wanted him to do. Yes... His scientific mind was now in control once more. And it took him only seconds to realize the boy’s little plan.

He was trying to get him to stay here while the others escaped. At first, he didn’t know exactlly where they could go. But there was that portal, right? The one that was still open? Yes, that was the one. That was where they were going. And he bet that little Penny was going to erase the portal and think everything was going to be fine. The children think they have him beat. They think they’ve won. Oh how sadly they were mistaken... Did they forget that he still had a piece of magic chalk? Or did they not know?

No matter. At the moment, that didn’t matter to him. Right now, he was going to have a little bit of fun toying with the boy. Dance around his expectations, and make him feel like such a fool.

“What do you take me for, little boy?” Von spoke as he adopted a more neutral stance. He held up a hand, curling his fingers inward, watching the tips flex. Rudy watched warily, his teeth gritted as if prepared for a fight. “Oh you are zomezing!” Von laughed coldly at the boy’s pathetic display of courage. “You dezerve a metal, don’t you zay?” He motioned his hand towards him. “Only zomeone like yourzelf is mozt dezerving...” He brought his hand to his head, pressing his face against it. “Juzt a shame I don’t have anyzing...”

He kept this somewhat neutral stance for a while, confusing the boy. He watched him out of the corner of his eyes. Rudy clearly didn’t know what to make of this, yet he did not back down or try to run away. He formed fists with his hands, looking ready for a fight. This only made Von’s smile broaden.

Oh how easily the boy is manipulated. Sometimes he had to wonder just how Terry Bouffant had such a hard time with him. He was only ten years old. It didn’t take much to outsmart someone that young. Well that certainly spoke volumes about Terry. No wonder she became a lowly newsreporter. It was probably the only job someone like her could get.

But enough about her. Now, he only focused on Rudy. How should he deal with him? He couldn’t spend too much time in here talking with him. His building was large, but it didn’t mean he had infinite time. He needed to think of something and quick.

Ah yes, that would do just fine. His smile spread further across his lips. This became more pronounced as he saw the boy’s eyes widen further. He took a step forward.

“You know what I juzt realized?” Von said in an almost casual tone as he began to walk around the child slowly, like a vulture ready to attack its prey. “You are a fraud.”

Rudy stared at him in confusion. “What are you talking about? I never lied about anything.”

Von chuckled at this. “Oh you are zuch a poor liar, Rudy. For shame!” Von continued to walk aroudn the boy slowly, deliberately. His sneer spread a little further, his eyes almost never leaving Rudy. His arms folded behind his back. “You claimed zat you dizcovered perpetual motion.”

“No I never said that! It was you who...”

Von cut him off. “You claimed you could have changed zee world.”

Rudy shook his head. “You’re lying!”

Von didn’t care. He just kept going. “You zought you were zomezing zo zpecial. Everyone would have practically worshipped you. Zat iz what you wanted, izn’t it, kid? To be recognized. To be famouz. To be known as the child who changed zee world.”

“You’re wrong! I never...”

“But inztead, you lied. You broke my heart. You shattered everyone’z heartz.” Von said. He placed a hand against his chest, looking at the boy with mock sadness. “You used zee world you had claimed for yourzelf to get ahead of everyone elze. You used zat world az a tool for yourzelf, and yet you dare try to ztop me, and you dare to call me zee one who...”

“Shut up! You’re wrong! I never did that!” Rudy growled. He turned his head left and right, watching as the man walked around him. It was clear the boy was not going to back down. “I would never do something like that! It was an accident! I never meat to forget to draw a power source!”

“And yet you ztill znuck into ChalkZone to create zee devize... Am I right?” Von asked. He knew there was only one way for one machine to have a power supply while the other had a plug. “You ztill went in zere and drew zomezing zat you did not build yourzelf.” He stopped for a moment. He stared down at Rudy with a criticizing eye, tilting his head to one side. “You used zat world, Rudy. Zee world zat you are trying to keep me out of... It waz juzt a tool for you in zee end, wazn’t it?”

Rudy shook his head in denial. “N-No.. I...”

Von’s smile spread further. “You used it like it waz nozing. And yet I’m sure you’d get zore wiz me if I tried zomezing like zat. Oh how hypocritical of you, boy.”

Rudy took a few steps back. His eyes widened a little. Von could only smile at this, realizing that he had hit a sore spot with the boy. He watched as Rudy shook his head again, glaring at him. “I-I was just...”

“Faze it, boy. You lied to everyone. Even if you did create a power zource, the point iz, you did not make it yourzelf. You drew it in zat world. You put zero effort into it. And you took attention away from ozerz who put true effort into zeir work, like your own friend.” Rudy’s eyes widened at this. Von pressed further. “I wonder how she took it. Tell me, Rudy. Did she congratulate you? Or did she rip you to shredz for getting zee attention she dezerved more zan you?”

Rudy stared at the man, backing away, gritting his teeth. At this point, he didn’t even try to respond. Von wasn’t sure if this was because he was getting the boy worked up or if Rudy truly was guilty. The reason however, mattered not to Von. With the boy in this state, he could begin the second part of his plan.

He took position in front of the boy. He walked towards him, continuing to move forward regardless of how close he was. This forced Rudy to back away from him. The boy’s eyes never left his as he moved backwards, trying to keep a good distance away from him. Soon, the boy tripped and he fell into the ground. Von stopped his advance and stood in front of him, watching as the boy climbed up to his feet. The boy watched him warily, his narrow eyes glaring right at him.

Von couldn’t help but smile at this. The boy was spending so much time watching him that he wasn’t even comprehending what he was trying to do. This was going to be so easy...

Suddenly he realized just how much time he had wasted. Drat... His eagerness to toy with the boy had cost him precious time. He had wanted to draw this out sooner, but there was no time for that. He needed to act now.

“I do want to azk you one more zing, Rudy, before I forget.” Von said. He tapped his chin thoughtfully, his eyes turning up towards the ceiling. “How well are you in a tuzzle?”

Rudy stared at him in confusion. “What are you...”

Von didn’t give the boy a chance to respond. He suddenly rushed forward, his feet pounding the ground heavily. Rudy didn’t have any time to react. Despite his old age, Von was quite quick on his feet and it took him only seconds to collide with the boy. His hands gripping his shoulders tightly, he lifted the boy up into the air and began to rush him backwards.

The boy struggled, trying to get free. Von responded by tightening his grip on him. He moved as fast as he could, keeping the boy up in the air, held out in front of him. Then, once he got close enough, he pulled the boy close to him then shoved him forward as hard as he could.

Suddenly there was a loud scream. It bounced off the walls, intermixing with a sickening wet sound. Rudy’s eyes were bulged open, so much that Von could make out more details of his eye than normal. He watched as the boy’s body stiffened up, his mouth dropping open as he gave a series of pained heaves. The man’s eyes lowered down, locating the source of the boy’s discomfort.

An incredibly long and rusted nail...

“Oh dear me. I had forgotten about zat nazty little zing.” Von said in a mocking voice. “Do you need any help?”

Rudy didn’t answer him. He clutched his stomach, whimpering in pain. He gave a few pitiful coughs. The nail peaked out of his stomach. Just barely, but still there. Little blood could be seen, but the effects were clearly shown in the boy’s face and body. His face was contorted in agony and his body was hunching, writhing, as if tryign to escape some invisible grasp.

Soon he dropped down onto his knees. His grip on his stomach became tighter. He looked over at Von, his teeth clenched tightly, his eyes filleds with fear and pain. He took in a few heavy breaths, each one becoming shakier as the time passed.

Von moved closer to Rudy. The boy, unable to try to get away fast enough, in so much pain, only stared at the man as he got closer to him. Soon, Von was only about two feet in front of him. He towered over the boy, watching down at him with sick satisfaction. He loved the look in his eyes. He loved the feeling of power he had over him. A part of him so wanted to treasure this moment, and obsess over making him pay for what he had done to him.

But no, as much as he wanted to do that, he reminded himself again of the mission, his plan to regain his dignity, to showcase to the world of a wonderous discovery that could change everything. As much as he wanted to vent more frustration out on the boy, he had bigger fish to fry. But first...

Von knelt down in front of the boy. He stared at him in the eyes, his smile growing twisted. “Oh you poor poor zing. Here..let me help you wiz zat.”

Von reached over and he gripped Rudy by his arm. He twisted it roughly, making the boy flinch. He then reached round behind the boy. He grabbed onto the nail and he began to twist it inside of him. He twisted as hard and roughly as he could, making the boy scream louder. Then he pushed the nail even deeper into him, forcing the nail to peak out more in his stomach.

This act made Rudy scream again. Von released him and moved back. He folded his arms as he watched as Rudy collapsed to the ground. The little boy laid on his side, curled up into a ball, holding his stomach. A bit of blood started to form, mostly from his mouth corner. The boy seethed in agony a few times before looking up at him with one eye. He let out a series of moans and whimpers, his body trembling with a mixture of fear and pain.

Von had wasted enough time with him. He decided not to say another word to Rudy. He simply turned around and began to walk away. He left the boy to his fate. He didn’t know if he would survive the injury or not. And right now, that didn’t matter.

What did matter were those zoners. The ones that were trying to escape. The ones that Rudy was helping to buy time for. He needed to stop them before they had a chance to get to that portal. He was not going to let them get away. And once he found them...

He was going to go all out. No more holding back. What he did to Rudy was just the beginning.

sss

No... This couldn’t be happening... No.. He had to do something... Anything.. Yet he couldn’t move. He couldn’t get up. He remained on the ground, his body wracked in pain.

Rudy’s mind swirled as he replayed the events in his mind. How did he not see this attack coming? He knew how more dangerous Von had been getting. He should have realized just how unstable he was. He should have gotten out of the way when he had the chance. Instead, he foolishly believed that Von would never go this far, and now he had a nail driven right through him.

Rudy tried to get up again. But anytime he tried, anytime he bent his body a certain way, an intake of breath was excruciating, forcing him back on the ground. He kept his arms wrapped around his body, his breathing slow and shaky, each breath stinging his insides.

He couldn’t stay here, though. His friends were in danger. He could no longer keep his attention, and he wasn’t able to hold it that long to begin with. This realization filled him with shame. He had been working off the belief that he could keep Von from following them in the tunnels for several minutes. The man appeared to hate him so much, more so than with Penny, and he thought that his challenging him would have kept him busy for a while. But the fact that only about five minutes had passed, at least, since he told Penny to run...

There was no way that his friends and the zoners got that far in five minutes. This building was massive. Even without the security system turned on, that didn’t make it any quicker to get from point A to point B. And he didn’t even know where his chalkboard had been placed. If it were on a higher or lower level, then his friends are going to need to find the stairs first, and depending on what level it was on...

The small boy attempted to climb up to his feet again. He ignored the pain that gripped his chest and stomach, holding his hand against it. He forced himself up, his feet skidding as he tried to manage to get on his feet once more.

Soon he stood up, in spite of the pain, but he wasn’t able to keep himself straight. He wobbled back and forth, side to side, as he struggled to keep himself from falling over. He held his hands out, waving them around in an attempt to balance himself. He took a few steps forward, his legs shaky and wobbly. Much of the time, at least one leg was bent, the whole limb shaking as he struggled to prevent himself from having his face make contact with the floor.

He lifted up his head and glared towards the door that Von had run out of for several moments. He took in a few quick breaths, tightening the pressure against his underside. Then he began to make his way towads the door. Each step was painful and shaky, and a few times he nearly tripped over again. But against the odds, he was able to get over towards the door.

Once he reached it, he felt a sudden jolt of pain. With a gasp, he grabbed onto the door handle. He leaned against it, his feet starting to slip from underneath him. He tightened his grip on the door further, pressing his head against the cold surface, and gritted his teeth.

He held on, trying to ride out the pain. It was difficult and it felt as if, as the seconds passed, the pain only continued to get worse. He felt a few tears drip down from his eyes. He wanted so much to pull the nail out. He wanted to grab it and yank it so that he didn’t have to feel this pain anymore. But he couldn’t. Doing so would only worsen the wound and cause further bleeding. He had no choice but try to tolerate the pain the best that he could.

While he hung on, he tried to focus on what he was going to do next, in spite of the agony that he was in. He needed to warn his friends somehow. But...there was little he could do. How was he going to be able to warn them when he had no way of catching up to them before Von?

What he needed was a way of contacting them without having to find them. But the idea seemed so ludicrous. How could he do that? It was as if he would need a...

...disembodied voice.

That’s it.

Rudy turned his gaze towards the signs. Although his vision got a tad blurry due to the pain, he was still able to read the sign. He didn’t know what parts of this building still worked, but maybe the office was still in tact. And if it was still running...

Rudy realized that, back when Von had a lot more people working for him, he needed a way to communicate with everyone, right? He couldn’t just pop in and out of rooms all the time to keep everything in order, or to request the audience of one person. No, he would need something to send messages without having to visit many locations. And the best way to do that? An intercom system.

Rudy, knowing that he didn’t have much time, began to limp down the direction that he believed the office was in. He ignored the pain the best he could, going as fast as possible.

He hoped he would get there in time. And he hoped that, until he got there, his friends would be able to hang on.

sss

Snap ran as fast as he could down the hallway. He didn’t stop to see who was behind him. He could feel his chest feeling like it was on fire. He took in several quick breaths, his throat feeling dry and scratchy. He wasn’t sure how long he was going to be able to keep this up. But still he ran, unwilling to stop, even for a second, not even for rest.

He hoped that Rapsheeba and the others would be fine. He was grateful that Howdy was still willing to lead them. He was the only other one who knew where the portal was. He would easily be able to get Penny and the other zoners over there, get them all back to safety, and making sure that Blocky could get to a hospital. He knew that Howdy, despite his awkwardness, and despite how he might feel, would do really good as a leader. All he had to do was remain confident and assertive enough to get the zoners to follow him. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he knew that Howdy could do it if he tried.

Snap would lead himself if he could. But he would not be able to do that anymore. And it was all because of this crazy idea that he had. He wasn’t even sure how long it was going to work.

He had been so moved by Rudy’s sacrifice that he had developed a similar idea in his mind. He didn’t mention anything to the others yet. He didn’t want to execute it unnecessarily. After all, Rudy was doing what he could to keep the vile man busy. It was bes to just reserve it just in case.

But then that just in case happened.

As they were about to turn onto another hallway, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. They turned around and they could see, in the distance, Dr. Von Doktor coming towards them. Snap remembered the feeling of cold terror that rushed through his body at this realization. The ramifications were quite apparent. Rudy... He must have been....

But he couldn’t stand around and ask himself too much of what could have happened. He needed to flee, running as fast as he could. It was then that he had initiated the plan. Without Rudy, someone had to take over the role as bait, distractor. And that was going to be him.

Before Rapsheeba or Howdy or Penny could argue with him, Snap ran off. He told the others to make a run for it while he kept the creepazoid busy. He hoped he would be able to hold him off long enough.

Snap dashed headlong towards him, his feet pounding the ground as his teeth were clenched. He lowered his head and, when he got close enough, he rammed his head against the man, just enough to startle him. The plan worked and he had immediately gotten his attention. Snap followed this up with an insult, securing the man’s attention on him.

For an old guy, Von sure could move fast. Snap had to work extra hard to keep running, doing what he could to keep ahead of him. He needed to make sure there was a good amount of distance between him and the man, ensuring that he would be able to stop and have a couple seconds to make a decision at intersections. He wanted to make sure that he led him away from the room with the portal, not towards.

The small zoner was glad that Von didn’t really notice the other zoners. His attention had been on him completely; he had paid everyone else no mind. He had only shouted out towards Snap and he had made a run for him. Snap could relax knowing that the man had no idea where the others were.

But he didn’t know how long he would be able to keep this up. He could already feel his legs getting tired. His heart pounded so loud in his head that he couldn’t even hear the man’s footsteps behind him. Yet he knew he was there. He could practically feel his aura, creating an uncomfortable tension as he continued to flee down the hallways.

There had been a few times where the small zoner had nearly been caught. They were such close calls and both times, his heart nearly froze in horror. He had almost tripped once and the other time, he had hit against the wall. Both times delayed him, and it was almost enough for Von to catch up to him. He managed to get away, but not before nearly getting grabbed by that awful man.

At least it had been smooth sailing from there. The man had even stopped hurling insults at him, allowing Snap to concentrate on running and keeping him from his friends. No further incident had nearly caused him to get caught and he was able to lead the vile man further away from where the others were. So long as he kept this up for a few more minutes, he could lose Von and head back and meet up with the others.

Just a few more minutes is all he needed. Just a little more time. Then everything was going to be...

Suddenly the zoner’s foot snagged on something. A raised indention in the ground. His caught leg was yanked back, his body thrust forward. With wide eyes, he slammed into the ground, his chin hitting the hard surface mercilessly. He laid there, groaning in pain, before, a second later his eyes bulged open. He realized just what kind of trouble he was in.

He looked over his shoulder to face Von. He didn’t see him yet, but he had just turned a corner. He climbed up to his feet quickly, never taking his eyes off the corner. Any second now, that evil scientist was going to peak over, see him, then grab him. He adopted a defensive stance, waiting the fight that he knew was coming.

But as the seconds passed, nothing happened. He didn’t see any shadow on the ground, no indication that Von was coming. He couldn’t even hear any footsteps, or any panted, labored breathing.

Maybe he was just hiding. Maybe he was trying to catch him offguard. Snap bit his lip nervously, watching the corner carefully. He waited even longer. He turned his head slightly to one side, trying to listen and see if he could detect even just a slight sound, indicating the man’s presence. But no matter how long he stood there, no matter how much time he waited, hoping to hear him, there was nothing. Nada, zilch.

Snap was confused. What was going on? Why wasn’t the man coming around the corner to get to him? He had been chasing him all this time. So why wasn’t he coming around now?

Narrowing his eyes in determination, Snap knew that there was only one thing he could do. He needed to go around the corner. He needed to check to see where the man was. He needed to take the risk so he could determine his next course of action. A risk, but at this point, there was little else he could do.

Slowly, Snap inched his way towards the corner. It took only a couple steps to get over there. He placed his hand on the wall to brace himself. Swallowing hard, he peered over the corner...

...and faced nothing.

Snap took in a sharp breath at this. He felt as though his heart had turned into ice, stopping beating. His mind reeled back as realization dawned over him. He continued to stare at the empty space, his breathing quickening as he realize what this had meant.

Somewhere along the line, he had lost Dr. Von Doktor.

But how? When? At what point did the scientist lose him? Where back there did Von decide to cease the chase? His head swirled with many thoughts, and as they crowded, he began to get such an ache. He grabbed onto his head and gently rubbed it. But no amount of massage could clear his head of this kind of pain.

He couldn’t believe it... How did he not notice? Why didn’t he stop and turn to make sure the man was still following him? How could he not have realized that the man was no longer following him? How long had he been running without the man behind him? When did...

He gasped in horror, his eyes bulging. He realized that he had no idea how long it had been since Von had stopped chasing him. The last time he had gotten any sort of contact from him was either the taunt or when he tried to grab him, and that had been at least ten minutes ago...

Oh no... Had...had the man realized what was going on and... Oh no, Rapsheeba..Howdy..Penny.. The others... Snap’s face felt like it lost a few shades despite already being white. He stared down the hallway, a cold chill causing his body to shake.

The man had tricked him. He had kept chasing him for a time, and then, in silence, he slipped away to go after his friends, leaving him to believe that he was still being chased, and allowing him to keep on running. This gave the man plenty of time for... Snap’s heart clenched as he realized that the man could have caught up with the others already. And if he was smart enough to skirt around Rudy and fool him into thinking he was still being chased...

Snap felt a burning, icy feeling sweep through his body at this. Dr. Von Doktor was more cunning than he had previously given him credit for. His friends...the others... They were in danger. He had to do something, and fast.

He couldn’t stand around. He didn’t have time to plan. Doing the only thing he could think of, he bolted down the hallway. He did not try to retrace his steps. Instead, he focused on going to the room where he knew that Von was going to be.

The room where the portal was being kept.

sss

How long had they been running? How long had she been trying to keep up the pace, hoping to get to the portal as soon as possible? How long had it been since all of this started?

Penny was no longer certain. All she knew right now was to run. She didn’t even attempt to turn her heard to see if the others were keeping up. She could hear their footfall echoes all around, bouncing off the walls of the tunnel. Yet she hardly paid any attention to it as she realized that Snap many not be able to hold off Von for long.

Her heart ached at the memory of Snap leaving them. The realization that Rudy had been defeated hit her like a wall of bricks. She had no idea what might have happened to him, and she couldn’t even turn around and try to figure out what it was. All she could do was run.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stop the chilly feeling from rising up in her stomach. She was unable to stop her heart from racing even faster. Her mouth dropped open and she panted heavily. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it was going to explode in her chest. Her mind raced as she looked left and right, trying to find any sign of the portal up ahead. If they didn’t find the room in time...

What was going to happen to the others? What would Von do once he caught up to them?

No...if he caught up. She reminded herself that there was still a chance they could make it. Snap was a smart zoner. He would be able to run circles around Von and keep his attention, giving her and the others time to make their get away. She had to try to place more faith in her friend. He..he could do this. She had to believe he could.

She looked down at Howdy. The zoner, despite his size, was able to keep ahead of her. Not too much, but enough that she didn’t have to worry about accidentally tripping over him. He was looking around as well, as if trying to remember the exact path to take. Penny wanted to ask him if they were getting close, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. It was as though she thought that she was going to slow everyone down if she did that, or give them away somehow.

Howdy didn’t seem too panicked, judging from his motions, and she guessed that meant that they were on the right track. They must be getting close to the room by now, right? After the hallways they went down and the steps they had to traverse..yes, they must be very close.

But at the same time, it still felt as though they were far away. She tried her best to keep calm, reminding herself that Von was still away from them, still had some distance to travel. As long as they kept on running, they would be fine.

“How long is this going to take?”

“Aren’t we there yet?”

“Please, I want to go home...”

Penny felt her heart twist at the comments behind her. The zoners were clearly frightened, wanting to go home, realizing just what kind of mess they had gotten themselves in. They had come here, all cocky and arrogant. Now they left as terrified individuals who got a brief taste of humility. They all had seen what Von did to Helga, and they realized how easily it could have been them.

Constantly, Penny could hear the panicking zoners behind her wishing they had stayed in ChalkZone. They continued to beat themselves over what they did, lamenting that they should have thought this through more, that they should have better prepared themselves.

“Oh why was I such an idiot...?” One zoner said. “I really thought that we could have...”

Another zoner said, “I almost dragged my own friend into this! I’m such an awful person!”

Penny couldn’t blame the zoners for being so upset. It’s always an awful sensation to bite off more than you can chew, and realize just how bad that bite was later on. But now it was too late for that. The zoners had made their choice. Now the only thing that can save them from the same grisley fate as Helga was getting to that portal before it was too late.

Soon they reached the end of another intersection of sorts. Penny looked left and right, trying to figure out which way would be the best to go. Her body tensed up when she thought she heard some kind of sound. She couldn’t tell if she imagined it or not. She turned her head to Howdy and opened her mouth to speak, but Rapsheeba beat her.

“Where to now, Howdy?”

The puppet zoner looked up at his friends. His eyes were filled with concern. Penny said not a word, but she could feel a sting in her heart. She didn’t like the look that he had given them.

Howdy took a few steps in front of the others. The zoner hunched a little, as though he could feel the eyes of everyone on him. He turned his head and looked down the right path, and then he glanced over at the left. He kept turning left and right, taking in the details. He licked his lips nervously, his teeth clenched tightly. He slowly turned his head back towards the others.

“I-I don’t know....”

“What...?” Penny whispered. “You..how could you not know? Didn’t you...”

“I know, I know!” Howdy cried, waving his hands frantically. “But I think we took a wrong turn. We need to backtrack and..”

“You led us down the wrong way?!” A male zoner snarled at him. Penny turned to glare at the zoner, but he ignored her completely. “I thought you knew where the room was!”

“I do! I just...” Howdy started to say.

“How could you lie to us?” Another zoner said, her voice laced in some kind of negative emotion that Penny could not positively identify.

A hysterical zoner called out, “He must have been working for them all along! He has tried to trick us!”

“A traitor!”

“A liar!”

Howdy shook his head in desperation. He took a few steps back. His body hunched even more as he tried to make himself look nonthreatening. He looked at the zoners with wide, terrified eyes. He waved his hands back and forth frantically. “No! It’s not like that! We were just going too fast and I didn’t have time to...”

The male zoner who had spoken up before took a few steps towards Howdy, his eyes narrowed into slits. “Why should we believe anything you say?” Howdy couldn’t respond to this except with a small whine.

Penny and Rapsheeba stood in front of him. They narrowed their eyes at the zoners, unable to believe what they were doing. They were trying to escape out of this building, and these lot still found the time to torment and accuse Howdy like this. Did they not realize just how much time they were wasting doing this? Did they not realize that they had to get going now, before they run out of time? Before Von could find them?

“You should be ashamed of yourselves.” Rapsheeba spoke up. Penny looked down at her with concern. She hoped Rapsheeba didn’t get caught up in this for too long. They had to get going. “You shouldn’t be standing around here, blaming Howdy. He at least got us away from Von, didn’t he?”

“Well that’s only because Rudy and Snap kept his attention and Howdy here just kept on running.” One of the zoners pointed out.

Another held out her hand in gesture. “Yeah and besides, who knows just how much time that bought us. For all we know, the crazy doctor could be right behind us and....”

The zoner never got to finish. There was a sudden, sickening wet sound, and something that was sort of like the shing of a sword, only it was distorted, and sounded softer. Everyone in the hallway froze in terror, looking on as the zoner that was just speaking had something stuck through her chest. Penny put her hand to her mouth as she realized this was the same eraser that killed Helga, and that meant that...

“I knew I would find you all here. It waz quite eazy to make zee deduction.” Von said as he appeared behind the zoner. He smirked down at the frightened, choking zoner for a few seconds before he withdrew the eraser and kicked her down. He watched as she spazzed on the ground, going through her death throes. “I juzt wish you had been a little lezz predictable.”

Penny felt her heart skip a beat and she took a step back. Rapsheeba and Howdy stood next to her, looking equally terrified. She tried to speak, tried to say something, anything, but no words would come out. All she could do was stare at Von, her heart racing faster.

What happened to Snap? Did he suffer the same fate as Rudy? What happened to Rudy? How did Von get here so fast? How did he know where they were going to be and what path they were going to take?

The zoners were frozen in terror as well. A few moved away from Von while others looked as though they couldn’t get their legs to move. Many of them began to quake in fear, their expressions asking the same question: Just what was the man going to do now that he was here?

However, the uneasy silence that fell upon the hallway was quickly broken when one of the zoners, whom Penny realized was Arnold, stepped up to the plate. The small, meek zoner stood a few feet away from Von, glaring at him. At first, he didn’t say a word and just frowned, his teeth gritted as though he wanted to bite the man. Von cocked an eyebrow as he stared down at the zoner, looking as though he could not believe that the ‘puny’ little thing was trying to challenge him.

“Arnold...” One of the zoners cautioned, reaching a hand out towards him. “Don’t....”

Arnold shot him a glare. The most intense one Penny had ever seen. It was enough to make the zoners move away from him, silencing them. He turned his attention back to Von. “You murdered my sister, you scumbag!”

“Oh zuch language.” Dr. Von Doktor mocked. “Did zoze children teach your kind to zpeak like zat?”

Arnold snarled at this, forming fists and shaking them at his side. His body hunched, but unlike Howdy’s, this one was clearly the beginning of an attack. Arnold kicked the ground with his foot like a bull ready to charge. A part of Penny found it hard to believe that this was Arnold, the same one who had been pushed around by Helga and acted so timid. Judging from the expressions of the other zoners, they were just as shocked as well.

“This is for my sister!”

WIthout warning, Arnold charged towards Von. He lowered his head and looked as if he was about to headbutt him. Before he could complete his attack, however, Von side stepped him, letting the zoner run past. Arnold turned around and headed back towards him, only for Von to dodge yet again.

This happened a few times. Penny watched as time and again, Von sidestepped the zoner, escaping getting rammed by him. It was as though the man was just toying with him, as if he were some kind of bull in a bull fight. He hadn’t even attempted to hurt the zoner yet. He was just playing with him, like this was all some kind of game.

Penny widened her eyes and casted a glance at her friends. It seemed as though they had the same thought as her. The man...he was tiring out Arnold. If this kept up...

“Get out of the way!” Howdy shouted, cupping his hands to his mouth. “Before he...”

But by the time anyone said anything, it was too late.

Von, with a sneer on his face, stepped to the side one more time as Arnold, in a fit of rage, tried to attack him. This time, however, instead of letting teh zoner to run that far, Von instead struck down with the eraser. The object made contact, and as it did, Arnold let out a scream.

“Arnold!”

“Oh no...Arnold!”

“Please no!”

“Not another one!”

Penny stared in horror as the zoner fell to the ground in a heep. His body spasmed once and then went completely still. But unlike the other zoner, whom she could still see the corpse of, Arnold wasn’t dead. She could see his wide, terrified eyes looking around, his eyes silently begging for help. The eraser hadn’t killed him, but that didn’t make the event any less gruesome. Penny almost screamed at the sight of the wound of itself.

The eraser had slashed along his back, creating a deep gash that cut through his spinal cord. His legs were completely limp, resting useless on the ground. His arms and hands were pushing himself up, and he tried to look up at the man, but parts of his muscles in his lower half were paralyzed, preventing him from lifting himself up to look at his attacker. Von sneered at the zoner’s attempts and he pressed his foot against his back, pushing him down roughly.

“Oh you pitiful little zing... Can’t move your little legz?” Von said with a dark chuckle. Arnold let out a whimper at this and he tried to crawl away. Von responded by pressing his foot down harder. “Well here! Let me help you with zat!”

Several screams rang out in the room. The one of fear and terror from the zoners. The one of pain from Arnold. Penny, Rapsheeba, and Howdy, trying to stop Von from doing it. But they were too late. What Von did next was as swift as it was gruesome.

He had brought the eraser down towards the zoner again. This time, he struck the legs. He erased the knees on both legs, completely severing the lower halves of the legs. Immediately, there was an ocean of blood spilling out of the legs. Arnold let out screams of pain and panic as he struggled to get away. His face paled rapidly from the blood loss and he became limp, his thud seemingly louder with the echoes of screams and cries of horrors from the zoners.

“Zo fragile, you zonerz are. And yet you tried to come to my world and try to teach me a lezzon. I wonder, how many of you have actually zought ziz plan zrough?” Von’s taunting voice said, speaking over the horrored cries of the zoners. “Do any of you regret coming here now?”

Penny stared at the still form of Arnold, barely registering what the zoners were saying in response to Von. Her body trembled. Occasionally, she’d look at Rapsheeba and Snap in horror, silently asking them if this really, truly happened. They could only look at her sadly, just as shaken up as she was about this. Howdy was shedding tears of remorse while Rapsheeba kept her hands to her mouth, as if she were struggling not to scream or throw up.

It was difficult for Penny to take her eyes off of Arnold’s corpse for long. It was hard to believe that, just a few seconds ago, he had been alive. Paralyzed, but alive. Now he was just as lifeless as the other zoner was. His body rested in a pool of blood, as did the other zoner that Von had murdered heartlessly. Penny could feel tears form in her eyes. She couldn’t begin to imagine the pain that they must have been in when they passed on.

She shot a glare at Von. What did those zoners ever do to him to deserve this? She could probably count the first attack on Arnold as self defense, but cutting off his legs, definitely not. And impaling the female zoner? No way. He did both those things unprovoked. What a disgusting, vile man...

But they couldn’t stay here for much longer. They had to get out of here. But with Von...how were they going to get to the portal and get Blocky to safety...?

She turned to look over at the zoner. He was currently being held in the arms of a different zoner. The zoner was holding onto Blocky tightly and Penny winced, thinking that the zoner was handling him too roughly. But with the way Von was looking at him, she couldn’t blame the zoner for putting an extra grip on him.

“Ah...my tezt zubject...” Von cooed mockingly as he approached slowly, grinning. “I zee you are looking fine.”

Blocky whimpered and trembled as Von got closer. The zoner that held him pressed him against himself more tightly. Blocky winced in pain, but didn’t protest, and he pressed his face against him, as if hoping to hide from the man’s prying eyes. “Stay way from him...” The zoner threatened.

“Or what? You zink you can ztop me from getting that zcientific marvel? You better zink again...” Von said, his eyes narrowing. “I am not going to allow ziz dizcovery to zlip from me.” The zoner only narrowed his eyes further and took a step back. Von growled at this, but then suddenly smiled. “Of courze, you can take hiz plaze.”

“No! Leave him alone!” Penny called out. She couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t allow this man to continue to get away with this. “What have they ever done to you?!”

Dr. Von Doktor turned his gaze slowly to Penny. He locked eyes onto her for a few seconds before looking back at the zoner. “Nozing really. I juzt need to experiment more. Learn more about zem.”

Penny took a step forward, gesturing with her hand. “Can’t you see what you are doing?” She didn’t know why she was trying to argue with a madman. But still, she tried. “Can’t you see how wrong this is? Can’t you see that you are hurting sentient people?” She gazed at the dead zoners on the ground, biting her lip. “Those zoners you killed... They had been alive. They had hopes and dreams, and you took all of that away!” She shut her eyes, feeling a few tears form. “Don’t you feel any remorse?!”

Von was silent for a few moments. He then shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. “Not really. But zat iz zee harsh truz about zcience, Penny. Zometimez you need to alienate yourzelf in order to get zee bezt rezultz.”

Penny growled at this. She shook her head. “Science doesn’t mean abandoning your emotions!”

“But it iz about logic.” Von said, not bothering to look at her. “If I liztened to my emotionz, if all zcientiztz did zat, we wouldn’t have gotten zat far az a zociety.”

“If you want to learn about zoners, I’m sure there is a better why than trying to kill them! Please, why can’t you try to work out a more peaceful, sensible solution? I’m sure the zoners would have been more cooperative if you didn’t try to mistreat, hurt, and kill them!” Penny wailed. But she knew, in the end, it was all in vain. The man was not going to listen, no matter what she said.

“Tempting...but no. It iz better, and more rewarding, to get zee anzwerz yourzelf.” Von took a few more steps towards the zoner holding Blocky. “He haz provided me wiz quite a bit of answerz.” He took a moment to look at the zoners around him, a sneer spreading across his face. “I wonder what would happen if I were to put zem to zee tezt.”

The zoners, horrified, took a step back.

“What..?” Rapsheeba whispered.

“No...” Howdy said softly. “You can’t...!”

Penny didn’t say a word. She stared at the man in shock. Her eyes filled with horror as she realized the gravity of the man’s words. While she was not unaware of the experiments done on Blocky, she did not take the time to take into account what all of that meant. Not until now.

The man had gathered up a number of data regarding zoners. He had spent days with Blocky. Tormenting him, testing him, pushing his body to the limits... And in that time, he had gathered more information about zoners than any other adult human. Not even Vinnie or Terry had gotten this far. He knew how their bodies worked. He knew their weaknesses. And he had shown that with how he effortlessly killed three zoners using the same weapon. And that was just one thing. Who knows what else he knew? Who knows what else he could do to these zoners?

Penny had to do something to give the zoners a chance to escape. Where they could go, right now she couldn’t think of that. At the moment, what mattered was getting them away so that the man didn’t have time to attack anymore of them, or to showcase any more demonstrations of his knowledge of zoner anatomy, or whatever.

And she believed she knew how.

“Hey, Von!” Penny called out.

Dr. Von Doktor froze, his body jerking once as if in irritation. He turned his head to look behind him, towards Penny. His eyes were narrowed slightly and he looked irritated, as if he couldn’t believe Penny would dare interrupt him again. “What iz it? I already told you, I’m not...”

“I know. But I have a question for you.” Penny said, folding her arms against her chest. Her arrogant smile spread across her face. She knew what she was about to do was risky, and she hated to worry Rapsheeba, Howdy, and Blocky, but this was something that had to be done. There was no choice. “Why are you settling with just experimenting on the zoners? Aren’t you the least bit curious about how the magic chalk works?”

Dr. Von Doktor’s eyes twinkled at this. “Go on...”

Rapsheeba looked at Penny, grabbing onto her arm. “Penny, what are you doing?”

Penny looked at Rapsheeba with a solemn expression. This did little to comfort the singer zoner. She and Howdy kept calling out to Penny as she wrenched herself free and walked towards the deranged madman.

“Yes, I can see why you would regard zoners being such a scientific breakthrough. But you’re forgetting the magic chalk. A small, light, easy to carry contraption that can make loads of other items, almost anything you can imagine, in a breeze!” Penny held up her hand, turning it around and examining it. “And all it takes is a human creator to wield it.” She held her hand out. “None of the zoners can use it. But you and me, Dr. Von Doktor... We can.”

Von stared at Penny, his eyes widening slowly. Penny could detect some hints of realization in his eyes. She merely smiled at him, giving him something of a taunting, tempting look. It had the desired effect as the man smiled back, his eyes and smirk filled with not-so-hidden promises. “Why Penny... I didn’t know zat you had zuch a desire for...”

Suddenly, a loud sound rang through the air. High pitched and irritating, Penny had to grip her head, her teeth grinding. She dropped down onto her knees as the sound seemed to get louder, resonating on the walls. Everyone else around her, even Von, reacted negatively to the sound. Ears were covered, grunts were uttered, and a few of them begged for the sound to stop.

What was this horrible thing? It was like a screech, but it was distorted, and she thought she heard a ringing sound. She realized that it was some kind of horrible feedback, like from a mic that was malfuntioning. An intercom system? And the speakers on the walls were huge, making the sound that much more booming.

And then it got louder, and she thought she heard a pop and a bang. She let out a scream, feeling as though her eardrums had popped. Oh gawd, make it stop...

She soon became aware of more screaming, accompanied by a few shouts that she couldn’t discern and the sound of stampeding. With her teeth clenched tightly, she opened up one eye and looked around. She caught glimpses of the zoners running away, each bolting off in a different direction. All except the one holding Blocky, along with Rapsheeba and Howdy.

Before Penny could say a word, she suddenly felt a hand grip her by her throat. She was lifted off the ground and slammed against the wall. She opened her eyes and her gaze was soon met with an infuriated Dr. Von Doktor.

“Penny!” Howdy and Rapsheeba cried in unison.

“I don’t know how you did zat, girl...” Von said.

“B-But I didn’t...” Penny started to say.

Von ignored her statement. “...but I can forgive zat. I’m a very forgiving man.” He gestured to himself, and then motioned towards Penny with his free hand. “I would juzt experiment on you.” He trailed two fingers along her cheek. “But zat iz illegal. However...” He pushed his fingers against her chin. “No one zaid anyzing about you cooperating wiz me.”

Penny narrowed her eyes at the man. “I’d like to see you try.” She did her best to ignore the chill she got when the man twinkled his eyes. She prepared herself for whatever the man was going to throw at her.


	32. Hiddens

Hidden rooms are so cliche...and yet so affective.

sss

Rudy winced as his eardrums felt as though they were about to explode. He reached for the controls, trying desperately to turn the thing off. But how did he do it? What button did he press? Oh gawd, the noise... It was making it impossible for him to fully concentrate. It buzzed around in his head like an angry beehive, making it possible for him to truly think about what he was doing.

His hands flailed with the controls. He pulled on the levers, pressed the buttons, whatever he could. But he wasn’t able to do anything about the sound. Nothing he did was working, and the more he tried to work at this, the harder it became to do anything.

Soon, the sound got to him. He couldn’t take it any longer. He pounded against the machine, which did little to it. Not even a spark. He couldn’t try again, however, and all he could do was slip down to the ground. He dropped down onto his knees, his hands touching the floor. The horrible pain in his stomach increased tremendously, making him whimper loudly in pain. He remained like this for a few seconds, opening his mouth and panting. Then, seconds later, he dropped onto the ground.

He curled up into a ball. He covered his ears, trying to drown out the sound, even attempting to hum over it. But the pain in his stomach... More often than not, his humming became pained, briefly transforming into sobbing and whimpering than actual humming. He wanted to hold his stomach, but any time he moved his hands away from his ears, he was blasted by that horrible sound, prompting him to grab onto them again.

All he could do was lay there. He was being assaulted from more than one side. His stomach was ripped into with ease by that blasted doctor, and the dull constant pain washed over him. His ears felt like they would burst any second. The sound penetrated his skull, bouncing off the bony interior in rhythm to the washes of pain in his pain, originating from his stomach. It didn’t take a genius for him to realize that he was helpless. Trapped here, unable to move or get away, forced to endure this horrific sound.

What was he going to do? He couldn’t just lay here forever. But..how was he going to get away from it? His head, the dull ache, it was getting stronger. He felt like a migraine had invaded his head, forcing him to endure the horrific pain, forcing him to lay here like a sitting duck.

Raw fear swept through him as this realization struck him. He was out in the open. Nowhere to hide. If Von came in here, he would see him and he’d be free to do whatever he wanted to him. Von would know that Rudy had tampered with his equipment, and he knows that he would not be happy about it. Rudy could hear the echoes of this sound in the hallway, and he knew, from how loud and obnoxious it was, that he had to have disrupted the man’s plans to some extent.

He had no idea what the condition of his friends were right now. All he could do was hope for the best. They were smart and capable. He was certain they figured a way out of this.

But...what if they didn’t..? He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if that were the case. There was no way he’d go on with life without regrettin ghis actions. He wanted his friends to all be safe, and if any of them were lost... He had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to recover so well.

He had to get up. He had to get out of this room. He had to leave and go find the others. He had to help them in any way that he could. If he continued to stay here, and continued to just stair out into nothingness, or hung around in his head, he was not going to make anything better. He had to get to the others and fast. They might need his help. For all he knew, right now they were all held up at gun point and he was the only one who coud stop the scientist from doing the unthinkable.

He attempted to climb up to his feet again. Maybe if he moved quickly and covered up his ears, that would give him the opportunity that he needed. He pushed his feet on the ground, trying to get himself up. He could do this. He just had to try hard enough and...

He fell back down. He repeated this a few times, keeping his hands pressed against his head. He kept struggling to get up, his feet kicking out at the side, slipping along the hard surface. But any time he tried to get up, he ended up bending in such a way that caused him to lurch forward and fall down again. He would grab onto his stomach for a few seconds only for the blaring sound to penetrate his skull, prompting him to grab onto his head once more. After a few more tries, he gave up and he just laid there, his body shivering from pain.

How was he going to do this? He couldn’t get up onto his feet like this. The wound in his stomach prevented him from letting him make affective use of his legs. Not without bending in certain ways, which, unfortunately for him, meant that he was going to irritate his wound.

The only way he was going to be able to get up was if he...let go of his head and used his hands for help. But that wasn’t going to work either. It was hard enough trying to deal with the sound as it was now. But if he removed his hands from his head, even for a split second, it would send pain wracking through his head, nearly destroying his ear drums in the process.

So what was he going to do? There had to be someway he could get out of this room without causing himself more pain. He turned his head towards the door, gritting his teeth. It was still open. The hallways still looked empty. No shadows on the wall. No indication that he had been followed. The door way wasn’t even that far. If he could just make a run for it quickly, maybe he could get out without triggering too much pain for himself. But after what he had just experienced, somehow, he realized just how difficult this task was going to be.

He realized there was another option he could try. It wasn’t exactly the most well thought out idea he’s ever had, and in essense, someone might think that he was, well, stupid. But he had little other choice.

It was either this or he remained stuck in this room with the blairing siren that would not shut itself off. And he knows which he would rather choose.

The young boy, keeping his arms against his body, his hands pressed against his head, began to roll sideways on the ground. Such an act took more effort than he thought and each roll irritated his injury. But it was nowhere near as bad as trying to get up, so he was able to concentrate better. He kept rolling, inching his way closer and closer towards the door. Slowly, but surely, he made his way towards the door. It woudln’t take him long before he got outside.

He knew that he still wouldn’t be able to get up even in the hallway. The sound was still ringing off the walls there, too. It wasn’t as bad, but it was enough that he wouldn’t be able to uncover his ears for a while. All he could do was keep rolling and hope that Von doesn’t find him. But if Von does... Well, he will have to hope that he could get on his feet quick enough and run despite the sheering agony that would strike him in that moment.

He was soon in front of the door. He stopped for a moment and panted. His head felt swirly and muggy from all the rolling around. His muscles also ached and he felt a few sore spots in his shoulders. He needed a bit of time to rest and think about what he was going to do once he was out of the room.

He realized this was going to be a rather inefficient way of getting to his friends. He couldn’t believe how weak he was being. Blocky endured more pain than this, and yet he was acting as if this was the most debilitating thing that has ever happened to him. Yes, his stomach hurt. Yes his ears hurt. But right now, there were more important things at hand. He needed to grow a bit of a spine and get to the others before he was too late. All this rolling around... What good was it going to do him? All it was going to do was slow him down.

And time was not something he could afford to waste.

He jerked his body from side to side, trying to use as much strength as possible. From left to right he turned, each time going further, getting closer to his goal. Soon he was able to flip himself onto his stomach. He stifled the yelp of pain that wanted to push its way out of his throat. He rested there for a few seconds before he continued.

He struggled with his legs, trying to get them into the right position. He pressed his foot down at his side and he pushed himself up. Again, he felt the horrible sting in his stomach, but he fought against his tears and the urge to scream as he continued to climb up to his feet. He staggered forward, struggling to keep his balance.

Altough he made it up to his feet, he didn’t quite have his balance back yet. He ended up rushing forward quickly, rapidly bringing his feet forward as he struggled not to fall over. He let out an involuntary cry as he nearly crashed against the wall in the hallway. He kicked his feet in desperation, trying to ‘activate the brake’ before he hurt himself more. When he did manage to stop, he wobbled back a few steps before relaxing, letting out an immense sigh of relief. Wow..that had been so close...

Now that he was standing, he took a moment to turn his head and examine his surroundings. He didn’t see anyone in the hallway, but he knew that didn’t mean that he was in the clear just yet. He needed to choose a direction and head down, taking extreme care not to get spotted or make much noise.

Then again, with all these speakers around him, he knew that was going to be a problem. He snarled at the closest speaker, practically seeing the loud sounds just oozing out of it.

He couldn’t believe just how poorly this all turned out. He had botched up his chance to help his friends, potentially. Yeah he might have created a distraction but that wasn’t what he wanted, or hoped, to do in the first place. He wanted to send them a message, but as soon as he tried, that happened. He had no idea if this was the result of Von thinking much further ahead than he imagined, or just a stroke of bad luck. Either way, it resulted in this.

He stared down the right corridor. It seemed like a good enough place as any to go. He did need to back track after all, try to find where the others were and try to help them. He started to go down that way before he stopped and looked down the left. There was something...odd about it.

The left corridor did look like the right in every way... Except for one thing.

There was some kind of odd glow. Faint, but still there. And the corridor did appear darker for some reason. He stared at it, tilting his head in curiosity. He had to figure out what this was. Maybe there was something there that could help him and his friends.

Slowly, he began to move down the hallway. His hands still pressed against his ears his body still hunched, still limping from pain, he headed down the hallway carefully, doing his best not to get spotted. He didn’t see anyone down here, but that didn’t mean that Von wasn’t hiding somewhere, or had a hidden camera set up here or what.

And he could be lying about not having any other allies. Maybe he just said that so that they would lower their guard. He might have someone hidden in this hallway, ready to take him down at a moment’s notice. He was not going to give them that chance.

So far, though, he didn’t see anything unusual. At least, no cameras and no signs of anyone having been here. He saw that most of the lights were broken, which would explain why it was darker and why the glow was noticeable at all. At least one light was flickering, but it was faint and could hardly be seen. It would take Rudy a lot of concentration to truly notice all the flickers.

But the glow... It was still unusual. It didn’t seem like it was just a room with the lights all turned on. This seemed...different somehow. He just couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Then he saw it. A door that was partially open, and the light that came out of it. The glow. This room... It had to be it, right? He quicked his pace, moving in even closer, taking care of where he stepped. He entered the room slowly, moving the door open gently enough as to not trigger any possible trap. Even as he stepped in, he looked left and right, making sure there were no hostilities in here.

The room was mostly empty. He only saw a single table in here. It was overturned and appeared dusty. There was a strange smell in the room as well. Mostly dank, which fit in with the dust that covered much of this room, including the chalkboard that was on the wall, a green surface instead of a black one.

It took Rudy a little while, but there was something else in the room that he nearly missed. It was in the back, against the wall. He didn’t see it at first because of the darkness. Much of the room, especially in the back, was dark, making it hard to make out the details.

But there was something else. Something that was a bit hard to spot at first. But as he got closer, his eyes glued on the ground, he could see it. Just barely.

There was a light on the ground. A sliver that stretched along the ground, reaching the outside. This was what was causing the glow that he had noticed before. He stared at it, his eyes tracing it back to the thing in the corner. He began to move towards it slowly, cautiously, wondering what it was.

When he got close enough and his eyes adjusted, he could see that it was rectangular in shape, as well as flat, and hard. It looked as if it were split off at the sides, appearing almost like a primitive mouth, gaping, ready to bite someone’s head off. Well it would appear that way if it had rows of sharp teeth sticking out at the rims.

Rudy attempted to examine it further, but the horrible ringing sound, the pain in his head...oh this was going to be harder than he thought. How was he going to...

Then he realized something. There were no speakers in this room. Well mostly. He did see one. But it appeared part way ripped from the wall and just sort of dangled there. It swung slowly from side to side, hanging on by just a few wires. He turned his attention towards the door. If he could shut it, he could block out most of the sound and be able to walk....well less hindered than before.

He went back towards the door. Once he reached it, he lifted up his foot. Balancing on one leg, even just for a few seconds, without use of his arms for balance was a challenge. But he soon managed to kick the door shut, causing it to click shut. Rudy realized, with a twist of his heart, that he might have trapped himself in here. But for now, he needed to concentrate on investigating that glow. He went back over.

He reached out with his hands carefully, grabbing onto the item. It wobbled a little from his touch, and appeared to be pretty light. He walked around it partially, his eyes scanning it up and down. It looked like one of those things in school. He couldn’t remember the name of it, but he had usually seen them being used to punish students, or to give them somewhere somewhat private for study or doing work.

He frowned at this. Why would Dr. Von Doktor need something like this? Perhaps this was a training room? It was possible. But this seemed like an odd place to put it. It was practicallly against the wall. How would anyone get behind it?

His eyes widened in realization. He wondered...

Rudy grabbed the thing and pushed it out of the way. He let it drop onto the ground, ignoring the sound it made. Wasn’t like the scientist was going to hear that over the ringing that was still spreading through the building. His eyes locked onto that the thing had apparently been used to cover up.

There was some kind of door on the ground. A latch that reminded him of outdoor cellars. It even had those...metal things.. Gah, he can’t remember what they were called. But he’d recognize them anywhere; a family member of his had this at their farm.

The sight of this caused some confusion, but mostly shock. Why would this kind of door be here? It didn’t even fit in with everything around it. It wasn’t streamlined. It looked almost photoshopped in. The door was made out of dirty, chipped wood, which looked completely different from the surrounding area.

Rudy stared at it long and hard, wondering why it was here in the first place. He looked left and right, consciously wondering if he was being watched. His eyes soon returned to focus on the door. He knelt down, laying his hand on it. He shivered at the cold metal of the handle, and ran his hand along the door itself. It was definitely in bad shape and appeared as though it would fall apart any second. If he applied enough force, he could get it open.

He could see light coming out. There was a small crack in the door that allowed light to escape. But it wasn’t as bright as it initially appeared to be. It was like a failing light, one that was about to go out. While this didn’t tell him much, it was enough to convince him that this room was still in use for some reason. What was Dr. Von Doktor using this room for?

He soon realized that he wouldn’t need to force the door open. The latch appeared to still work. He grabbed onto it and pushed on it. He could hear cranking as it was pushed upward, and was secured away, granting him access to whatever was down there. He opened up the floor doors and peered inside.

The very first thing he noticed was a blackness. Shadowy, hard to tell what was down there. It didn’t take him long to find the steps. Small, squeaky, and again out of place. The light that he had seen before was coming from here. There was a single row of lights, most of them busted while the remaining were either flickering and about to go out, or were very dull and barely emitted any kind of light.

He lowered himself further, doing his best to ignore the pain in his stomach. He peered underneath, his eyes shifting from side to side as he tried to see what was down there. He didn’t see much outside of the tunnel leading quite a ways down.

He remained there for a few moments, trying to think of what the best move was. Should he go back and find his friends or should he investigate this? This was going to be a tough call.

On the one hand, this might lead him to something that could help in someway. Maybe there was something down here that could turn the tides for them all. Or maybe there was something here that would draw Von’s attention and he could force a deal out of him.

But then..it could also turn out to be a gigantic waste of time. Maybe he would end up ruining everything for himself and for his friends. He might screw things up pretty badly if he didn’t leave now to find the others. There might not be anything down here, and if Von found out he was here, he could have him arrested for trespassing, despite all that the man had done.

Rudy realized that he was going to need some time with this. He couldn’t just rush into this. He needed time to think. But..he also couldn’t waste too much time either. He didn’t have all day to make the decision. He could either leave this important discovery to find his friends...or he could take the chance and go in here, and maybe find something that could help.

The decision, however, was made for him.

Before he could think too much on what he was going to do, he heard some kind of sound coming from the tunnel. It was faint, kind of echoy, and it drew his attention. He stared at the tunnel, narrowing his eyes slightly. He moved down the steps, ignoring the creaking, doing his best to subside the pain, as he listened intently to the sound. When he got close enough, he stopped when he realized he recognized the sound.

It sound so much like Mrs. Sanchez. At this realization, he stopped, staring ahead in shock and horror. His mind raced, trying to make sense of this.

“Mrs. Sanchez...?” He whispered softly.

What was Penny’s mom doing here? He..he must be mishearing this. Maybe it was something else. Maybe he... But the sounds.. He couldn’t get them out of his head. It was moaning and groaning, and he thought he heard some screaming and crying. He couldn’t tell if she was trying to speak, he could not make out any words she might be trying to say, but he could hear the inflexion on her voice. He could hear just how terrified she sounded, how fear filled she was, how she wanted to get out.

Rudy felt his heart pound against his chest. His mind flashed back to Dr. Von Doktor. He had said that he let Mrs. Sanchez go. He had ‘confirmed’ to them that he kept his end of the bargain, and released her so she wouldn’t be tormented further. And now he was hearing something that confirmed for him that this had all been a lie.

Why was the man keeping her here? Why hadn’t he let her go? What purpose does she serve to him? Maybe he was keeping her as a bargaining chip just in case? But then..why down here? And why was she in pain?

Rudy narrowed his eyes. He had to go down this tunnel and see for himself what was going on. Without further delay, he continued down the tunnel, treading carefully, lightly.

The first thing Rudy took notice of was how the walls were quite uneven, as if the whole place was just dug out with cheap equipment. The walls themselves were made of twisted metal and other stuff. He could see bits and pieces laying at the sides, danging there all useless. The hole itself was circular, like he were in an underground cavern. But he knew that wasn’t right. He was on a higher level. So this place, it was somehow wedged in the structure of the building. But how did this man manage this?

That was just one of many questions that swept through his head. Another one, just as prominent, was the question of what the smell was. It was even stronger now as he headed down the tunnel. He felt a sense of nausea, but thankfully, it wasn’t very strong and he was able to handle himself pretty well.

The tunnel was a little longer than he thought it was going to be. But he did soon reach the end. He stopped and staired in confusion at the sight. How was this even possible to maintain in a building without causing severe stability issue? Was this a testament to how smart Von was? Or one of the many ways indicating how insane he truly was?

There was some kind of... well husk wasn’t the word he’d use, but that was the closest thing to describe it. It was kinda round mostly, but still retained a kind of squarish look. It was wedged between two floors, the mesh of the building encircling around it, except for the path he was in, that is. It was isolated away from everything else, and looked large enough to be able to house multiple individuals.

He noticed there was a door. Just like the one he came in before, this was wooden and old, making him wonder if this was part of a lost floor level, although he couldn’t grasp his mind how this was possible. Then again, it had been a while since he had been here and...

No, it was still strange. He hadn’t been gone that long. This just felt so...off.

He pressed on, moving towards the door. He could still hear the woman’s cries on the other side. And now that he was close enough, he could hear what she had been saying.

“Someone! Please! Help me! I-I don’t now how long I can...” Then a scream and a thud.

Rudy’s eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. He ran towards the door, covering the remaining ground in seconds. As soon as he reached it, he grabbed onto the doorknob and turned it. He pushed it open quickly and stepped into the room...

..only to coil back when he nearly stepped over the edge. There was very little ledge here, not much room to move around. He noticed the ledge was narrow but still long, and when he noticed, along the side, there was a ladder laying there. It was pushed against the wall as far as it could go, as if to prevent usage from...

“Is someone there?”

Rudy turned his head at that voice. Now that he could hear it even clearer, no longer garbled by the walls or anything, he could definitely confirm its owner.

Slowly approaching the edge, he said cautiously, “M-Mrs. Sanchez? Are you...”

“Rudy?” Mrs. Sanchez called out. “Is that you..?”

Rudy peered over the edge. It was a little hard to see her, but there was no mistaking her. Even in this weak light, he could tell who it was. “Yeah..it’s me.”

Mrs. Sanchez let out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank goodness!” She placed a hand against her chest, a shaky smile spreading across her face. “I-I had no idea if I...” She stopped herself, flinching in pain. “Oh gawd... The pain...”

Rudy took a moment to look at the room he was in. The smell had gotten even stronger now. It was almost overpowering, and he found himself covering his mouth, trying to cope with it. That’s when he noticed there was something coming into the room. He could hear something wet and sloshy. Water? What was water doing in here? But wait... water doesn’t supposed to have a strong smell... What was...

“What you’re smelling is a dangerous chemical.” Mrs. Sanchez wheezed, holding her chest tightly. Rudy looked down at her, wide-eyed. “Something is pumping it into this room. I tried to get out.. I ended up getting hit by it. It hurts... It didn’t always smell this bad, but now as more of it is getting in, it’s...” She stopped and held her nose.

Rudy didn’t need her to finish to know what she was going to say. The smell was making her sick. There was no way he could argue with that; he could feel his own headache coming on.

“We need to get out of here...” Mrs. Sanchez wheezed. “B-Before we...”

“Don’t worry.” Rudy said, interrupting her. “I’ll do what I can.” He looked towards the ladder. Before he grabbed onto it, he turned his head back to Mrs. Sanchez. “How did you get here?”

Mrs. Sanchez shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I just woke up here, and...” Her eyes widened in terror. “Someone is trying to kill me...”

Rudy’s heart clenched at this. He realized just how much of a liar that filthy man truly was. He never intended on setting Mrs. Sanchez free. He was going to kill her. Why, he wasn’t sure. Maybe he felt she had seen too much?

But he sure picked the perfect spot to annihilate her in. A hidden floor with no obvious way in. How clever.... Of course, this may not have been too much of a deterrent as someone with the right equipment could find this...which made Rudy realize why this man went with this chemical. He..he must be trying to ‘destroy the evidence’...

Not wanting to waste more time, Rudy shook his head to recollect his thoughts, and he grabbed onto the ladder. He pushed it over, listening to it outstretch itself and clang against the ground. He made a few quick gestures with his hand, trying to get the woman to move.

“Come on!” Rudy cried. “Get up!”

Mrs. Sanchez’s eyes flickered in relief when she saw the ladder. She looked behind her, the expression briefly flickering back to horror as she saw the rising chemical. She then moved towards the ladder as quickly as she could and began to climb up it.

“The bastard who did this must have some kind of pipe connected in here. I don’t know why he..or she...would do this. I..”

Rudy realized that Mrs. Sanchez was still disoriented from being knocked out. He decided to fill her in as she continued her ascension of the ladder. “Dr. Von Doktor did this to you. I suspect that he wanted to get rid of witnesses or something.”

Mrs. Sanchez gasped at this. “Dr. Von Doktor...?”

Rudy nodded his head. “I’m afraid so.” He turned his head to the side, grimacing. “He’s been a thorn in our side lately. I’m..not sure how much you remember.”

“I...” Suddenly, something caught the woman’s eye. She stared at Rudy in confusion and concern. “What’s..what’s wrong with you?”

Rudy was confused at first. He wasn’t sure what the woman could be referring to. He then realized that she must have seen his flinch of pain. Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to hide much for her, since she was a doctor, he decided to give her a very brief rundown. “Dr. Von Doktor stuck something through me.”

“What?!” Mrs. Sanchez’s eyes skimmed down Rudy’s body, and then she spotted it. “Oh no... We need to get that looked at.” Her face paled slightly. “I-Is that a rusty nail...?”

Rudy flinched and nodded his head. “Y-Yes.”

It took only seconds later for Mrs. Sanchez to reach the top. Now that he could see her, he noticed how her clothes were slightly tattered, likely from her futile attempts to climb out of here. There were several chemical burns on her body, and he thought he saw a bit of bleeding in a few places. The woman’s expression, in midst of the horror and shock, did not hide any of the pain she was feeling right now. Rudy hoped that the chemical burns did not cause too much damage.

Mrs. Sanchez approached him, staring at the nail. “Here...let me look at...”

“No.” Rudy raised his hand up. The woman stared at him in shock and confusion. “Sorry, but we need to get out of here. There’s a situation and Penny...”

Mrs. Sanchez widened her eyes in horror. “Is she okay?”

Rudy bit his lip. “I’m not sure... But I have a strong feeling that, unless we get there quickly, she isn’t going to be.”

The vet stared at the boy in silence and horror. Soon she narrowed her eyes. “Then let’s get going.”

sss

“Zat blazted noize...” Dr. Von Doktor hissed softly, holding a hand against his head. “At leazt here, it’z not az loud. Oh my head...” He shut his eyes tightly and rubbed his hand against the side of his face. “I’m going to need zome medizine zoon. Zuch a migraine.”

“Serves you right.” Penny said bitterly, glaring at the man.

Von shot the girl a look. He didn’t say a word. He simply gave her a warning look, letting her know that she should keep her mouth shut if she wanted to continue to remain unharmed. The girl appeared to listen, but that didn’t stop her from frowning at him like he was the devil or something.

Well perhaps to the unenlightened and those like these two brats, then yes, he was the devil. But to anyone with actual knowledge, then all he was...just a mere man who had made a discovery and he wanted to learn more. That’s all. Was that so wrong?

He honestly never thought he’d see the day when he would have a human test subject. That wasn’t something he had ever intended. Well okay, so this wasn’t the exact same as a test subject. More like cooperation. However at the moment, he did have Penny cuffed up and secured, and he did have something hooked up to her arm. So it kind of counted. Just cooperation, right? Not a lowly test subject.

Anyone who came in here would be reassured that she had volunteered for this, and he was only monitoring. Nothing more, nothing less. He just wanted to see how well certain things were functioning during the magic chalk usage. That didn’t count as....

Oh who was he kidding? This was test subject material. The main difference was that he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize Penny’s life. With what he wanted to do, it would be a rather simple task and wouldn’t take that long. But in the end, regardless of how little pain she would experience, regardless of how quick and simple this was going to be, Penny was still his current test subject.

For a moment, he wondered if he should be horrified. He had never dreamed of such a prospect before, and he wondered just how legal this was. What would happen if he were caught?

He quickly shoved those thoughts aside. He smiled inwardly, reminding himself that Penny volunteered for this. If anything happened, she had herself to blame. After all, she would have resisted and said no, but instead, she gave herself up to him in order to protect her friends. A trade-off: he let the zoners go and Penny would go with him willingly. Seemed relatively fair.

He had a thought up his sleeve, however. A way of getting more of what he wanted. But for now, he would keep that thought aside. He kept his attention on the glaring girl, smiling at her meek attempts at a struggle. The machine was uncomfortable for her. Oh well. She can suck it up.

“It would be very interzting to finally know what activatez zee magic chalk.” Von said coolly as he walked around Penny. He circled her a few times, eyeing her up and down almost like a predator. “Onze I find out, I can try to replicate zee rezultz and use zat to manufacture my own magic chalk.” He chuckled. “Zeemz like a perfect trade off, am I right, Penny?”

“Go suck on a rock.” Penny hissed at him, turning her head away.

Von would have commented on that, but he decided to pretend he didn’t hear it. There were more important matters at hand, and his feelings weren’t exactly one of them.

He shifted his gaze around Penny, taking note of her current situation. The girl had been forced down into a metal chair, smoothly cut with some rounded edges, like on the arms of the chair, but also some sharp points like on the back of it, where Penny leaned. Attached to it was some metal bars, with bent sideways, and then up. Attached to the front was a flat monitor. Right now, its screen was black, but the flickering light indicated that it was indeed turned on; it just had no feed right now. The wires that had been hooked into Penny, wrapping around mostly her right arm, would provide that information once they got started.

He hoped that this machine would give him clues to how the chalk worked. Perhaps if he saw the way the muscles and tendons moved as she wielded the chalk, he could understand the activation mechanism and use that, combined with a deep analysis of the magic chalk itself, to create his own. He smiled at the thought of that.

Oh sure, Terry Bouffant did talk about how he could simply make a trip into ChalkZone and grab some. That was where the boy got the chalk, he was certain. But...why waste time doing that if he could make his own? If he could create the magic chalk, he could modify it, change it, had specific features to it, and then sell it. He wouldn’t need to worry about making trips in and out of that world. And best of all, if Rudy and his friends manage to kick him out of ChalkZone, he would still have magic chalk he could use to get back on, and still manufacture them even without the use of a trip into the chalk world itself. It was fool proof.

His eyes trailed along Penny’s body, focusing on her hand and wrist. If he weren’t used to seeing needles and such, the sight of Penny’s wrist being penetrated by multiple needles would have bothered him. He simply brushed it off, moving his eyes towards the magic chalk he had given her for the experiment, and then his eyes moved towards the monitor itself. He then turned his gaze to face Penny directly.

“Are you comfortable?” He asked in an almost sarcastic tone.

Penny tugged on her left arm. She glared at the man, showing no signs of fear. Just anger and annoyance. “What do you think?” She spat. “Why don’t you just get started? Get this over with!”

Dr. Von Doktor smirked at this. “You’d like zat, wouldn’t you? But you know...I zink I will prolong ziz a little.” He placed his hand against his chin, tilting his head to one side, his smile growing bigger. “I juzt want to...zavor ziz moment a little while longer.”

Penny stared at him in confusion, her frown still intermixed with anger. “Why? You already have me cuffed down! I can’t go anywhere! You’re free to learn whatever you want! I can’t even let go of the chalk!”

Von glanced down at Penny’s hand. He took note of the rope he tied around the fingers to ensure they would remain a gripping hold on the magic chalk. He just continued to smile as he lifted his gaze and stared back at Penny.

“Why are you wasting time? For all you know, Rudy could be on his way down here to help me!” Penny called out to him.

Von shook his head slowly. The girl obviously didn’t get it, did she? Oh that’s right, she didn’t know what he did to Rudy, did she? Yeah... She was still unaware about that little detail. He hadn’t exactly told her yet. Maybe he should...fix that.

No, not now. He would find the time. He just wanted to prolong this a little. This was one of the two brats that ruined everything for him all those months ago. He wanted to take some time to ensure that she suffered for it. Sure, before he didn’t want to waste that much time on revenge, and focus on getting information so he could redeem himself. But now that he was here, now that he had Penny trapped, he deserved a bit of that, right? A little ‘reward’ for himself.

“I wonder how you muzt be feeling right now, Penny. Trapped? Defenzelezz? Ztupid? Wishing you had zought of anozer way?” Von asked in a taunting voice. He reached out and grabbed Penny’s chin. “Zis all would never have happened if you and your friend hadn’t intervened wiz me back when...”

Penny opened her mouth and tried to bite him. Slightly alarmed, the man yanked his hand back. He looked down and examined his hand, making sure that the girl didn’t even graze it. He glared softly back at her. Quite a bold move, considering her position. Nonetheless, he couldn’t allow that to happen again.

“Do zat again, and I will make sure you will regret it.” Von warned her.

“Oh please! Do you really think that I believe you? I know you woud hesitate to actually seriously harm me, because you know what would happen if you dare try! You can’t frighten me with false threats!” Penny shouted at him. She glared at him in the eyes, and he could feel the intensity of her emotions quite well. He remained quiet, listening to her continue to rant at him. “Besides, you are just a lyre bird, always repeating the same thing over and over. Are you seriously still on that subject of what happened months ago? Are you still angry about that? Get over it! It was your fault for..”

Von, feeling his blood start to boil over, did something he never thought he would do, especially to a child.

He punched Penny.

The resounding sound of his fist colliding with her jaw practically echoed in the room. Her head was tossed back roughly and she let out a cry of pain. The whiplash was so bad that he almost thought that she would have some form of brain trauma from this.

Fortunately that didn’t seem to be the case. The girl looked over at him, her eyes filled with pain and shock of the attack. Von glared down at her, his lip curled back into a snarl. His breathing was in the form of seething through his teeth, which were clenched tightly. His fist remained raised, and it tightened as he lifted it up slightly, a silent threat.

“How dare you... I told you two bratz what I had been zrough, why I have every right to zeek juztize against you two. You ztill dare tell me zat it was my fault?” Von snarled.

“W-Well..if you didn’t...” Penny tried to say.

Although it was against Von’s better judgment, he punched Penny again, this time making her head toss to the other side. He then grabbed her head and yanked it back, pulling on her scalp. She let out a cry of pain in the process, her eyes clinching shut tightly.

“Don’t you dare try to tell me it waz my fault! All I did waz try to share a dizcovery wiz zee world! It waz you and your friend who refuzed to cooperate! It waz you two whoze selfishnezz caused me to lose almozt everyzing zat day! If it weren’t for you two, I would have been hailed az one of the greatezt dizcovererz of all time! Who knows where society could have been going if your ztupid friend had actually done zee right thing and shared the knowledge inztead of hogging it like a zelfish brat zat he is! But then, you two are juzt ten years old, so what should I expect from you two? Too young, naive, and ztupid to know or care about anyone but yourzelvez!”

He pulled Penny’s hair even tighter, bringing out another cry of pain from her. He put his face close to hers. The girl flinched, feeling his hot breath against her face.

Von snarled, “Zo don’t you dare try to pin the blame on me. I did nozing wrong. I don’t want to have to repeat myself.” His eyes narrowed further. “Do you underztand?”

At first, Penny was quiet. She merely looked at him with widened eyes and clenched teeth. He couldn’t tell if she was truly afraid of him or if he was just confusing the heck out of her. Though there was at least some apprehension, her eyes looking at the fist that he still had formed in his other hand. So there was at least that.

He hoped the girl would learn her lesson. He hoped that she would realize that she was the one who was pushing blame onto others. What the heck had he done wrong back then? He had a warrant. He wasn’t hurting Rudy. He wasn’t trying to unleash some diabolical scheme. He just wanted to share a discovery with the world. It was Rudy was uncooperative. It was he and Penny who came up with that horrid plan that ruined everything about him.

It was their fault that he was such a mess. It was their felt that he had to endure taunt after taunt for months since the incident. It was their fault he lost his staff and reputation. And it was most certainly their fault that he had been forced to do this. If they had been cooperative from the start, none of this would have happened. Well what could he expect from a couple of selfish brats?

Well he did waste enough time chatting with the girl. It was now time to get started with the experiment. A part of him wanted to kick himself in the head for wasting so much time, but the other simply didn’t care. Penny needed to be put back in line before she did anything she would regret.

Well time to get started. He knew it was best to do it now before the ringing in the hallways, which still went on and on, drove him insane. The dull ache would...distract him from his work.

The first thing he did was make sure that the girl could move her hand enough to make affective strokes. There was nothing in front of her. He figured it was not necessary. Surely the magic chalk would register it was being used, and the results would show up on the monitor.

After he made sure of that, he walked around and doublechecked the equipment. He didn’t want there to be a malfunction during this. That would not be all that...pleasant, to say the least. He checked the wires as well, making sure they were hooked up properly and in no change of being popped loose.

He then walked out towards Penny’s front. He positioned himself in front of her. He narrowed his eyes, looking at her up and down. He noted her expression. There was some fear, but the girl was back to glaring at him. He noticed slight bruises where she had been punched. Just more injuries to add to the others. He let his eyes trail along her body, looking at the bandages. He wondered what happened to her, but he soon shrugged it off. What caused those injuries weren’t important. So long as she could still use the magic chalk, that was all that mattered.

“Okay now, Penny...” Von swung around behind her swiftly. He positioned himself directly behind her, standing very close. He placed his hand on her shoulder gently, his eyes staring intently at the monitor. “Begin.”

sss

Millie watched as her husband paced back and forth in front of her and her sister. She had never seen him this worked up before. She had tried to settle him down, but nothing she said would get through to him. He would just keep pacing back and forth. It was to the point where she thought that he was going to leave an indention in the ground.

He had been at this for a while. His arms remained folded behind his back as he walked to and fro. The frown on his face indicated just how deep in thought he was. Occassionally, he’d look over at them, but then, just when they would think he’d speak, he’d turn away and continue his pacing.

She had never seen him this worked up before. She recalled how it was usually her, and not her husband, who’d be fidgeting and being worried, while her husband would be the one trying to be reasonable and calm. Now the roles had reversed. Now it was her trying to calm down her husbadn, although nothing she said had really done much. If anything, it seemed to just make his worrying even worse.

Biting her lip, Millie said, “Joe...can you please settle down? I’m sure everything will be fine.”

Joe turned his head towards her. He narrowed his eyes softly. She flinched. She could see the reflection of immense concern in those eyes. More than she thought she’d ever see from him. “Millie, they didn’t answer the phone.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Tilly said. She kept Sophie on her knees, an arm slung over her. “Maybe they’re just busy.” She held her hand out in gesture. “Rudy and Penny did have a nasty fight. Maybe it’s just taking longer than usual to make amends.”

Joe narrowed his eyes at this. He then turned his head and faced down. “That is possible... But I’m not so sure.” He turned his head away, staring out into the distance. He sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. “Something just doesn’t feel right.”

Millie didn’t know what she could say to that. How could she comfort her husband when she herself wasn’t so sure of the situation? She wanted to stay positive and did a good job of it. She had gotten the call from Penny’s mother, so it wasn’t like she didn’t know where Rudy was. Inez was a diligent mother, and a very responsible person. She wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her daughter, or to Rudy.

But she couldn’t lie to herself and ignore the fact that she felt a little worried as well. When Joe made the call earlier and no one answered, they had assumed that they just couldn’t get to the phone in time. But five calls later and still no answer... What was going on?

“Maybe she decided to take them to the store?” Millie found herself suggesting hopefully.

Joe frowned thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “Well, that’s also a possibility.” He shook his head once. “But still, wouldn’t she have called to inform us?”

“Probably not. I don’t see why she would feel the need to tell us, unless she thought were going to come over.” Tilly said.

On her lap, Sophie wriggled around a little. Millie watched as her sister held onto the girl more tightly. “Rudy...?” At this, Millie felt her heart tighten. Poor Sophie... She must miss Rudy.

Tilly pressed her daughter against herself. She stroked her hair gently and whispered, “Shh... Settle down, Sophie. You’ll see Rudy again soon.” She paused for a moment, sucking on her lip. “I-I promise.”

Millie couldn’t help but flinch at the crack in the woman’s voice. She wondered if Tilly felt some ounce of guilt over Rudy’s disappearance. The idea was ludicrous, and she hoped it wasn’t true. But at the same time, it wouldn’t surprise her; if Rudy and the others were indeed missing, they would all feel guilty, and then waste their time wondering ‘what if’...

Millie hoped to avoid that as much as possible. Wondering what could have been would only be a waste of time. If her son was in danger, then the best thing to do was take action. Inform the police and make phonecalls and hope that someone had information on where they were, hoping that someone would have seen them. Taking a trip to Inez’s house would come first, of course, to see if they were indeed there. She didn’t want to have them go through all this and it turned out they were at home all along.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. She hoped she was wrong about this. She hoped that Rudy wouldn’t do such a thing. But what if he did? What if he went and...

She tried to shake the thought out of her head, but it was useless. There was nothing she could do. Now she felt her heart twisting and tightening at the thought of Rudy doing the one thing that he had been forbidden to do. Despite precautions being in place, something could still happen. Rudy was smart. He could have found a work around, she was certain.

She glanced over at her sister, licking her lip nervously. Her sister caughter stare, and she furrowed her eyes with concern. Millie then looked over at Joe, who was still pacing around worriedly.

“J-Joe..?” The man stopped and looked down at Millie. “Do you..do you think that Rudy...snuck away to get a chalkboard?”

Joe froze at this. He stared at her, disbelievingly. “But..Rudy’s always been good at following the rules. Why would he...?”

“You know how he can get sometimes, Joe.” Millie recalled how Rudy acted the times that he had gotten really upset. Despite Rudy’s civil nature most of the time, the large woman had to remember that Rudy was still a child, a little boy. He was still prone to outbursts and reckless actions. “And you know how much he loves his art.” Indeed, Rudy spent hours drawing at a time. “He probably tried to sneak a chalkboard in despite there being a five day limitation, and maybe Inez and Penny are trying to find him and that’s why they aren’t home.”

Silence fell upon the room, except for the occassional ‘Rudy’ from Sophie. Millie flinched slightly from the way her husband was looking at her. She wanted to say something more, but she felt that she had said enough. Whether or not her husband believed her, it was up to him.

But regardless of what he says, she still thought this was a possibility. Rudy knew his way around town well enough and he had walked alone there a few times without problem, sometimes accompanied by Penny. Their neighborhood was relatively safe, so no one bat an eye on the subject of two kids walking in town alone. There’s even been a few times where Rudy walked to school on his own. It wasn’t like Plainsville was as big as, say, New York City.

It was possible that Rudy felt gipped about not being able to use his chalkboard for a few days, and left to get another one that he could sneak with. Why he didn’t just use the portale one that he was still allowed to use, she wasn’t sure unless he wanted to draw something really big and he needed all of that space for the drawing itself. Sometimes artists just want something bigger to have ample space to draw whatever they want.

It was possible that Rudy left, and Inez realized he was gone and she and Penny left in a hurry, without bothering to try to grab her cell phone in the process. Although she realized, they hadn’t tried that yet...

Her eyes wide in realization at this realization, she said, “Have you tried her cellphone, Joe?”

Her husband stared at her for a few seconds. He then raised his shoulders up in a shrug and shook his head. “No, I haven’t. I guess I just..didn’t think about it.”

Millie pointed her finger at her husand. “Well try it. Let us know if you get anything.”

“I’m on it.” Joe stopped his pacing as he went towarsd the phone.

Millie and her sister watched in silence. They gave each other a concerned expression. Neither of them knew what this phone call was going to lead to. Neither them had any idea what to expect. All they could do was sit here and hope that the man’s call was going to lead to something better. Maybe he would get a hold of the woman and they could find out what was going on.

Millie hoped so. She wanted to believe that everything was fine. She wanted to believe that her son just took off to get a chalkboard, or that they were at the store looking around, or what. This...this couldn’t be that serious. It...

Millie felt her heart freeze, hearing her sister give a gasp of horror, when, after a few minutes, Joe returned to them, a solemn look on his face. He shook his head slowly and the woman felt as though her world came crashing down.

“I couldn’t get a hold of them. The cell phone is turned off.” Joe said regretfully.

“What?” Tilly said, her eyes wide in shock as she struggled to keep herself from dropping Sophie.

“No...” Millie whispered. This could only mean one thing.

Rudy, along with Penny and Inez, they were...missing.


	33. Fails

I already told you, I can always shift things into my favor.

sss

“I’m going to lift your leg up now, Ms. Bouffant. I need to check to see how well the swelling has gone down.” The doctor said.

Terry clinched her eyes shut, despite the fac that she couldn’t really see anything right now, and waited. She could feel a pair of hands on her leg. Cool and smooth... He was now wearing gloves, no doubt. And if he wasn’t, she wanted another doctor.

Her leg was slowly lifted up. Not too high. Just enough for the man to slip his fingers underneath and steady it. Two or three fingers were wrapped firmly at the ankle, providing support for her leg. She then could feel the doctor’s hands gently move around the leg itself, up and down, trailing his fingers along, examining the leg.

As he did this, the woman’s thoughts trailed off. She couldn’t believe this had happened to her. How could this have happened to her? What did she do to deserve this? Sure she had gotten all in people’s faces before, but that was normal for her. No one appeared to have a problem wiith it before. At least... No one had tried to hurt her this badly before.

Her mind was still muggy. She had little recollection of what happened recently. For all she knew, she was attacked by the tooth fairy.

Not that she would ever remotely believe that had anything to do with what happened. No, that was ridiculous. She hardly found any humor in the comment; what happened to her was not funny. Her body was wracked in pain and she had no idea exactly why.

Some memories had returned, but they weren’t enough to fully understand what had happened to her. The very last thing she remembered before she woke up in the hospital was meeting Dr. Von Doktor in a room. But she couldn’t remember what room, why she was going, or anything. She wasn’t sure if that had anything to do with what happened to her, or if something else happened entirely.

Her memory of what happened lately, mostly of the very recent past, were spotty. She remembered some comments and phrases, and some partial pieces of familiar emotion that she must have felt. But outside of that, not really too much. The recent past was largely a blank, an empty slate that her brain was struggling to fill in.

The doctors mentioned something about her being injected with something. A chemical that would have altered her ability to remember. Or rather, they assume that’s what happened. The blood results wouldn’t be bad this quick. If that is what happened to her, then...

The doctor’s voice cut her off. “Everything seems to be fine. At least...as much as they could be.” The doctor said, his voice was stern. She imagined, judging from the tone of his voice, that he was likely frowning thoughtfully at her. “The swelling has improved, but it is still present. It may take a few days before it completely heals. Until then...” He turned his eyes towards hers. Or at least, that’s what she imagined was going on.

Terry nodded her head shakingly, still unable to come to terms with what happened to her. “Yea..I understand...” Her voice trailed off and she let out an inaudible sob. Oh the pain... How long was she going to have to endure this?

The doctor’s voice came again. This time, while it was still stern, there was a gentler tone this time. One that suggested a hint of compassion or concern. She nearly jolted in surprise when he felt his hand on her face, near her eyes. She wanted to say something, but she was too stunned to do anything. This man hadn’t touched her here before. And it had her worried. He must be doing it because...

Then came the news she knew she was going to get. Despite that, it didn’t make the blow any easier.

“Your leg should heal fine. You might find it difficult to walk for a while, but the swelling is mostly gone. I imagine it should take a couple weeks for you to fully heal. However...” Terry clenched her teeth at this. She waited for the doctor to continue, to deliver the bad news and just get this over with. “Your eyes are a different story...” The man fell silent.

Terry didn’t handle the silence well for very long. She could feel her heart rate increasing, adrenaline pumping through her body. She could only begin to imagine all kinds of scenarios that may prove the case with her. Despite not be able to see, she kept her gaze towards the last direction she had heard the man’s voice in. The bandages prevented her from actually opening her yes all the way, but considering what happened, a part of her was grateful.

“How...how bad is it..?” The woman managed to squeak out.

“Well... there’s good news and bad news.” The doctor said. He moved his finger towards one of her eyes. He applied a bit of pressure, as if t olet Terry know which eye he was indicating. “This eye right here should be fine. There are some chemical burns, but those are treatable. This eye just needs some time to rest. I’d give it about a month and it’ll be mostly healed right up.”

“And the other?” The woman asked apprehensively.

The doctor gave a sigh. Not one of anger or frustration, but instead, it was of sadness and uncertainty. Terry wasn’t liking where this was going. “One of your eyes sustained more damage. And...to put it simply, we can say with the most utmost confidence that this eye...it may never work again...”

Terry felt her heart skip a beat this. She waited in silence, hoping she would hear more from the doctor. Maybe a backtrack and an apology and the truth. But none of that happened, and she realized, that it would never happen. She was forced to sit there in silence, her mind reeling from this shocking discovery.

It felt as though the whole world had frozen around her. She could hardly move, could hardly breathe. Her mind barely could get any thoughts through. The only thing that she could hear was the message being repeated over and over again.

Her eye might not work again. That hit her like a train wreck. She thought she felt herself being physically slapped when the doctor delivered that terrible news. Just when she thought she didn’t have anything else to worry about, just when she thought it couldn’t be any worse, this happened. True, she may not be blind permanently, but the idea of losing one eye to...whatever had happened to her... So sudden... She wasn’t sure how something like this could happen to her and without warning.

She felt her heart sting, anger swelling up inside her chest. How could something like this happen to her? What did she do to deserve this? At worst, she could see herself getting a slap on the wrist, but she had never done anything bad enough to another person that they would relaliate like this. It was...unbelievable.

She formed a fist with her hand. She tried her best to keep herself calm. She tried not to lash out at the doctor for the horrible news. After all, it wasn’t his fault. It...

...wait, yes it was. He was the doctor. He should have been able to take care of her. He should have been able to keep her eye from losing its sight. Why didn’t he try harder? Why didn’t he put all his effort into saving that eye? Isn’t that the doctor’s job? To ensure full recoveries? How could he not live up to his job description? She found herself glaring in the direction she thougth the doctor was in, remaining silent.

“Whoa there...” The doctor’s voice called out. Cautionary and hesitant; he was trying to settle her down. She snarled at this. “No need to get angry at me. I did my best. We all did. But Ms. Bouffant... You must understand that treating chemical injuries, especially in the eyes, can be quite a difficult job. You were lucky that the damage was as minimal as it was. You could easily have been fully blinded, or suffer something more devastating than being blind.”

Terry narrowed her eyes at this. She kept her head in the same position, her gaze towards the same location. She didn’t know if she was really looking at the guy or not, but right now, she didn’t care. All that she really wanted was to express her utter disappointment over his lackluster effort to help her.

But she realized that she couldn’t put all the blame on him. There was someone else that was worthy of her attention. Someone who had a bigger role in what had happened to her.

The person who had attacked her.

Terry could feel her anger increase at the thought of that person, nearly turning into boiling rage. Her desire for revenge had returned, but this time, it wasn’t geared towards those two brats. At the moment, she didn’t care about them. They can run off, foiling Dr. Von Doktor’s plans all they wanted to. It didn’t matter to her right now. For now, all her vengeful desires belonged to the person who had done this to her. As soon as she found out who it was...

She hoped that they would get prepared soon. They would not escape her justice seeking. They would have nowhere to hide. She would see to it that they end up locked in prison where they belonged. They would learn to regret ever messing with her.

And then she could turn her attention back to Rudy and Penny, and to ChalkZone.

After a long, tense silence, Terry finally spoke up. “Where are you in the investigation?”

“Come again?” Asked the doctor.

“Did you find out who had done this to me?”

“Oh..” The doctor said, realizing what she was talking about. She could hear some shuffling of papers, and she guessed that the man was a little uncomfortable, unsure of what to say. “I...” The hesitation confirmed the woman’s suspicions. The doctor continued to stutter until he finally spat it out. “No, we haven’t.”

Terry’s frown deepened. She imagined if she could see, she would notice the doctor cringing back. If it weren’t for her leg, she’d probably be up right now, ramming him against the wall and demanding him how he couldn’t even get that part done right. They should have been able to figure out who did this, right? They know what chemical was used and...

Well it wasn’t exactly their job. They were not forensic scientists after all. She forced a sigh through her nose, trying to get herself to settle down a little. She realized that she couldn’t get mad at them for not doing something that wasn’t even part of their job description. They could give ideas on what might have happened, but it wouldn’t really bring her that much closer to discovering the truth.

Well, sooner or later, she would find out who had done this to her. She would figure out their name, their location, and she would make sure that they pay. She would make them wish their attempt at killing her had succeeded. They had messed with a bull, and now they were about to get the horns.

sss

Howdy was at a loss. He wasn’t sure where to go right now. He remained standing in the same spot. He had been like this for a couple minutes, or so it felt, just trying to figure out which direction to go now. But... he was stuck, unable to think of anything that might help, or any kind of clue. He was just..stuck.

He could hear the other zoners behind him grumbling and complaining, though some panicked. Well, the ones that remained anyway. The ringing that was still going on, it had drove away many of them. The sudden appearance caused them all to scatter. Howdy, with Rapsheeba’s help, was able to gather up at least some of them and lead them down the hallways as he tried to find the way back to the portal.

But something seemed wrong here. This pathway didn’t look all that familiar to him. Was it because he had been so terrified that he just forgot, or had they really gone down an incorrect path?

The idea horrified him. If he had indeed gone the wrong way, that would delay them getting back into ChalkZone, and if he kept leading them the wrong way, they would get more and more lost, and they’d stay stuck in the Real World for longer. The more time this took, the more danger he was putting himself and the others in. They couldn’t stay here in the Real World for long. Especially not in a place like this. Not with some mad scientist who would see to it they were all dissected and torn apart.

But the one to suffer the most from this was Blocky. The puppet zoner turned and looked at his now unconscious friend. He couldn’t remember how long Blocky had been out, but it was enough to worry him. Blocky needed to get to a hospital and fast. One in ChalkZone, not the Real World. If they didn’t get him to a hospital soon... He didn’t want to imagine what might become of the poor guy.

It was such a shame that something like this happened to a zoner like Blocky. He hadn’t done anything to deserve this. The idea that someone would kidnap him and then torture him all for the name of ‘results’... It was disgusting. It took all of Howdy’s internal strength not to scream in rage at this.

There was little time to worry about that, however. He needed to refocus his mind on trying to find the right way. He needed to figure out which way to go before the remaining zoners got worked up and tried to leave as well, or tried to replace him as leader. Such a move would be a disaster; many of these zoners were rather impulsive, and none of them knew the way like he did. He was the one who made the most trips two and from here. He was the best one suited for this job.

But it would seem that not all the zoners could see things that way. One of the zoners angrily cleared his throat. Howdy tried to ignore him as he tried to concentrate on figuring out if they should go left, right, or straight. But the zoner didn’t give up, and the second time he made that sound, there was an almost malicious edge to it. Having no choice, Howdy turned his head and looked at the zoner.

“Excuse me, but we have been at this for hours!” The zoner called out.

“It hasn’t been that long.” One of the other, less aggressive, zoners said.

The first zoner swiveled his head and snarled at the zoner that dared to speak. “I don’t fucking care!” The less aggressive zoner flinched at this and took a step back. “The point is, we have been walking for quite some time and we are still nowhere near the portal back home!” The zoner turned his attention back to Howdy. “..isn’t that right, Howder?”

“It’s Howdy.” The puppet zoner grumbled softly.

“Whatever!” The zoner threw his hands up into the air. “How many times have we been through here? Ten?” He lowered his hands and made a few dramatic gestures. “How many more are we going to have to go through? Fifteen more?”

Howdy shook his head. He had no idea what this zoner was talking about. It was clear that the anger and frustration was really getting to this guy. It was clouding his judgment, and he was making accusations that made no sense at all. He wondered how many of the other zoners in here were this nutty, if any of them were going to do something as crazy as accuse him of such things.

It was tempting for him to be quiet and see how long this zoner can run this into the ground. But they had more important things right now. Besides, it would be against his nature to allow a fellow zoner continue to make an ass of himself. He needed to stop this, especially for everyone’s sake.

“We haven’t been going in circles, and you know it. I understand that you are frustrated and angered by the whole thing. Trust me, so am I. I want to get you all back sooner, and if it were up to me, we’d all be back already. But sometimes, things just don’t work out that way. Look, I’m sorry if you all are getting impatient with me. I’m doing the best I can.” Howdy took a moment to look at the zoners. Most of them were glaring at him and he could sense the anger even without the zoners speaking up. “I promise, I’m doing what I can. We don’t have time to argue about this. As long as we are on the move, Von can’t...”

“But Von said he wouldn’t try to harm us if Penny...” The oner’s voice trailed off.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room. Several zoners lowered their heads, a few more looking nervous or uncomfortable. Howdy could feel his heart sting at the memory. He was left in absolute shock at Penny’s sacrifice.

She had willingly given herself up to the man, in exchange for him letting them go. And the man had taken that offer. He hadn’t attempted to chase after them, nor did he make a threat towards them. He just focused on Penny, dragging her down the hallway and towards one of his rooms. Howdy had wanted to go after her, but Penny ordered him and the others to leave her behind. Howdy couldn’t believe just how heroic she was being in that moment.

Leaving her behind was one of the hardest things he had ever done. He wanted to help her and take her with. He wanted them all to get to safety, and the portal get erased. True it would not stop Von for long; he did have a piece of magic chalk after all. But it would buy them a little time and bring some peace of mind to the zoners, even if it was going to be short lived.

“I know what Von said. I know that he promised us safe passage. But I don’t trust that guy. I had spent hours with him. I listened to this guy talk. I listened to what plans he had in store for us. I know what he’s like, and let me tell you something: just because he promises something doesn’t mean that he will keep it.” Howdy said, narrowing his eyes. “He has little reason to keep that promise.”

“How do you know?” One of the zoners asked. “You haven’t known him for that long! He might..”

Howdy turned his head towards the zoner that spoke. “I’ve listened to the man go on and on about how he was going to ‘reclaim his dignity’, how this was going to make others see that he is not crazy. He kept calling this the ‘discovery of a life time’...” He tilted his head to one side. “Do you really think that he is going to just let this go? Do you think he is going to pass up this opportunity?”

“Probably not...but that doesn’t mean that we have to follow you.”

Howdy looked up towards the aggressive zoner from before. He frowned at him, but made no attempt to further aggravate him. That would only spell disaster, and that was not something they could afford right now.

The aggressive zoner, reminding him so much of Helga, just a little more dramatic, folded his arms against his chest, glaring down at Howdy with a scowl. “You promised that we were close! And guess what? We are nowhere near home! I don’t see any portal around, do you, Howdy?” He spread his hands out, his fingers curved in slightly. “Tell me, Howdy. How many more miles are you going to make us walk before you just outright abandon us?”

Howdy glared at the zoner. The fact that he was exaggerating again didn’t surprise him, and that wasn’t what he was upet about. How dare the man imply that he didn’t give a shit about anyone here... How dare he try to say that he had been purposely misleading them, just waiting for a time to leave them to their fate... He would never do such a thing, especially not to an injured zoner like Blocky that clearly needed help.

“How dare you..” Rapsheeba spoke up, who had remained silent until now. She took a few steps towards the aggressive zoner. “He has been trying his best! I know we haven’t gotten back yet, but you need to understand! Howdy is just one zoner, and he’s doing what he can, but he can still make mistakes. The point is, he is the only one of us who knows where the portal is and can lead us back. So why don’t you stop your...”

The aggressive zoner took a step forward. “No! You see here! We all had been through the portal as well and we all had seen it! I’m sure that one of these other zoners remember the location better than your puppet pal here!”

“You’re wasting time!” Rapsheeba cried. “We need to get back into ChalkZone before Blocky...”

The aggressive zoner scowled at this. “Blocky?! What about me?” He placed a hand against his chest. Then he motioned outward to the other zoners. “What about them?! If Howdy can’t get his fucking act to gether and lead us down the right path, none of us are coming back! It’s not just your precious friend that needs help, you know.”

Rapsheeba narrowed her eyes at this. Her teeth were gritted, and Howdy noticed one of her hands had been tightened into a fist. “I am very well aware of that. Which is why we should just keep moving so we can get home faster!”

“Well we would be going....” He folded his arms again, one of them loosened enough for him to gesture towards Howdy. “If he would get on the ball and actually lead us instead of standing around like a buffoon.”

Howdy felt a wave of anger rise up inside of him. He wished the zoner would be more understandable and reasonable. He wished that they would at least try to get what kind of situation that they were in. Things weren’t always going to be so easy. Things weren’t always going to be hassle free, requiring minimal effort to complete.

Howdy, not wanting to listen to this any longer, turned around, putting his back to the zoner. He ignored the sputtering from the zoner, or any attempts the zoner made to communicate with him. He focused on the pathways in front of them. He narrowed his eyes as he looked left and right. If he could just figure out which way to go...

Oh, why couldn’t he remember? Why couldn’t he just look at these paths and remember which one he had taken? Why couldn’t he...

His eyes widened in horror. No...it couldn’t be true.. No, anything but that... He remained there in silence, his mind reeling, feeling a cold chill go up his spine. He tried to think of any other alternative, but none came to mind. The only thing that would make any sense at all, the only thing that made any ounce of sense, was they truly had gone the wrong way.

But how? When? He had been so careful. How could he have gone the wrong way? What did he do wrong? Where did he take the wrong turn? Unfortunately, there would be no way of knowing, and that left them with only one option.

They were going to need to backtrack.

He was about to open his mouth and inform the others, but he knew that would not go over well. They would certainly snap at him, and, in the case of a couple, even tear him apart. These zoners were on edge, and now that they couldn’t express their anger towards Von, he was going to be the next best thing in their eyes. He needed to figure out something else.

It didn’t take him long to think of something. There was only one sensible solution that he could think of. But the decision was also risky and surely to spark controversy. The zoners would likely argue about this, wasting time when they could be using said time to get away.

The best idea seemed to be to split up. He had to admit, the idea didn’t sound all that great in his head, and he wasn’t sure how they would all meet up. But..what other choice was there? They needed to get back on track, but if they all went together, they could all die together. Being in one, singular location would make it that much easier for Von, should he change his mind, get them.

But if they split up, that would increase the odds that someone would get to the portal. They could take the chalkboard with them, and try to find the others and rescue them. It seemed like their best option at this point. But the question was: how would the zoners handle it?

There was only one way to find out.

Howdy turned to face the zoners. At this point, both Rapsheeba and the aggressive zoner were still arguing. Blocky was still unconscious in another zoner’s arms, his mouth partially open. Howdy winced as he saw how much pain was still being conveyed by his unmoving face. Some zoners were still looking at him, still awaiting his word on what they were going to do next.

He licked his lips nervously, trying to organize in his head what he was going to say. Once he felt he figured something out, he spoke. “I think it is best if we split into a few groups.”

This was met with utter silence, something that Howdy saw coming, but nonetheless, still filled him with an uncomfortable feeling. The zoners stared at him as though he lost his mind, a few glancing at one another. Some others frowned slightly, and their eyes, they seemed to convey a message of betrayal, something that made Howdy’s heart twist. And the ones that outright glared at him, looking as though they would rip him apart... He couldn’t help but take a few steps back away from them, cringing slightly.

Not one of them appeared to look as though they understood. Even Rapsheeba looked shocked by his suggestion, although her expression was the least negative compared to the other zoners. Howdy looked at Rapsheeba, his expression silently detailing to her how sorry he was that it had to come to this. He didn’t want to split them up, but it would appear there was no alternative.

The aggressive zoner from before broke the silence. “So, the little traitor decided to go authentic, didn’t he?” He walked over towards Howdy. The puppet zoner did his best to ignore the slight vibrations in the ground as the zoner walked towards him. “How fitting... So you decided to take off your mask and show us your true colors. Tell me, Howdy, how long have you been waiting to do this? Did it hurt to pretend to care about us?”

Howdy snarled at this. “That’s not the reason I’m doing this.”

“Then what is?” Another zoner asked.

Howdy clinched his eyes shut tightly. He couldn’t believe how much time they were wasting doing this. But he knew the zoners would not move until he had made his case. He forced a breath through his mouth, trying to force himself to calm down.

“I assure you all, I have the utmost best intentions for you guys. I am not trying to abandon you or leave you in the cold. I care about all of you...even you..” Howdy glanced at the aggressive zoner for a second. It was enough to make the zoner’s eyes widen in surprise. “I want all of you to get out of here safely. I have been doing my best to ensure that you, since you may be all that remains, are all able to get back into ChalkZone. I will confess, however, that I might have accidentally gone the wrong way.” He closed his eyes and lowered his head at this. “I am not proud of it, and I found it hard to believe that I had screwed that up.”

There were soft murmurs among the zoners. Howdy lifted up his head and he could see the zoners were looking around nervously. Few were glaring at him now. It seemed the prospect of getting stuck here longer was more deserving of attention for them then the fact that he messed up.

One of the only zoners to express anger was the aggressive zoner from befeore. This didn’t surprise Howdy. He had a feeling that he would continue to be trouble, and he prepared himself for whatever fight the zoner wanted to drag him into.

“I do know that if we continue to walk in a large group like this, it would not only take us longer to get out of here in case we continue going down the wrong path, but it would leave us open to being better targets for Dr. Von Doktor. He might go back on his word and come after us. Being together like this might be a good strategy overall, but it’s going to make us sitting ducks.”

The puppet zoner paused and looked around, making sure the zoners understood what he was saying. Then he continued.

“If we split apart, then we will have a better chance of finding the portal. We could all go in separate directions, splitting into smaller teams. I know reporting back will be hard, and I haven’t quite figured that bit out yet. But at least if Von tries to come after us, he can only go after one group, giving time for everybody else.” Howdy gave a quick, faint smirk at this. “It would be hard for him to be in more places than once, right?”

The aggressive zoner stared down at him, moving closer. Howdy felt some tension rise between the two of them, and he could feel his anger radiating off his body. The zoner was still pissed off at him, and now that he told him he might have gone the wrong way after all, that clearly didn’t settle well with him.

But much to Howdy’s confusion, the zoner didn’t attempt to attack or harrass him in anyway. Instead, the frown shifted into something more along the lines of acknowledgment, and then he gave a nod of his head.

“All right then...” The zoner said. He must have finally realized the futility of him trying to be overly aggressive. He glanced over at the fallen form of Blocky before looked back at Howdy and said, “What do you want us to do?”

Howdy ignored the tone of voice the zoner gave at that statement. He didn’t want to say anything to make it worse. He turned his head to face the other zoners. He gave them a sharp nod and said, “Here’s what I propose we do.”

sss

Penny flinched as she moved her wrist. The bindings around it were pretty tight and the metal that prevented her from dropping the chalk didn’t help either. It was so clunky and stiff, manuevering was nearly impossible. She wondered if Von had even checked the machine to make sure that it didn’t cause such a huge problem for her. She doubted it. After all, why would he ‘waste time’ on that?

Dr. Von Doktor was staring at her expectantly. She could feel his gaze upon the back of her head, staring at the monitor that was placed in front of her. She could feel his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it, waiting for her to begin drawing.

She stared at the monitor before her. For now, it was nothing but blackness. But once she would start drawing, it would show the actions to Von on the screen. Something was going to pop up on there, revealing the actions that she took and allowing him to analyze them and see what exactly she is doing that is activating the chalk. There would be no way she could hide it. Every move she made was triggering something on the screen. Flickers here or there.

She felt a pang of guilt as she thought about the situation that she was in. Her agreeing to try to be cooperative with Von may have been the biggest mistake she ever made. By doing so, she was opening up the door of opportunity to this man, letting him be able to create his own magic chalk. If he succeeded in that, then he would be able to make his own magic chalk at any time and enter ChalkZone. The thought sent ice through her body. And there was nothing she could do about it now. She had already made the deal. She had put herself in this situation. She could only hope that his findings fail.

She didn’t have nothing but regret for this, however. Her act still gave the other zoners some time to get away. Blocky needed to get to the hospital, and the sooner they got there, the better. Both Snap and Howdy knew the way and they would be able to guide all the zoners back, including Blocky. That was the only consolace she had in this whole mess.

She had no idea how well Blocky was going to hold up. He had been so badly hurt while he was here. It scared her knowing that she was not even aware of everything that had been done to him. A part of her wanted to ask Von, but another part felt disgusted by the idea; surely Von would draw it out and try to make it like such an act of achievement. How disgusting... At least Blocky would not have to worry about this madman ever again. She and the others would make sure of that.

Of course, she’d have to figure a way out of this first. She would try to struggle, but it was useless. She had been bound to the machine, and all the needles and such in her arm prevented her from moving it around too much. She wondered if part of the reason he put the monitor stuff on was to make her nervous about jerking around to get free.

Knowing there was presently nothing she could do to sway the man or get out of here, and knowing that he could go back on his word at any moment and go after the zoners, Penny did the only option she had left.

She began to draw.

Or rather, pretended to, considering there was no surface. She raised the chalk up and moved it around, acting as if she were trying to draw something simple. She made a few quick motions with her wrist. Doing so prompted some flashes to show up, but not too much. Certainly not enough for the man to get anything out of it.

“Zat waz it?” Dr. Von Doktor said. “I didn’t see anything unusual.” She gently pushed on Penny’s shoulder. “Try again. And I mean actually try.”

Penny growled softly, but she didn’t attempt to argue with the man. She started to move her wrist again, this time trying to exert more force and more slowly. This allowed for more screen time for the electric pulses on the screen. She pretended to draw something larger and more complex. She could practically feel the lines being formed, even though she knew this wasn’t the case.

But despite this extra effort, she didn’t notice much of a change on the screen. Well except for prolonged visions on the screen, but other than that, nothing. No big changes. Nothing that seemed like it would be useful, especially judging by the frustrated growl she could hear behind her. The low rumble in the man’s throat made her flinch.

Penny kept trying. She tried different ways to draw. She tried moving her wrists further back, slower, faster. She tried more complex drawings as well as many simple ones. She tried angling her arm differently the best she could. But no matter what she tried, the result was always the same. The screen would only show bits of flashes, indicating where muscles had been moving, which also helped to show more of the arm’s insides as well. A part of her was grateful as it meant a delay in the man’s schemes. But on the other hand, it also was driving the man angrier and angrier, prompting her to try harder, despite all the failed attempts.

Eventually, the man gave a snort and walked away from her. Penny could feel him brush past her. He walked out towards the monitor, standing on her right side. He stared down at the monitor, his lip curling up in disgust. He rubbed the top of his bald head.

“I don’t get it. It should be working.” He grabbed onto the monitor and shook it a little. “Maybe it waz not hooked up right.” He suddenly shot Penny a look.

The girl pulled her head back, staring at him in confusion. “What? I didn’t do anything!”

“Are you sure you didn’t...” Von started to say.

Penny cocked up an eyebrow. “How do you think I can do anything when I’m tied up like this?” She took a moment to look left and right, and then she stared back at the man. “Unless you think I have genie powers, there’s very little I can do right now except talk to you.” She turned her head, baring her teeth. “Which I’m not particularly enjoying right now...” She added in a low whisper.

Von said, “Well you could have...” The man stopped, his eyes widening slightly. Then he gave an exasperated sigh. “Okay, I get it. You aren’t behind ziz after all.” He turned back to the monitor. “But I ztill don’t underztand why it wazn’t working. I zought I accounted for everyzing.” He rubbed his head, continuing to stare at the monitor in confusion.

Penny remained silent. She didn’t want to get dragged into another conversation with him. Besides, she didn’t need to attempt to keep his attention; he was already giving her, or rather the machine she was hooked up to, his full attention. As annoying as this was, and how nervous she was if he succeeded, at least she was giving time for the others to escape.

The man began to move around her, his body moving from one side of her to the other. For an old guy, he moved pretty quickly. She could fee his fingers move along her arm. She flinched, not enjoying the touch. But she kept quiet, not wanting to do or say anything to distract him from this. She kept her eye on the guy, her pupil zipping from one side to the other as the man worked on the cords, adjusting them, wriggling the needles in a little more, and readjusting other things.

The girl did her best to ignore whatever discomfort that she was in. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t help but flinch everytime she felt a needle or other monitor thing being moved or wriggled around. The feeling of a needle moving underneath her skin was not the most pleasant thing she had every experienced before in her life.

The man’s grumbles certainly weren’t helping, either. She had no idea what he was saying, though she was able to pick up a word or two. They weren’t enough for her to fully understand, however, and she was kept in the dark. He must be speaking his original language. It made her wonder for a few moments if he was doing it like this to limit the chance of her doing something to ruin it. Or perhaps he was thinking out loud and he didn’t want her to hear.

Her curiosity was greatly piqued the more times she heard him grumble. Just what was he talking about? Was he planning something? Was he shooting the breeze and momentarily forgot she couldn’t speak...whatever language he spoke?

She didn’t have to think about that for very long. The man’s grumbling stopped and, after a few minutes of uncomfortableness and having her arm touched and manipulated by this man, he let go, moving out in front of her.

The man stared at her with a frown, one arm pressed against himself, the other bent upwards, his hand pressing against his chin thoughtfully. Penny kept quiet, staring at him nervously. He rubbed his chin back and forth, his pupils moving around to give Penny a visual examination of sorts. Then he gave a smile.

“Ah yez... Ziz should do zee trick!” Von said, his voice dripping with the utmost confidence. He then walked back over to Penny. He positioned himself behind her again. He motioned his hand out, filling Penny’s peripherial vision. “Come on, Penny. Ztart drawing again.”

Penny glared softly at him. She wanted to say something to him, but she knew better than that, and she stifled herself. She did as she was told and she flicked her wrists around, activating the monitor in front of her.

sss

Snap couldn’t believe it. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have not realized what had happened? He had put himself in charge of leading Dr. Von Doktor away from the others. And he had been doing such a good job of it for the most part. He thought he had managed to keep the man’s attention and divert him away from his friends and the zoners. How could he have not noticed that the man had turned tail and went down a different direction?

Snap felt like slapping himself in the face. He should have been checking more frequently to ensure the man was following him. He should have been listening more carefully, keeping an ear out for his footfalls.

Instead, he had allowed his own arrogance get in his way. He had been so confident that his plan was working, he didn’t feel the need to check. He was just certain that Von would be there, trying to catch up to him. How ironic that he let arrogance screw up his judgment, considering that he and his friends would accuse Von of the same thing. Arrogance had often been the downfall of many a villain, and now it was going to be the thing that was going to mess him up. He could only hope that he would find his friends in time, before any damage could be done.

But where would they be? He didn’t recognize this part of the building. He was getting himself quite lost. He had been choosing random paths earlier more often than he thought. Without being able to tell where he was, he couldn’t figure out which way to go find his friends. He could feel his heart clench in terror, realizing that he might have just doomed the others.

Oh, why didn’t he pay more attention? Why wasn’t he more vigilant? Why didn’t he take the time to look behind him to make sure that the man was actually following him? Why did he have to be so stupid and just assume the man was following him instead of just actually checking?

He tried to stop kicking himself over this. What was done was done, and there was nothing he could do about it now. He focused on trying to fix it. Despite the fact that he hadn’t yet found the others, or found any sign of them, he knew he did not fail yet. He’d only fail if he stopped entirely and dropped to the ground or went off to do something else. He wasn’t about to do that, and he continued to press on. His friends were counting on him. He needed to find them and fast.

He hoped that Dr. Von Doktor hadn’t found them yet. He hoped that the zoners were able to get away from him, if the man had actually found them. He couldn’t begin to imagine what Von was going to do to them once he was all caught up with them. And somehow, he really didn’t want to know.

As he continued to move down the corridors, making right turns then left and repeat, he started to wonder about that ringing earlier. It thankfully stopped, although the warping sound it made suggested that it simply ran out of power. He wondered just what kind of alarm would go on for that long and just where it came from. He thought he had some idea on this, but his head had been pounding so hard during the event, he forgot.

At least it stopped now. The only thing he could hear in the hallways now was his own breathing, and his own footfalls. His eardrums were still reverberating slightly from the loud ring he was forced to endure. They were still feeling some bit of relief, however, and in a few minutes, this should go away completely, or so he hoped.

He didn’t pay that too much mind. At the moment, his mind was elsewhere. He needed to focus on figuring out who to find the others and help them. He didn’t know exactly where to start looking, or what floor to start on. He couldn’t even hear anything in these hallways, despite how quiet it was. He hoped that this quietness was due to the zoners escaping. Otherwise, he would feel ice shoot through his body because then he would realize that something really bad had happened. And the severity of it... The only way to know was to check and hope for the best. He continued on his way.

Suddenly, without warning, he heard something in the hallway. It was pretty far away sounding at first. A long, continuous sound. Despite not getting a good, clear sound of what it was like, he could still feel something clutch at his heart. There was something very wrong here. Something about this just didn’t...feel right to him. Something about the sound was..foreboding to him.

And the fact that there were many of these sounds, and they sounded as though they were coming from all directions...

Snap turned around upon hearing a crash and a yelp. He whirled himself around, narrowing his eyes in determination. He glared at the approaching shadow, which appeared to pick up some speed. He raised his fists into the air, fully preparing for a fight. Whoever had dared to sneak up on him, they were going to get a good, rude wake up call. No one sneaks up behind him and...

He froze, staring ahead in shock. The figure had appeared out in the open, tripping over a rock and causing him to stumble. Normally such a scene would invoke at least a quick chuckle from him, but this time, such a notion was far removed from his mind, and instead all he could do was focus on the shape that the shadow had apparently formed from.

It was one of the zoners from the group. The one that had been with them when they were trying to find the portal to help Howdy. The zoner was a small stick figure zoner, and he was presently down on his knees after another trip, his body shaking in fear. His head was turned, his wide eyes looking at behind him as though he were expecting someone to show up at any time. He turned his head from right to left frantically, his wide eyes appearing to search for something.

The zoner’s presence and his anxious demeanor sent a shiver up Snap’s spine, filling his mind with many questions. A couple in particular stuck out to him the most and he could not make it go away.

Just what happened that made this zoner run away? Why was he so terrified? Where were the others? Were they okay? Were they captured? Was this guy sent for help or had he been one of the lucky few that escaped? Were the others captured or did they manage to get away from Von and were just in another part of the building?

Wanting to begin to find answers, the small blue and white zoner approached the stick figure slowly, cautiously. “Hey...”

The zoner didn’t answer him. He did turn around and acknowledge him, but instead of staying and telling him anything, the zoner started to dart off down the hallway. Snap stared at this in shock for a few moments. He wondered just what could have happened to trigger such a reaction. He then shook his head and he darted off after the zoner.

It didn’t take him too long to reach him. He moved around in front of the zoner, stopping him in his path. The stick figure zoner stared at him, panting heavily, as if he had been running for a long time. Snap shared a few pants himself, placing his hands on his legs and trying to catch his breath. He stared at the zoner sympathetically for a couple seconds. Then he spoke quickly.

“What’s going on?!”

The zoner looked behind him nervously, his eyes zipping around as if he thought something was going to happen to him. He looked back at Snap, his expression indicating that he thought the superhero zoner was going to hurt him too. Snap bit his lip at this. He wondered just what had this zoner so spooked.

“Everybody...ran... Loud noise... Human..k-killed another..” The zoner said. His voice was so panty and soft, it was difficult to make out. But it didn’t matter. Snap could make out enough and his eyes widened in horror.

“You mean that... Dr. Von Doktor killed someone else?” Snap whispered softly. The zoner nodded his head meekly. “Who?”

“Arnold.” The zoner said. He gritted his teeth and looked around nervously. “I-I don’t know if he took anybody else...” He gave a quick shudder. “I just ran...so fast.. I didn’t look back.. Others ran too.”

Snap remained frozen where he stood, letting his mind shift through the thoughts, trying to come to terms with what the zoner had told him. He could feel his heart sting, realizing just how screwed up things had gotten.

Von killing another zoner was bad enough. He didn’t know what possessed the man to murder another zoner, and he didn’t are what the reason was. And the thought of another zoner being killed, and the chances were quite high and this zoner was just too panicked to remember, it sent a knife through his chest. He wondered how many other zoners Von had slaughtered in cold blood while he was gone.

The zoners being scattered was not good either. According to this zoner, at least some of them ran when the ringing had been going on. They could be anywhere in this building, or even outside.... He shuddered at that thought. He knew what would happen if any of the zoners had gotten outside and wandered around. The more humanoid ones would probably be fine, but the lesser human-like ones...

What were they going to do now? He needed a way to round up those missing zoners, but he didn’t even know where to look. He wasn’t sure how many had scattered, and he doubted this zoner knew the answer to that. He was too shaken to give much of an answer.

But they had to figure out something sooner or later. He wasn’t sure exactly what Dr. Von Doktor was doing right now. But he didn’t want to take the chance. Several lives were at stake.

Turning his attention back to the stick figure zoner, he said, “I know you may not be comfortable with talking about this right now. But you need to tell me where the others are.”

“I-I don’t remember...” The zoner said softly.

“Can you at least take me back the way you came?” Snap suggested. “Maybe it’ll come back to you.”

The zoner shook his head. “N-No.. I don’t want to...”

Snap frowned softly at this. “I understand that you are scared. But if you don’t help me, many lives may be destroyed today. You don’t want that, now do you?” The zoner shook his head. “I thought not. Now please...” Snap placed a comforting hand on the zoner’s shoulder. “Take me there. Please...”

The zoner stared at him for a few moments, biting his lip. He looked down at the hand on his shoulder, and then back. He swallowed nervously. Then, after what felt like forever. He relented. “O-Oh okay.. I’ll take you.”

Snap smiled at this. “Thank you. And don’t worry...” He squeezed his shoulder gently. “You will be fine. I promise.”

“I hope you’re right.” The zoner said, his head lowered. He sucked in a deep breath and turned around. He made a quick gesture with his hand for Snap to follow. Soon the pair disappeared down the corridor.

sss

Rudy yelped in pain when he accidentally hit against the wall after a bad turn. He clutched his arm to himself and took a few steps back. His eyes were shut tightly and his teeth bared. He wasn’t sure why it hurt so badly. He hadn’t even hit it that hard.

He could hear Mrs. Sanchez approach him. Her footsteps were easy to hear in the silence of the hallway. The siren no longer blared but that was of little comfort now as his arm radiated in pain. He looked over, noticing the woman’s look of concern. Her eyes were locked onto his arm and her hand was reached out for him.

“Let me look at it.” She said.

Rudy hissed softly, his breath escaping through the gaps of his teeth. When Mrs. Sanchez touched his arm lightly, his instincts prompted him to yank his arm away from her, staring at her with wide eyes.

Mrs. Sanchez narrowed her eyes slightly at this. She frowned at him, her gaze silently telling him what she wanted. Rudy glanced down at his arm and back at her, yet he still remained where he was. The woman attempted to reach out again, this time moving faster. Her attempts failed as the boy nearly jumped back, holding his arm as tightly as he could against his chest. He stared at her wide-eyed, gritting his teeth. The woman let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head.

He did feel guilty for acting this way. He just couldn’t help it. He found it difficult to hold himself still, difficult to allow the woman to look at his arm.

“Rudy...let me see it.” Mrs. Sanchez’s voice was more stern this time. It was almost an order, rather than a request.

Rudy responded by taking a step back. He shook his head. “I-It hurts...”

“I know, dear. I want to help you, but I can’t do that unless you let me look at your arm.” Mrs. Sanchez said. Her narrowed eyes looked at his arm. “It looks like you hit against your bite wound. You might have worsened it.”

Rudy shot a looked down at his arm. Was that the reason why it hurt so bad? He shuddered as he remembered what it felt like when Penny’s teeth sank into his skin. And now that Mrs. Sanchez brought that up, this pain...it does feel exactly like that. Yes..there was a strong similarity. At this, his arm started to hurt even more, making him whimper and cradle his arm gently. This served as a reminder that just because his arm was treated did not mean the pain was going to go away that fast.

He glanced back at Mrs. Sanchez. She was still glaring at him, but her expression held little anger. More just frustration, and mostly worry. Rudy still felt reluctance. Despite knowing that Mrs. Sanchez just wanted to help him, the pain was messing with his head a little, and his instincts were telling him to get away.

The woman took a step towards him. She glared softly at him and said, “Rudy... Come on now. Let me look at it.”

Rudy took another step away from her. In the moment, he had forgotten where he was and what he was doing. All his mind was aware of was his painful arm and the persistant vet, who kept trying to get close enough to look at it.

As he continued to resist, Mrs. Sanchez started to look angrier and angrier. Rudy couldn’t help but wonder if the woman was going to try to grab him. Not exactly professional, but his behavior might spawn such an action. He tried to settle himself down. He tried to slow down his heart, beating so past he could hear it clang against his ribcage. Yet he found it difficult to do so.

After a few moments, Mrs. Sanchez’s expression softened up. She lowered herself slightly, bringing her head down to his level. This helped settle him down slightly, but it did little to fully alleviate his fear. “Rudy, I know you’re scared. But you’ve got to trust me. Let me look at that arm so I can help you.” The woman said gently. “I’m not going to hurt you. You should know that.”

“I..I know...” Rudy lowered his head in shame.

“Then let me look at it.” Mrs. Sanchez said. Rudy glanced up at her, biting his lip nervously. The woman reached her hand forward, the palm facing up. She looked at him expectantly. Rudy simply glanced at her hand, not making a move. “It’s okay, honey. It’s okay...” She whispered softly.

Rudy could feel his breathing slowing down, his heart rate returning to normal. He could feel the air around him rapidly get calmer, the tension leaving. The difference he felt was astronomical. He no longer felt as though he were trying to swim through an invisible thickness. He let out a soft sigh, relaxation starting to take the place of his previous fear.

He knew the woman was right. She had to look at his arm. She was a vet after all. While there wasn’t exactly that much time to treat it since they had to find the others and help them, there was enough time for a quick examination.

And it wasn’t just his arm that needed to be looked at. There was the nail in his stomach as well. There was no way it could be removed right now; it might have pierced something vital. The nail being in there was the only thing preventing massive internal bleeding. But the risk of infection... Rudy could only hope that they would find some medication somewhere to help treat it. After they got out of here, he could go over to Mrs. Sanchez. She’d have something to help him, he was certain.

His shoulders relaxing, his body no longer stiff and rigid, Rudy moved his arm out towards the woman, holding it out for her to look at. He winced a little as the woman grabbed his arm. Despite how gentle she was being, he could still feel a slight jolt of pain in his arm. He turned his head away and closed his eyes as the woman began to lift up the bandage. He waited in silence for the results.

After a few moments of the woman touching and feeling his arm, and starting at the wound, prodding it gently, he could feel the fingers leave his arm and his limb was freed. He opened up one eye to make sure the bandage had been reset, and then he looked at Mrs. Sanchez expectantly.

“Your arm is fine. You didn’t hit it that hard. All you did was irritate the wound.” Mrs. Sanchez said. Rudy couldn’t help but notice a slight flinch in her eyes. He wondered if she was unnerved by the sight of her own daughter’s bite mark. “You still should let me look at that other wound.” Her eyes trailed over towards the stomach wound. “It needs to be...”

“I know.” Rudy said, interrupting her. “But we don’t have time for that now. We need to...”

They were both stunned into silence when they heard loud screams echoing in the hallways. It wasn’t as loud as the siren was, but it was enough to irritate their ears. They both glanced at each other, wondering what the sound could be.

The sound itself was inconsistant. Sometimes the sounds were much closer, other times they were far away and distant. Then some were intermediate, and others were so distorted, neither of them could tell what it was. It didn’t take them long to conclude that the sound was coming from multiple sources, clearly from different locations. There was nothing else that could explain it. It forced them both to make an uneasy conclusion.

There were multiple individuals screaming. And neither of them knew exactly why.

Rudy felt his heart race against his chest. Could Dr. Von Doktor have already made a move? Was he too late to stop him from going after the zoners? After Penny?

Immediately, the boy started to make his way down the hallway despite not being able to pinpoint an exact direction to go in. The sudden move caused him to irritate his stomach wound and he yelped in pain. He dropped down onto one knee and clutched his stomach. He seethed, clenching his teeth, and tried to ride out the pain.

“That...was a terrible idea...” Rudy hissed at himself, his eyes remaining shut. He felt the woman grab onto his arm and pull him slowly up to his feet. He stood there, hunched over, his mouth open and panting. “Thank...you.” He managed to say through his pain.

Mrs. Sanchez grabbed onto his uninjured arm and steadied it, allowing him to lean against her for support. Rudy looked up at her gratefully, not needing to say anything as his eyes held the message quite strongly. The two of them then began to make their way down the hallway. Rudy wasn’t sure who or what they were going to run into, but he knew the only way to find out what was going on was to locate the source of that noise.

His heart tightened at a horrible thought: what if Von had started to torment more of the zoners? What if he decided to toss out all precaution and start hurting Penny, too?

He narrowed his eyes. If Von dare do something like that...

He and Mrs. Sanchez quickened their pace.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor hissed through clenched teeth, his hand formed into a fist and shaking it. He glared at the monitor, grinding his teeth so much he thought they would break from the pressure.

Why wasn’t it working? Why wasn’t the monitor showing him anything? He wasn’t sure what he could be doing wrong. He doublechecked the equipment and it was all good and fine. He tried different hookups and settings, but that did not give much of a result. Hardly anything had changed. He tried grabbing the girl’s hand and manipulating it himself, thinking that maybe she was purposely not trying all that hard with the magic chalk, as if she were trying to deliberately hide its secrets from him.

But absolutely nothing worked. There were no changes in what he was seeing. There was no indication that the magic chalk had tried to activate. There was just..nothing. The monitor and equipment were treating the chalk as if it was just another piece of ordinary chalk. But the sparkles that shot out from it... It was clear there was something special about this chalk. But why won’t his monitors show that...?

He remembered what the girl had said. The magic chalk only activated in the hand of a human. It did not work with zoners, but a human could use it just fine. There was something about them, and the magic chalk itself, that made the difference. If only he could find the trigger point....

Maybe there was something else. Yes...that was it. There was something he was forgetting. That was the only thing that would make sense. This girl... She must be hiding something else from him. A secret password perhaps? Or a secret movement that she hadn’t yet tried? There was something more to this, and she knew what it was.

And yet she chose to hide it. Sneaky little girl... Did she not know what the deal was? Did she forget the whole reason he even stopped going after her friends? And yet here she was, trying to deny him what was rightfully his. The little bitch... Well, there was more than one way to get what he wanted. He couldn’t help but smirk inwardly for a few seconds. He quickly wiped the smile off, not wanting Penny to catch on that he got an idea.

Narrowing his eyes again, he moved away from Penny, rounding his path around so he could look at her in the eyes. She glared at him, but it wasn’t just anger he could detect. There was some hesitation and uncertainty in those eyes. A sense of helplessness. Good. She did have some understanding of the situation at hand.

He decided to cut to the chase instead of making the girl wait. “Why izn’t it working?”

Penny turned her head away at this, remaining silent. This caused Von to feel his face start to heat up. Oh no, she was not going to give him the silent treatment.

“Answer me!” He shouted at her, his voice nearly booming. “Tell me why it izn’t working! You know why! Zpill zee beans, little girl!”

Penny hissed, refusing to look at him. “Nothing is wrong. I’m doing what I can. It’s not my fault it won’t activate.” Von gave her a warning growl, attempting to prompt her to speak. “You can do that all you want to, Dr. Von Doktor...” She lifted up her head and gave him a bitter smile. “It’s not going to change a damn thing.”

Dr. Von Doktor growled at this but quickly regained his composure, remembering what he had decided upon. He merely smiled at this, taking note of how unnerved Penny appeared to be by this. “Zo...you really don’t have any idea what elze you can do?”

Penny shook her head. “I already tried everything. If you think I’m trying to hide something, then you’re wrong!” Penny leaned forward in a thrust, her narrowed eyes attempting to stare right through him. “Don’t be so paranoid! If I was going to hide anything from you, I wouldn’t have agreed to this!”

Von pretended to not hear her speak for the most part. He simply rubbed his chin lightly, his head tilted upwards towards the ceiling. “Zo nozing was mizzed? No zecret move? Nozing you might have forgotten about?”

“No.” Penny said.

“Hmm...” He turned his head to the side, giving Penny a sideways glance out of his eye. “And you are pozitive?”

“Yes! I told you already!” Penny said, the volume of her voice revealing just how annoyed she was with him. But he also detected some level of fear. “I did what I could! If nothing showed up, then nothing showed up! Simple as that!”

Dr. Von Doktor tuned the girl out after that. He thought about what his next move was going to be. He thought the girl was lying, but perhaps she wasn’t. Maybe she really couldn’t get the machine to activate, no matter how hard she tried. Maybe he needed to approach this from a new angle and...

No, the girl was lying. She knew how to use the magic chalk, so she should know how to activate it. She was just not trying hard enough. And if she continued to be resistant, then he was just going to have to try new ways to make her relent. She might be trying to be brave right now, but everyone had their breaking point. Everyone had that thing that motivated them the most. And he already had some ideas on what he could try.

He folded his arms behind his back. “It’z zuch a pity...” He said softly. He began to pace back and forth in front of Penny. “You keep trying to resist me. You refuse to cooperate. I zought you gave me your word, Penny.”

Penny gritted her teeth. “I did! I told you I...”

“Zen why do you continue to lie to me?” Von asked, his voice deepening. “Do you zink it’z funny to toy with me? Do you get zome kind of kick out of making me work tirelezzly to get the magic chalk to activate?”

Penny flinched at this, clearly detecting his slight change in demeanor. She moved her head back, turning her head from one side to the other, as if looking for a way out. “I-I...No.” She kept her answer short and to the point. “I don’t find it funny.”

Von took a few steps towards her. “Zen why do you continue on doing it?”

“I’m not.” Penny replied. “Please, why can’t you just accept facts? I can’t get the machine to register anything but....”

Von rushed towards her quickly, his feet pounding the ground. He reached her so fast, she had to lean backwards to avoid hitting her head against him. Von grabbed onto her arm gently, leaning close to her. His eyes were close to hers, and he could feel the tension between them. Penny attempted to turn her head away, but he grabbed onto her scalp tightly, preventing movement.

“I’m zick of playing games, Penny.” Von hissed at her. “I have been doing my bezt to be fair, but it seems you don’t understand zat conzept at all. Zo...perhapz I should try another approach...”

The man released her quickly and walked around behind her. Penny’s body gave a quick shiver as she felt him move quickly behind her. The man soon reached her other side, his eyes staring down at her arm. He focuseed his attention on the bandage that wrapped around this arm. It was thicker and larger than the others, and it looked relatively new.

Penny took notice of this and her eyes widened slowly. She stared at him with an expression that was almost pleading. “What..what are you going to do?”

Von just stared at her. His expression was tranquil, a smile on it. This only unnerved Penny further and she tried to lean away from him. He simply watched her struggle in the machine she was bound into. He stared down at her arm again, his smile spreading further, becoming slightly more twisted after a couple seconds. Then, without giving her any warning, he seized her arm, his hand tightening right on the bandaged area.

“Ouch!” Penny yelped in pain. She tried to pull her arm away from him. But he simply tightened his grip. “Yeow! Please let go!”

Von squeezed the arm tigther, prompting the girl’s face to contort in agony. She lowered her head and bared her teeth, trying to ride out the pain. His lip curled up in a small snarl. “I will be glad to let go...az zoon az you tell me what I want to know.”

“I.. Ow! I already told you... I..did what I could...” Penny shut her eyes tightly, a few tears beginning to form. “Please let go... Please! I...Yowch!” Penny cried out.

“I am not playing gamez anymore, little girl.” Dr. Von Doktor said his voice icy. He began to dig his fingernails into her arm. He knew if he kept this up, she would eventually relent. No one can resist pain forever. Sooner or later, there was a breaking point. As he continued to hold her arm like this, he noticed her body starting to shiver from pain. “Zo eizer you tell me what I want to know, or...”

Without warning, there was a sudden crash. The man’s body gave a jerk of surprise, his hand releasing Penny’s arm on reflex. For a second or two, he remained still, his body giving a couple of shivers of its own, though out of shock, not pain. He turned himself around, looking towards the door that he thought for certain he had secured.

His eyes widened at what he saw. There, standing in the door way, was Rudy, Mrs. Sanchez, and two large zoners, both of which looked terrified, yet still glared at him. They must have been the ones who knocked down the door.

“Let. Her. Go!” Rudy yelled, pointing a finger at him.

“Rudy?!” Penny cried out in shock. “Mom?!”

“Don’t worry, dear. We’ll get out out of here!” Mrs. Sanchez called out to her daughter.

For a few seconds, Dr. Von Doktor remained silent. He stared at the intruders, his eyes wide in shock, his body stunned and frozen. His mind reeled as he tried to figure out how this happened, constantly asking himself if it really did happen at all or if he was just hallucinating. He shook his head once and rubbed his eye, and at last, his mind could finally register that, yes, this was indeed happening.

But even then, it was still hard for him to fully accept it. How did the woman get out of her trap? How did Rudy manage to get out with that kind of wound he gave him? He could see the zoners finding him by mistake, but the mother and the boy? He had taken care of them both. There was no way they should have been able to escape and get to him. They should be laying down on the ground, in to much pain to move. How had they managed to get away?

Such questions would have to be asked later. The scientist pushed aside his stunned feelings aside the best he could, trying to focus on what he was going to do next. His scientific mind sifted through multiple thoughts as he tried to think of a solution. There was always a way out. He just needed to think hard enough. If he kept it up, something would present itself.

Then something popped into his head. But before he could even think of making the move, the two large zoners rushed over towards him quickly Penny, each grabbing onto his arm with both hands. They secured him a few feet away. The man struggled against their grasp, but they were too strong. He gave up trying and he turned his head to watch Mrs. Sanchez and Rudy rush over towards Penny.

“Penny!” Mrs. Sanchez said as soon as she reached her daughter. “Are you okay?” She looked at her daughter up and down. “He didn’t hurt you badly, did he?”

Penny shook her head. She then stared at her mother in horror as she noticed the marks on her body. “Mama...what happened to you...?”

“I think I know.” Rudy said as he glared off in Von’s direction. “Am I right?”

Von hissed in response to the others glaring at him. He gritted his head and pulled his head back. He refused to say a word. He simply glared right back at them. He noted their expressions, how anger-filled they were. Penny’s had more shock in it as she realized what he had truly done with her mother. He responded to her expression with a smirk, prompting her friend and mother to move closer towards her defensively.

Von soon realized something. It would seem the mother must know about zoners now. He wondered how long she knew. If she didn’t know before, well there was no way she could deny the evidence before her. He couldn’t help but smirk at this.

“I zee the cat’z out of the bag now, eh..?” The man said with a smile.

“What is all of this?” Mrs. Sanchez demanded as she looked at the machine Penny was hooked up to. She did not make any attempt to respond to his statement. “What were you doing?”

The scientist sneered, “I waz trying to get answerz. But your daughter...she waz being zo...uncooperative.” He turned his gaze towards the girl, narrowing his eyes as he continued to speak. “I don’t know why she refused to do what I asked. I didn’t even azk that much of her. All she had to do waz pretend that she waz in zat chalk world and pretend to draw with zee chalk. That would have activated zee machine and I would have seen for myself what waz going on. A zimple task...”

The three glared back at him. He returned this favor by narrowing his eyes deeper, some anger and frustration starting to surface up again.

“But of courze, she dezided to make zingz difficult! Time and again, she did whatever she could to ensure there would be no resultz! I had done my bezt to be fair with zee little bitch, but she....”

“Don’t you ever speak to my daughter like that again...” Mrs. Sanchez hissed.

Von smirked at her. “Do you want anozer trip down into the ‘azid pit’, dear?” Mrs. Sanchez widened her eyes at this, and then glared at him. He merely chuckled, turning his head to one side so he could stare at them with a single eye. He spoke with his teeth showing, a nasty grin. “Do you really zink you’ve won at all? Do you zink you have gained the upperhand?”

Rudy hissed at this. As Mrs. Sanchez started to unhook her daughter, as the zoners tightened their grip on him, Rudy took a few steps towards the man. He seemed a little hesitant, as though he wasn’t sure what to expect. But courage got the better of the boy and he soon got within a few paces of the man. “You have lost. That is how we know we have won.”

“And how are you zertain you have won?”

“Take a look around you!” Rudy replied, raising his arms up in the air. There was some slight hesitation and a bit of pained jerking from his wounds, especially in his stomach. “We have you apprehended! You are outnumbered! Tell me exactly how you can turn this all in your favor, when you can’t even move your arms?”

Dr. Von Doktor sneered at this, giving a cold chuckle. “Oh like ziz, you ztupid little boy.” Without warning, he bit down on one of the zoner’s arms, pressing his teeth down against the chalky flesh.

The zoner’s eyes widened and he let out a scream. Von bit down harder, using his saliva to let his teeth sink in further. He ignored the dusty texture and the chalky taste as he continued to bite down. The zoner tried to pull his arm away and this prompted the man to bite down even harder, and soon he tore off a piece of flesh. The zoner released him and stumbled back, cradling his arm against himself and letting out a scream of pain.

“No!” The other zoner shouted, releasing Von as he rushed over to his comrade. “Are you okay?!”

“I...no... Ouch..it hurts so bad.” The other zoner whimpered as he clutched his arm to himsef.

Von smiled at this. He licked his lips slowly, tasking a thick layer of chalk where the blood and flesh clung to him. He then turned his head and stared at Rudy, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez, all of him stared at him in a mixture of horror and shock and disgust. He wanted to laugh, the desperation he felt in wanting to achieve his goals getting to him even more. Somehow, he managed to hold back, save for a couple of chortles.

Now was time to pull the string out from underneath them. Now was the time to show them just how royally screwed they were. They might view him as some crazy old man, but wait until they get a load of this.

“I zink you lot ought to be a little more careful...becauze you never know when somezing like ziz will happen!”

With that, he rushed towards the wall, to a metal box that was mounted on there. He opened it up, revealing several buttons and a lever. Giving them one more sneer, he slammed a few buttons and then pulled the lever. There was a loud whirring sound, a spark and a snap, and then silence.

A few seconds later, the sound of distant slamming could be heard. It was faint, though some sounded a bit louder than others. The slamming reminded the old man of sliding doors. And they just kept happening all around him, creating something of a choir. The zoners and the three humans looked left and right as they tried to make sense of it. All the while, Von just smirked at them. Who outsmarted who now?

“What..did you do...?” Penny asked after a couple of tense moments, the echoing of slams finally ceasing.

With a nasty grin spreading across his face, a swell of pride and arrogance filling inside his chest, Von gave a short, precise answer. “None of you will be leaving now.”


	34. Threats

It is amazing what you can make people do with a few simple words...

sss

Rapsheeba froze when another siren sounded out. The zoners in her group, including Howdy, froze in their tracks. They looked left and right, trying to find the source of the source of the sound. It was echoing in all directions, as if it were some omnipresent individual.

“What is this?!” Howdy shouted, trying to keep his voice high enough for the others to hear.

“I don’t know, but it’s so loud!” Called one of the zoners.

“Yeah! Blocky is lucky he doesn’t have to hear this!” Called the zoner that was holding onto Blocky’s unconscious form.

Rapsheeba wasn’t sure if she would call Blocky being unconscious ‘lucky’. The poor guy was running into the danger of being comatose, and there was nothing good about that. But she could see why the zoner would say that. This noise was rather irritating and she felt as though her ears were about to pop. They thought that they were out of the woods with this, since the last set of sirens stopped a while ago. Now they’re back.

Well, sort of. These sirens were of a different pitch and had a different pattern to them. They weren’t long and outstretched. Instead, they were slightly higher pitched and they were brief. Almost like a click-click-click kind of sound.

Either way, its sudden appearance was irritating, making her want to cover her ears all the time, lest they start bleeding out from ruptured eardrums. The zoner who had to hold onto Blocky was in a less than amusing position. He had to hold onto Blocky with one arm, so he only had one free. He could over one ear, but the other, he had to use his shoulder. Not very affective. Rapsheeba couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

Despite the noise, however, she, Howdy, and the two other zoners, along with the unconscious Blocky, continued their trek down the hallway. They had quickened their pace, hoping that they would get away from the sound faster, or the sound would die off sooner or later.

But just as with the ringing before, this seemed to last for quite some time. There didn’t seem to be any end in sight, much to their dismay. They kept on going, however, knowing that standing around would do them no good. Maybe if they kept on running, they would find the portal, or some kind of exit that would grant them reprive from that horrid, ear-destroying sound.

However, it seemed fate had another idea. As they turned around the corner, without warning, there was a loud shing sound and they were instantly greeted by a large, grey door. They all let out screams of surprise and they attempted to skid to a stop. They weren’t able to in time, however, and they smashed against the large, cold surface. They let out yelps of pain as they stumbled back, holding onto their faces.

It took the zoners a few seconds to fully realize what kind of situation that they were in. They looked left and right, realizing that they were trapped.

Immediately, there was a rise of tension in the air. Rapsheeba did her best to remain calm, and it appeared Howdy was trying to as well, although he still looked around nervously. The other zoners looked more worried, and the two smaller zoners were starting to hyperventilate. They began to run around, slamming against the wall, trying to claw at it to escape. They acted very much like trapped wild animals. Rapsheeba would have told them to stop, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to get through to them. She took a moment to look around where they were stuck at

The trap was pretty simple. Just a wall in front and behind them. She imagined this wouldn’t be hard to install, especially for a scientist. Though she couldn’t help but wonder what this was for, what benefit the man had to this. She pushed those thoughts aside, knowing that she would not get any useful results out of it. Instead, she refocused her thoughts on how they were going to get out of here.

“What are we going to do?!” Wailed one of the zoners. “We’re trapped!”

Rapsheeba tried to tune out the screaming and running of those two zoners as she walked towards one of the walls that had appeared. She placed her hand against it, wincing at how ice cold it was. She moved her hand down a little, and then formed a fist. She pounded against it a couple of times. She frowned deeply. “It’s solid as a rock. It won’t be easy breaking this down.”

“Trapped like animals!” The other panicking zoner shouted.

The first terrified zoner clutched his face, digging his fingers into his skin. His teeth were clenched. His face looked as though it lost several shades. He looked left and right, rubbing his cheeks up and down. “This is bad... Really bad! We shouldn’t have left the others! Should have stayed with them! We’re helpless now! We’re...”

The large zoner that held Blocky snorted at them, clearing his throat to get their attention. The two zoners hunched their shoulders, looking up at him worriedly. “Oh shut up, you two! I’m sure we can find a way out of this!” He turned and looked at Rapsheeba and Howdy. “Isn’t that right?”

“Well y-yeah!” Howdy said, his voice having a slight crack of hesitation. He smiled the best he could, an attempt to reassure the two panicky zoners. “We just have to think hard enough and we’ll find a way through!”

The two zoners looked at each other nervously. They bit their lips, showing no signs of improvement. They were still hesitant, uncertain. It didn’t seem like anything could get through to them. They looked as if they were trying to find some kind of exit for them to bolt out of, like a rabbit getting away from a hungry hawk.

The zoners soon looked back at Howdy, their eyes having a very slight shimmer of hope in them. “You are sure?”

Howdy nodded his head. “Absolutely!”

While Rapsheeba could tell that Howdy was not sure of his own words, she was glad that he was doing what he can to cheer up the frightened zoners. They all needed to remain as calm as possible before they could begin to think of a proper solution to this. She was well aware taht they wouldn’t be able to function all taht well if they stood around, allowing fear to take a hold of them, clouding their minds.

Fear would hinder their judgment. Being too afraid would make them jumpy. It was fine to be cautious, but if they were too much on the cautious side and let fear rule them, they would never get too far. They needed to think logically and rationally with this, not allow their own internal worries govern them and make them jump to conclusions.

There had to be some way out of here. She had a feeling there was some kind of flaw or weakness in this type of trap. She looked around and so far didn’t spot anything that could be useful to them. But still, she refused to give up. There was some way out of here; she just had to keep thinking and figure it out. That was all she could do. That was all any of them could do. If they simply gave up, they’d never get out, and Von would have won. That wasn’t something she felt any of them would willingly allow.

Her eyes fell upon Blocky’s unconscious form. She bit her lip, feeling a pang in her chest. Poor Blocky had been through so much lately. And those injuries... She knew they would only get worse if they weren’t properly treated. She didn’t want to imagine just how bad it might get. She didn’t want to think of the possibility of her friend being changed for the worse, or permanently damaged in some way. He certainly didn’t deserve that. The sooner they get him to a hospital, the better.

But first, they needed to find that darn portal. And they can’t do that if they were trapped here. She glanced over at Howdy, giving him a worried expression. The puppet zoner looked back at her, mirroring the look she was giving. Their eyes shared a silent message of mutual understanding, and of equal worry and determination.

Rapsheeba leaned against the wall of the hallway and slid down. She folded her arms against her chest, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. Howdy approached hers lowly and he positioned himself next to her. Rapsheeba watched the corner of her eye as Howdy sat down next to her. She heard the puppet zoner give a worried sigh as he started to think of a way out. She said not a word, keeping herself focused on her own thoughts.

There had to be something they could do. There had to be a way out of here. Rapsheeba did what she could to tune out the zoners before her. She tried to ignore the grumpy large zoner’s comments, and the panicky words from the other two zoners. Such a task was rather difficult, but she still managed to pull it off as best as she could. Soon all she was aware of was her own thoughts, her eyes shut to make herself feel as though she were in a black void all by herself. With the distractions minimized as much as possible, she began to think of possible solutions.

Was there something that they had missed? Was there a path to getting out they hadn’t thought of yet? It seemed hopeless, for certain. Yet she couldn’t help but feel as though something was overlooked, dismissed under the assumption it was useless. After a few seconds, she realized what that was.

They hadn’t made sure there were no exits here.

Sure, they couldn’t go back or forward. But was there another pathway? Was there a door that they had missed? She didn’t recall seeing any and if there was a door, wouldn’t the panicked zoners have realized this and headed out? Or were they so worked up that they were constantly missing the obvious?

Rapsheeba opened her eyes and took a look around. Aside from the large zoner face palming at the panicked antics of the two zoners, she didn’t really see much. She turned her head from right to left, hoping to find something. But so far, no luck.

Howdy had taken notice of this and he inched his way closer to her. “What are you looking for, Rapsheeba?”

The singer zoner answered, “To see if I can find a way out.” She tilted her head up slightly. “I’m certain that there is a way, and I thought that maybe we just overlooked.” She sighed and she looked over at Howdy. “So far, though, I’m not seeing anything.”

The puppet zoner looked up at her sadly. “That’s beause I don’t think there is anything.” He took a moment to look all around before turning his gaze back to her. “The walls are blocking all the paths. Unless we can bypass through the walls themselves, I don’t think we’re going anywhere.”

Rapsheeba frowned at this. She had hoped it wouldn’t come down to this. She was hoping that maybe they missed something. It was still possible, but all directions led one way, and that was to being trapped. The area they were stuck in wasn’t very large, and nothing was really obstructed, save for areas blocked by the other zoners, and even then, it didn’t seem like they could block something as important and noticeable as a door.

“Yeah, perhaps you are right. But..I have to keep looking. There’s a way out. I’m sure of it.” Rapsheeba said, doing her best to sound hopeful.

“Well I’m glad you are being rather optimistic.” Howdy lowered his head. “Because I don’t know how long I can be hopeful.”

Rapsheeba stared at him sympathetically. After what Howdy had been forced through, she wasn’t surprised by this attitude. She wished she could say something to cheer him up, but nothing would come to mind. She could only place her hand on his shoulder in a comforting way, smiling at him the best that she could. He returned it, but she noticed how shaky and uncertain it still looked.

Rapsheeba was about to try to say something to Howdy when something caught her eye. She lifted up her head and leaned it towards the side. Her eyes were glued on something in front of her, just beyond the backside of the large zoner.

“What is it?” Howdy whispered softly, his tone of voice tripping with curiosity. “What do you see?”

The female zoner didn’t answer him. She instead focused her attention on what she had spotted. There was something strange on the wall. A formation she hadn’t seen before. A slight bulge that she could have sworn wasn’t there before. Without thinking, without saying a word, she got up to her feet and walked over slowly.

She stopped in front of the wall. She looked at it up and down. Her eyes focused on the indention she saw before, and then trailed her eyes around, trying to see if there was anything else she hadn’t noticed before. It took her a few seconds to notice that there appeared to be some kind of outline. Up and across. It was slight, barely there, but she could see enough that she knew something was different about this thing.

Her eyes soon widened. Could it be..? No, it couldn’t be that easy, right? There was no way that their answer would be presented to them so quickly. There had to be a kind of catch somehow.

Only one way to find out. The singer zoner took a step closer and placed her hands on the wall. She moved them around, trying to feel what was underneath. It was then she noticed that the wall bent inward, and she thought she heard a tight tear. She continued to have her hands explore the wall, or what was taking the form of a wall. She soon felt around the bulge she saw before, and after some pressure, there was a louder tear and she felt her fingers wrapping around something cold.

It felt cold and hard and...round? Her eyes flickering with realization, the singer zoner grabbed onto the fake wall and tore it down some more. The sound of tearing filled the air, making it almost sound like it was someone’s birthday, and they were opening the presents. She kept ripping at the wall, which she realized was some kind of thick paper, and soon she was greeted with a sight she did not expect to see.

How was this possible? It couldn’t be that easy, right? There..there was no way that...

But it was. As she continued to stare at it, there was no way she could deny what was before her. She turned her head and looked back at the others. Everyone, including the worryworts, had stopped speaking, and were staring in stunned silence at what she had found. They glanced at each other, their eyes filled with shock and uncertainty.

She could hear them murmuring, each asking each other if this was true or not. Multiple questions were asked, but she could hardly hear any of them. Their voices were mumbled and her attention was solely on what she had found. Not even Howdy’s voice got to her, nothing more than part of the background noise. She did not move her eyes away from what she had found, not even as she felt Howdy grab onto her arm.

“Rapsheeba... D-Do you think...?” Howdy whispered softly.

Rapsheeba did not respond to him. She just kept staring, her head filling with several questions. How could this have been hidden? Why didn’t they see it before? How did Von manage to do something like this?

But there was one question that she knew the answer to. She knew exactly what this had been placed here for.

It was to block the door that she had uncovered.

sss

Rudy stared at the man, wide-eyed. He felt as though his heart stopped beating. He could hear the man’s words echo in his head over and over. He had a hard time believing it, wondering if the man was just trying to scare them.

But those sounds from before... The loud thuds, the clangs.. There was no way that was faked. He thought back to what the man said. And when he let it all sink in, he could feel a cold chill rush through his body.

“None of you will be leaving now.”

Rudy realized, swallowing hard, that the scientist must have had a backup plan. There must have been something he did while none of them were looking. He had set something up and now he had triggered it. And judging from what the man said, it was nothing good. He found himself taking a step back, looking at the man with wide eyes. Just what did he do...?

Rudy flinched as he heard the loud siren go off, echoing in the hallways right outside the door. Even though most of the volume was blocked, it was still loud enough to make his ears start to ring a little.

Not far away from him, he could see the two large zoners on the ground, the ones that he and Mrs. Sanchez ran into in the hallway, having been scattered from the others. They were hunching their shoulders and clenching their teeth as they tred to handle the loud sound. The injured zoner was still holding onto his arm, blood still seeping from the wound.

He looked over at Penny and Mrs. Sanchez. At this point, Penny had been freed from the machine. Penny was holding onto her mother, the two joining together in a tight hug. Rudy wondered just what Von had put her through. She looked so frightened and shaken. What startled him more was that, when he and Mrs. Sanchez first arrived, Penny didn’t look as scared. But as soon as she was freed...

Rudy gritted his teeth. Just what did that monster do to Penny? What did he do that had frightened Penny so much? And just what did he do? Was it exactly what he said, or did he lie and he did something worse?

He wanted to do something, but the pain stopped him. He realized there was little that he could do against Von outside of verbal banter. The nail was still in his stomach, and even now, regardless of how much he tried to ignore it, pain radiated through it, the throbbing being felt through his clothes. Just how much luck was he going to have against this man when his own ability to move was hindered?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the man give a quick chuckle. One that signified not just mere amusement, but haughtiness and arrogance. He glared at the man doing his best to hide his own fears. The man locked eyes with him. He shivered at the sight of the eyes themselves, the pupils having been shrunk. There was a gleeful look in those eyes, something that he never wanted to see from them.

The man straightened himself up the best he could. He gave Rudy a triumphant smile, his teeth bared in the grin. He held his hands behind his back and carried himself as if he had accomplished something amazing. He stared at Rudy as he paced back and forth inf ront of him. Rudy held still and watched him, glaring softly.

“What do you zink of me now, boy?” Dr. Von Doktor said, his teeth flashing, his head tilting slightly up. “Not bad for a lunatic, am I right?”

Rudy simply hissed at him, keeping himself positioned in front of the Sanchezes. He turned his head and looked behind him. He noticed that Penny had stopped hugging her mom and was looking at him. He recognized the silent question in her eyes and he answered swiftly by shaking his head. He didn’t want her leaving her mother’s side. He knew Von hated him the most. He would keep him away from them.

He watched as the man continued to pace in front of him. The man kept giving him a sneer and a scrutinizing look. The fact that he had gotten the upperhand, something that horrified him, was quite clear, written on the man’s face for everyone to see.

“You zought you could make me into a fool again. Well you were wrong.” Von sneered at him, his smile gaining something of an eerie edge to it. “I do have to wonder what you’re zinking right now. Do you feel like an idiot? Do you feel like you should have paid more attention?” He paused for a moment, as if he expected him to answer. The ten year old simply narrowed his eyes. “Well good! Now you have a tazte of zome of what I felt!”

Rudy gritted his teeth and took a step back. The man’s demeanor had changed slightly. His eyes narrowed, although the man didn’t seem angry enough to attack him. For now, he just simply looked annoyed and confused, as if he couldn’t understand the reasoning behind anything Rudy had done. Of course not.

Then, with a snort, the man threw his head to one side. His lip curled up, partially exposing his canine tooth. “Do you really zink I waz going to let you turn me into a fool again? Did you zink that I didn’t have zomething in mind to prevent that? Do you zink I’m ztupid?”

Although he knew it was a bad idea, Rudy gave the man a bitter smirk and said, “Why are you insulting yourself, Von?”

The man spluttered for a second, but soon appeared to calm himself down. “Funny little boy.”

“What exactly did you do?” Rudy heard Penny say behind him. He looked behind to see her, and then looked back at Von.

Von said, “I merely activated my zecurity zyztem.”

Rudy and the Sanchezes looked at one another. They exchanged worried looks with each other. They then turned back to Von, noting that his expression turned back into the gleeful, almost prideful look.

“...security system...?” Rudy found himself breathing out. “And what exactly does that entail?”

“Well I did tell you zat you won’t be leaving here. But I zuppose you mean you want a bit more dezcription.” At Rudy’s nod, the man continued. “Well it iz zimple. I push ziz button here...” He pointed at the metal box with all the switches and such on it. “Az long az ziz iz turned ziz way, exactly like ziz, hidden wallz and barrierz will drop down, zealing off hallwayz and roomz. All exitz are blocked.”

Rudy’s eyes widened at this. “What...?”

“Oh and don’t even zink about touching ziz.” Von said with a growl. He motioned towards the box. “Do zo, and I will ensure zat you will regret it.”

Rudy stared at the metal box again. He looked from it, to Von, and back again repeatedlly. A part of him wanted to rush over and flip the switch, but he knew that wasn’t an option. Even if the man wasn’t standing there, he couldn’t tell which one was the right button or lever. There were so many and they weren’t labeled. He couldn’t remember which one it was. Taking a gamble wasn’t something he could afford. He didn’t want to end up doing something insane like gasing everyone to death. He had no choice but to listen to the man’s request to step down.

“Zat’z a good lad.” Von said with a smile, all pretenses of anger vanishing. Rudy just growled at him. “Firzt, let me get rid of zat nazty ring.”

Rudy, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez gave a quick sigh of relief when Von’s button pushing caused the siren to die down. They all hoped that would be the last loud sound they would have to contend with.

“Now zen...to begin...” Von walked over towards Rudy. “Zince Penny waz uzelezz...” Rudy glared at him.

“No! Get away!” Penny cried. Her mother grabbed onto her, preventing her from getting too close.

“Ztay out of ziz!” Von snarled at her. Mrs. Sanchez moved closer to her daughter, glaring at the man despite her pain. He chortled at ziz before looking back at Rudy. “Anyway... Penny waz too uncooperative. But you’re a zmart little boy, aren’t you?” He held up the magic chalk that he had wrenched from Penny’s hand earlier. “Maybe you can help me.”

“And why would I do that?” Rudy growled.

Von tapped the tip of the chalk against his face thoughtfully. “Well...I could juzt...push ziz button right here.” Von hovered his finger over one of the buttons. At this, everyone, including the two zoners, looked at him worriedly. “Truzt me, you don’t want to know what ziz button would do.”

The two zoners gasped loudly. They attempted to move forward, but Von produced a large eraser from his pocket. This caused the zoners to freeze. They took a few steps back, their bodies shivering in fear.

Rudy exchanged a look of horror with Penny and Mrs. Sanchez. The two female humans looked as though they wanted to say something, but they found it difficult to get the words out. After what the man said, he couldn’t blame them. He was having a hard time himself. His mind was flooded with different thoughts on what the man was entailing. There were so many possibilities, each one darker and more twisted than the last.

Rudy’s heart nearly turned to ice when he looked at the eraser, noting the blood on it. His mind flashed back to what happened to Helga. That image would forever be etched into his head. Even now as he closed his eyes, he could still see it. Her wide open eyes, her open mouth, the look of agony and horror... It served to remind him of just how insane this man had gotten, and he gave a shiver at the thought of the man potentially doing something worse.

Rudy was at a loss. What should he do? What would be the right thing to do? He looked over at Mrs. Sanchez and Penny, but they appeared to be at as much of a loss as him. They looked to him, and they eyed each other hopefully, each wondering if the other thought of something. There was a noticeable flash of disappointment in each other’s eyes as they realized they were stuck.

The zoners weren’t of much help. The sight of the eraser had greatly unnerved them. Rudy could see them backing away even more, their heads shifting around as if to find an exit. The fact that the zoners were thinking of abandoning them did hurt, but Rudy pushed those thoughts aside for the time being, focusing his attention on Von and trying to figure out what he was going to do. Besides, could he blame the zoners for being so terrified after seeing Helga, arguably the bravest among them, get killed?

It didn’t take him long to come to realize there wasn’t much of a choice here. The man stood next to the box, fully prepared to press or pull any lever. The scientist knew this box, but he did not. If he made one wrong move, the man could push a button and, for all he knew, it would kill any zoner that was still in the building, including his friends.

He wondered briefly why the man didn’t think of using this system before. He soon realized that the man may ahve forgotten all about it. It was possible that he was so worked up over the perpetual motion thing and being mocked that he had just pushed that into the back of his thoughts. It made Rudy wonder if the man had something else up his sleeve, if there was any other hidden things that he needed to worry about. He clenched his teeth, feeling a cold shiver. If that’s the case, then...

Rudy hated the idea of giving into this man. He looked at Mrs. Sanchez and Penny. They looked at him, waiting for him to give a response. He bit his lip and looked away from them, feeling a sense of shame come over him. He couldn’t believe what he was about to do, but he had no choice. It was either this, or several people could potentially get hurt, even die. He had to buy them some time.

“All right then, Von...” Rudy said softly. He lowered his head slightly, a way of showing some level of submission towards him. “What do you want me to do?” He glared at him, showing Von he was still not pleased with him.

“Ah, I knew you would do zee right zing.” Von commented. He looked quite happy with Rudy’s choice, a thought that brought nausea to Rudy’s stomach. “I won’t azk much of you. I...”

“No! Rudy! You can’t!” Penny cried out. She struggled against her mother’s grasp. Though she never got free, she continued to jerk herself from side to side. “If he figures out how the magic chalk works, he’s going to produce his own! Do you have any idea what that’s going to do?!”

At this, Mrs. Sanchez shot a horrified look at Rudy. “I-Is that bad...?”

Dr. Von Doktor cut off Rudy before he could respond. “Why good heavenz no!” He placed a hand against his chest, smiling. “It will juzt give me the meanz of taking back my reputation.” He then held his hand out in gesture. “And of courze, it will alzo allow me to better zpread zee word of ziz world. Going back and forz would be time conzuming. But...” He raised a finger up. “If I could make my own...”

The man fell silent, smiling at everyone. He was letting them sink this into their heads, letting them get the full impact of what he was implying. The zoners and humans looked at one another, and then back at the scientist. Their eyes were wide in shock and horror and surprise. Well except Penny, who must have known more about the man’s plans than they did. Rudy stared at her sympathetically, wondering what she must have felt like when the man tried to get her to help him do this.

He glared back at Von, baring his teeth. Although he realized the situation was still dire, though he knew he didn’t have a choice, he felt the strong urge to resist. This was worse than just merely letting him have the magic chalk. If he could produce his own...

...then it mattered not if they kick him out of ChalkZone or not. If he learned how to make them, if he figured out whatever secret was behind the magic chalk, then he could just make a new stick and come back in. He could make as many as he wanted to, and share it with the world. He might even share the recipe, allowing for more people to create magic chalk.

And they coud alter the recipe. They could create new types of magic chalk if they wanted to and tried hard enough. They might be able to create something more dangerous than the red chalk. The thought caused ice to shoot through his veins.

Mrs. Sanchez broke the silence. “You would do something so careless?”

Dr. Von Doktor sneered at her. “Zere’z nozing carelezz about it. I am zimply sharing a dizcovery with zee world. Everyone dezervez a chanze in...”

“You have no idea what you’d be doing!” Penny cried. “What about the zoners? The people who already live there?”

Von scoffed at this. “Zey can learn to adapt.”

“And the humans? What if someone drew a dangerous weapon and brought it into the Real World?” Rudy asked, raising an eyebrow. “How do you suppose we deal with that?”

Mrs. Sanchez’s eyes widened in horror at this. “What?” She looked back at Von and said, “You’re willing to let that happen? Do you feel fine with a potential mass murder on your hands?”

A dark chuckle and a snort. “I zink you are all overreacting.” Von stared at the piece of magic chalk. “Zeze zingz can be neutralized by water. If anyone getz out of hand...” His smile broadened. “Zey can juzt use water and problem zolved!” He lifted up his head and looked over at Rudy. “Zo, wiz zat reassuranze, shall we begin, boy?”

Rudy shook his head. “It’s too risky. I can’t let you get that information.” Von frowned at this. “If I allow you to have that kind of data, and it spread, who knows what kind of damage would result from that... As the protector of that world, I forbid you from other gaining that knowledge.”

Von burst out into laughter. “What? You forbid me?!” He bent his knees slightly, slapping one thigh with his free hand. “You...you zeriouzly zink you can order me like zat?!’ After a few more laughs, the man started to settle himself down. After a few quick intakes of breath, he sneered at Rudy. “Oh how you are going to regret zat...”

Rudy formed a fist with his left hand. “I would regret it more if I agreed to help you..”

Von snorted at this. “Iz zat zo? Well zen...” He took a step forward. His shadow seemed to almost cover Rudy as the man straightened his back more, an attempt to show some dominance over him. “Let me azk you a question...”

Although Rudy could feel the tension rising up, he stood his ground. “Oh yeah? And what is that?”

Von gave a quick laugh. He then suddenly stopped and narrowed his eyes at Rudy. “How much blood do you zink you will lose if I were to...remove zat...?”

Rudy’s face paled at this.

“What?! Are you crazy?! Do you have any idea what that will do?!” Mrs. Sanchez cried in horror.

“Oh yez, I am quite aware.” Von said in a darkened voice. “All zee more reason for zee boy to lizten to me.” He sneered at the woman, smirking at her horrified and angered expression. He then looked back at Rudy. He took a step forward, holding his hand ou towards the boy. “Zo tell me, Rudy. What do you zink iz zee bezt zolution? Would you really be willing to give up your life for zee zake of zome chalk drawings?”

Rudy felt his heart freeze at this. He stared at the man in fear. He felt his body start to shiver. He tried his best to stop, but it was useless. He only shook harder as emotion filled up inside of him. The realization of what this meant struck him hard.

“Great Creator! What are we going to do?!” Called out one of the zoners.

“Rudy!” Penny’s voice was filled with terror. “Leave him alone, Von!”

“I’ll be glad to... Provided zat he givez me what I want.” Replied Von.

“That’s not fair! You’re threatening an innocent chi...” Mrs. Sanchez was not able to finish her sentence. It was cut off when the man gave a quick, cold and bitter-laced laughter.

“Innozent?! Do you honeztly zink I’m zat ztupid? Are you zat delusional? Ziz boy iz not innozent!” Dr. Von Doctor said. The smile faded away mostly from his face, reflecting the true anger that laid beneath it. He glared from the woman, to Penny, to the zoners, and then back to Rudy. Still addressing the others, he said, “Ziz boy haz been zuch a zorn in my zide. I have every right to defend myzelf.”

Penny growled at this. “You aren’t defending yourself! You’re threatening a little boy! It doesn’t matter if Rudy ruined your reputation or not!” At this, Von snarled. Rudy shot Penny a look, silently begging her to stop. But the girl went on. “You are still going too far! What do you think will happen when word of this gets out? Do you think that we will keep quiet about it?!”

Von was silenced at this. He stared at Penny, his mouth pressed shut. Rudy glanced at the man, and then back at Penny, his eyes wide in shock. He couldn’t believe he didn’t think of that before. Why didn’t think of trying this? The man does not want to go to jail; that was evident by how stunned and uncertain he seemed right now. Perhaps there was a chance that they could turn things around after all. Maybe they could convince Von that his quest simply wasn’t worth it and get him to back down.

As much as Von hated him, there was no way the man wasn’t aware of how much more damage being in jail would cause. It was one thing to be considered a lunatic. People would simply crack jokes at his expense. But if he ended up convicted... If word got out about what he had done to other human beings... Well, people certainly would not be joking anymore. They would treat him like a legitimate threat and have him hunted down if he tried to escape justice. And even after, or if, he gets bailed, he would find his freedoms stripped down and he would find it much harder to locate any work or job. As soon as he even tried to pull off another scheme, someone would be there to stop him. He would have nowhere to run.

Realizing that they may have finally reclaimed the upperhand, Rudy smiled at Von. The man frowned back at him, but he made no attempt to speak. He guessed the man must have come to realize how screwed he was, how he had been boxed into a corner. Even the zoners smirked, obviouslly feeling confident that things were going their way again.

“We would like to make a deal with you, Dr. Von Doktor.” Rudy said coolly. He turned to smile at Mrs. Sanchez and Penny. They smiled back at him and nodd their heads, gesturing for him to continue. Rudy turned his head so he could look at Von again. “You can give up your ridiculous quest. You can go back to the way things were before. You can go back to trying to figure out perpetual motion. You can let all of us go, including my zoner friends, and give back the magic chalk and never try to set foot inside ChalkZone.”

The man narrowed his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Rudy raised his hadn up. He was not yet done with him.

“And we promise not to leak a word of this the authorities. No one will ever have to know about your involvement in what happened to us.” Rudy glanced down at his own wound, flinching slightly. He looked back at Mrs. Sanchez, looking at the chemical burns on her body. He narrowed his eyes and looked back at Dr. Von Doktor. “But if you attempt to break our little deal...” He turned himself more so he could fully face the man. He puffed his chest up slightly to make himself look bigger. "We will make sure that everyone knows what you did. Even if you stop me and my group here..." The boy make an effort to swing his arm towards Mrs. Sanchez, Penny, and the zoners. "There's still someone out there who will be able to tell the authorities what you did." He smirked as he continued, "You're not exactly above the law, now are you? I know you must be quite smart and intelligent, but even you are no match against the authorities if word of this gets out."

Dr. Von Doktor growled at this. His teeth were bared and he took a step back. Rudy just smiled at them, giving him a look that told him how screwed he was. The man was going to have no choice except surrender. There was literally nothing else that could save him now.

He might think that he had them all trapped, but there was one person he had not taken account for. And that was his aunt. As frustrated as he was with Aunt Tilly, her cautiousness about ChalkZone would come in handy if she realizes he was gone for a while. Although odds were against him that she'd trace him back here, it was still something. A trump card the man hadn't seem to consider.

For several moments, there was nothing but silence. He heard some chuckles from the zoners, who had resumed their defensive postures. The injured one was doing his best to ignore the pain, staring at the man with gritted teeth. He looked ready to pay the man back for what he had done. Mrs. Sanchez and Penny had gotten a little closer, their narrowed eyes focused directly on the man. Rudy had no doubt in his mind that they would take action should the man charge forward and try something.

After what felt like several more minutes of silence, of Von glaring angrily at him, his fist tightened against his body, Rudy folded his arms against his chest, giving him a mischievous smile. "So Dr. Von..." He tilted his head to one side. "What shall it be?"

Rudy watched as the scientist's eyes narrowed further. He watched as his teeth clenched and he noticed his face turning red. Rudy felt his heart skip a beat this. He knew full well how dangerous Von could be if angered enough, especially since he had the most reason to go after him. Still, he did not move, not willing to show submission towards this madman. He would not allow him to get any kind of edge over him. Now it was his turn to make the tough decision. It was him who had been pushed into submission. No amount of anger will change that.

But as the seconds passed, as the man's body shook harder, his eyes narrowing further, Rudy couldn't stop the tension and fear from rising up inside of him. The man looked enraged, like he was about ready to attack. Rudy found himself taking a step back, but still holding his ground. He kept his arrogant smile on his face, doing his best to hide his fear and nervousness.

Suddenly, the man's body relaxed. All signs of anger just washed away in a few seconds. An eerie smile plastered over his face. The sudden change was so creepy, that it caused everyone to take a step back, their looks of determination replaced with confusion and uncertainty. Then the man chuckled, and they all looked at one another, wondering if the man had completely lost it.

The man laughed for several seconds, his hand against his chest. Rudy noticed what appeared to be a tear in the man's eyes. But not one of pain or sadness or fear. But one of extreme happiness or amusement. Rudy couldn't help but frown at the man in confusion. Just what was he finding so hilarious? What brought this on?

After the man was finished laughing, he looked back at the others. The eerie smile that was etched onto his face caused shivers to go up and down their spines. Even more unnerving was the fact that the man was still angry. There were still hints of anger underneath that smile. If the glow in his eyes didn't give it away, then his slight shivering did. The man was barely holding himself back. This was barely a few percentages of the anger he was feeling. Rudy bit his lip. A part of him wanted to say something, but the other was too scared to do so.

The others weren't doing so well either. The confidence had rapidly faded from the zoners. They were back to being terrified, and he watched as their bodies hunched, preparing to defend themselves in case the man rushed towards them. Mrs. Sanchez put her arms around her daughter protectively. She glared at the man, giving him a silent warning to stay away. Penny looked at Rudy worriedly. The look in her eyes told Rudy to get away, but the boy's feet would not obey his commands.

Then, after a long, tense silence, the man began to speak.

sss

"Zat'z funny. Zat is really funny. You really had me going zere. You almost had me believing zat you zought you had zee upper hand. You zought you could box me into a corner, zat you figured out all zee loopholes and you left nozing out. I'm sure you are all juzt zelebrating inzide zoze headz of yourz, commenting about how ztupid I am and how I would never figure away out of your little deal."

Dr. Von Doktor sneered at the humans and zoners that had confronted him in this room. He couldn't wipe the smile on his face. It just kept ticking wider and wider, amusement overpowering, making it hard not to laugh.  
It was amusing how Rudy thought he had figured it all out, that he knew exactly how to stop Von and prevent him from going forth with his plans. He had to give the boy some credit. He and his little pals did think quite thoroughly with this. It was true that the authorities would be quite a hindrance. The boy was smart to think of using that as a threat. However, the boy didn't take into account just how smart he himself was, and how clever he could be. Soon he was going to regret not being careful.

The man felt anger boiling in his blood. He could still feel its chilling effects on his mind, causing several shivers to go up and down his spine repeatedly. There was seemingly no end in sight. But despite that, despite the urge to rush towards the boy and give him what he deserved, the man kept himself still, resisting the temptation to attack. That would get him nowhere. However, quite often, words were more powerful than action. The boy was going to learn this the hard way.

He smiled at them, looking at their confused and shocked expressions. He paced back and forth in front of them, eyeing them up and down. He looked for any sign of resistance, anything that would tell him one of them began to speak. But it was nothing but dead silence. His smile broadened at this. Good. Seemed he was getting somewhere now.

"I zink you should all reconzider your...idea. I have zomezing even better." Dr. Von Doktor said. He placed a hand against himself. "And truzt me. You will love ziz." He narrowed his eyes slightly, his mouth remaining ticked into a smile. "How about I give you a deal of my own? You tell me what I want to know. You help me find out how zee magic chalk workz. You help me create zome to begin the mazz production. Izn't zat a much better deal?"  
Rudy gritted his teeth. "Why should we do that? What kind of hold could you possibly have over us?"

"Well..none on her." Von wasn't sure what the vet's stance on this was, or how far she was willing to go. But Rudy and Penny, they were different stories. And the zoners too, especially. "But you two..." He pointed at Rudy and Penny. The two children exchanged glances with each other before glaring back at them. "Zay...how much do you care about zem?" He pointed at the two zoners. "And zee ozerz?"

This got the desired result. He watched their faces drained of some color, their eyes darting around at each other and then back at him. He watched as fear began to watch over their faces, causing him to smirk broader. He didn't have to say it for him to know they realized the balance of power had shifted again, this time, back to where it belonged.

"What...what are you going to do...?" Penny asked, her voice edged with fear.  
Dr. Von Doktor just smiled at this. "Oh, nozing much. I could just, I don't know, flood the hallways wiz water."

At this, there was an instant clamor. The zoners both let out a scream of terror. They immediately ran off, trying to find an exit out of the room. Mrs. Sanchez looked a little shocked, but just as he had predicted, she was the least worried of them. But Rudy and Penny... Their reaction was the most satisfactory. The screaming zoners were one thing, but it was obvious they were just trying to save their own skins. Rudy and Penny, however, cared about that world on a deep level, and they seemed to have a number of these zoners friends. His threat...it hit them on a deeper level than even the zoners themselves.

Rudy and Penny immediately began to plead with him not to do it. They begged with him to reconsider, saying how horrible of an idea that it was and asked him if he knew what he was doing. He just sneered at them, listening to them banter at him, begging him to not go through with that idea. Ah, this was music to his ears. In his triumphant glee, the man was completely unaware of just how insane he had gotten.

"It wouldn't take too much. If I were just...pull ziz zing here..." Dr. Von Doktor went towards the wall, towards the fire alarm that hung there. He motioned his hand towards it, putting it dangerously close to to the lever. "Zee alarm will activate, and the zprinkler zyztem will go on." He looked at Rudy and Penny's horrified eyes when he said this. "I know zat you two will be unharmed. But I have to wonder about your friendz." He sneered at the two frightened zoners. "Juzt how lucky will zey be?" He looked back at Rudy and Penny. "Do you want to find out?"

"No!" Rudy and Penny cried out in unison. They took a few steps towards the man, reaching out towards him as if they hoped to grab him and stop him.

"No? You don't want zat?" Dr. Von Doktor said, feigning sadness. "Izn't zat a shame?" He raised an eyebrow when he looked at Penny. "I zought at leazt you would be interezted."

Penny shook her head, gritting her teeth nervously. "Please, Von! You can't do that!"

Rudy said, "Please.. don't do it. You have no idea what you're doing. Please.."

Dr. Von Doktor raised an eyebrow. "I promize you. I am well aware of what I'm doing." He tilted his head to one side. "Zee true queztion is do you know what you'll be doing? I will give you all a choize and I do hope zat you will take zee time and zink over it well."

The man went silent for a few moments. He wanted to relish in this victory. He wanted to prolong this. Rudy and his friends really did think they had the upper hand, and now he was going to tear all of that down. He was going to make sure that they never got a chance to get away with their threat. He would leave them boxed into a corner, letting them feel just how helpless they really were.

No one was going to outsmart him this time. No one was going to keep him from obtaining what he truly deserved. No one was going to be able to stop him from obtaining the information he so desired, from spreading the word that everyone had the right to know. The two brats might have gotten away with being stupid and selfish for a while, but all that was about to end. And he was going to start it off by rendering their threat completely useless.

"If any of you call zee polize on me, if you even zink about it, zen I will pull ziz lever here." Von placed his hand on the lever, his fingers wrapping around it tightly. When he spoke again, his voice darkened a little, showing them just how much intent he had with what he was about to do. "I do hope that your zoner friendz can zwim."

Everyone in the room froze in horror, staring at him wide-eyed. Their faces paled, even Mrs. Sanchez's, as the full meaning of the man's threat impacted them. Von merely sneered at them, waiting for the answer he knew they were going to give. As he waited, he couldn't help but feel a warm sensation of pride in his chest, making himself straighten his body out, showing just how dominant and in control of the situation he was.

Oh yes, he was certain he had the upper hand this time. Nothing was going to stop him. There was no way that they were going to be able to worm their way out of this one. And when he saw the children bow their heads slightly, he grinned, knowing that he had won.

"Please, Von..why do you have to do this?" Mrs. Sanchez spoke up after being silent for a while. "Can't you see how much you're upsetting them? Why do you have to be this way? Can't we..."

Dr. Von Doktor shook his head. "I had given zem plenty of chanze. Zey were the ones who dezided to ignore my attemptz at being negotiatable. I am giving zem one more offer, but if zey refuse..." He turned to glare at Rudy and Penny. "All betz are off."

Rudy bit his lip nervously, looking at his friend. They appeared to be trying to find answers with each other, but neither of them appeared to have any ideas. They glanced at the zoners, who were pressed against the wall, as far away as they could go, watching fearfully. They looked back at Von, their eyes wide and pleading. Von merely smirked at them, folding his arms and staring at them expectantly.

When Rudy opened his mouth to speak, Von leaned in, eagerly awaiting to hear Rudy's terms of surrender. He wondered just what pitiful words the boy would speak, any final begs and pleads he might have. He was going to enjoy this.

"Von, I..."

Here it comes.

"You have to understand. We..."

Suddenly, before the boy could get another word in edgewise, there was a series of clangs and screams and thuds. It was coming from right above them. They tilted their heads back and looked up towards the ceiling. They moved their heads as the noise seemed to dart from one side to the other, as if something was being tossed around over and over again, as if in a sling shot. Then there was a louder clang, the sound of something snapping and breaking, and then a loud scream filled the room.

Von had no time to react when something heavy hit against him. He was pushed into the ground with full force. His chin slammed against the floor, and he yelped when he bit into his own tongue. There was a small choir of moans and groans before he fell limp for a few seconds, just laying there as his stunned body came to the full realization of what just happened to him.

After a few seconds and riding out the initial pain, the man lifted up his head and looked up at what had impacted him. His eyes widened, just as shocked as everyone else was.

It was Snap and his friends.


	35. Repossessions

Collecting your losses works both ways.

sss

It took Snap a while to regain his bearings. Falling down from such a height was not what he was expecting to happen. The impact of the fall had knocked some of the wind out of him, and even if it didn’t, the pain from the collision was enough to stun him for several moments. As he laid there, he recalled just what had led up to this incident.

He had located one of the zoners in the hallway. Apparently there was an incident with the sirens that caused them all to flee. Well almost all of them. Snap didn’t want to label them all as cowards for letting something like that get to them, and he realized it wasn’t just the sirens; it was Dr. Von Doktor himself. His act of killing Helga must have had them all spooked already and the siren was just the icing on the cake. The thing that pushed them over the edge.

He and the zoner wandered the hallways, and eventually they ran into the others. The set of circumstances were strange. First of all, another alarm activated, which caused them to become trapped in a strip of the hallway itself. The zoner he was with panicked, and he had tried to calm him down. It was a good thing he did not, though, as, in his panic, the zoner managed to tear down a part of the wall which covered up the doors. Snap had to give Von credit for thinking of something like that. A cheap way of detaining his ‘guests’. He wondered why the man didn’t use this system before, but it was entirely possible he had simply forgotten about it.

He and the zoner had used the ventilation system to try to get to another part of the building. It was this way that he found Rapsheeba, Howdy, and, though more exploration, the others. There were still several zoners missing, however, and Snap decided it was best to regroup. He didn’t want there to be a chance that Von could get another one of them. But he also agreed that getting Blocky to safety was a good idea, so they repeated Howdy’s apparent plan and split up again, only different this time.

Rapsheeba, Howdy, and Blocky, carried by the large zoner from before, were to go off on their own again. The others, instead of splitting off into smaller groups, they’d stay as one and focus on gathering the lost zoners. Then they would so something that he wished they had tried before.

Go to the monitor room and look at the cameras. There is a chance that the room with the chalkboard would be on there. They could identify the room, look at a map if they could find one, and go there.

However, the plan didn’t go quite so smoothly. During exploration in the vents, they hit a snag. One ventilation shaft was quite weak. It broke under the pressure from all the weight. Snap hadn’t taken that into account and down they fell. He could still feel the thumps and bumps against his body as he had hit hard surface after hard surface.

Now here he laid, in a large pile on the ground with the other zoners. He could hear their groaning all arond him. He coughed a couple of times and pushed himself up on his hands. He shook his head and lifted it up. He looked around to see where they were.

Another room, not the one with the portal unfortunately. He did see some open box on the wall with several buttons and levers, as well as a fire alarm. The sight of it made him shudder, knowing full well what it could do.

And then, seconds later, he realized he wasn’t alone. There were a few extra bodies in here.

Rudy and Penny were standing not far. They were staring at him in shock. Snap’s eyes widened when he saw the nail in Rudy’s stomach, partially protruding out. Although he was standing mostly fine, a few twitches of his eye and a few wobbling indicated that Rudy was in a lot more pain than he was letting on. Penny, thankfully, didn’t seem to be as hurt. But the sight of her bandages, much like what Rudy had, did make him flinch.

There were two other zoners in here. He didn’t recognize who they were. He guessed they were a couple that had run off from the alarm and they must have run into Rudy and Penny somehow. Sheer luck perhaps? Quite possible.

Mrs. Sanchez was also present. Snap was shocked to see her in her current state. There were several burns on her body. That’s what got most of his attention. The burns didn’t look like they were caused by fire. Something about them was different. What could have happened to her to make her look like that? And just how far did the damage extend? What was she even doing here in the first place? When did she arrive and how long was she here?

But all that was pushed into the back of his mind when he turned his head around towards distinct groaning and he saw just how they had landed on.

It was Dr. Von Doktor.

Snap, feeling his chest sting with anxiety, immediately got up to his feet. He took several steps back, along with the other zoners that had gotten up, and stared in shock. Of all the places for them to land, it just had to be right here. Right in the fire zone.

Snap’s body shivered in fright. He was not expecting to land near Von like this. He was not prepared. He didn’t even know what kind of room they were in. How could they even begin to prepare now? He didn’t know what those buttons did. What if they...? He managed to climb up to his feet, his legs wobbly and shaky. He stared at the man, taking a defensive stance as he tried to do what he could to at least partially prepare for whatever lashing the man was going to give them.

Dr. Von Doktor had gotten back up to his feet. He brushed himself off and he stared out at the large pile of zoners that had appeared in the room. His eyes were wide and his mouth dropped open. For the time being, all he did was look left and right, as if taking in the sight all around him. Snap remained tense, knowing that, at any second, the man could take action.

The zoners around him took a few steps back, staring cautiously at the man, looking at each other uncertainly. Snap could hear them murmur with each other. Some were wondering what they were going to do. Others wondered what Von was going to do to them. Some expressed concern of more people getting injured. He overheard Rapsheeba and Howdy wonder what was going to happen to Blocky. The humans remained utterly silent save for the single whispered ‘Snap?’ from his two friends.

He looked back at them. They exchanged expressions that each held a similar, worried message. Snap wanted to rush over towards them, get an update, give them an update, and discuss what they should do. But with Dr. Von Doktor now standing, now glaring as the full realization of what just happened dawned on him, that wasn’t an option anymore. Reluctantly, Snap turned his gaze back to Von and stared at him, waiting for him to say something.

Von narrowed his eyes dangerously, striking fear into the hearts of the zoners. Most of them backed off, while a couple, including Snap himself, frowned and tried to be as brave as they could in the face of the unpredictable scientist. “I waz not expecting any kind of company. I have to wonder how you zonerz managed to find your way here.”

No one responded to that. The zoners either frowned or moved away, and the humans didn’t try to say anything. Everyone was well aware that a single wrong move was all that it would take to shift things in..well in an even less pleasant way.

Von didn’t take too kindly to the silence. He let out a soft growl, his eyes flickering with something. Snap tensed his body up, wondering just how far the man was willing to go. The look in his eyes strongly suggested a rapidly deteriorating mind. He wondered just how far gone the man was now, and how desperate he currently was. What was he and his friends and the others supposed to expect from him now?

“I muzt zay...” The man smiled eerily. But it was a mostly bitter smile, barly hiding the scowl. “You really had me going, Rudy.” Snap looked at him in confusion. Rudy? What was he talking about? “Had me zinking you were helplezz...” The man turned his attention towards the boy. At his glare, Rudy took a step back, returning the glare. There was a slight wobble as he flinched, most likely due to the pain. “Perhapz you were more clever zan I had given credit for.”

“I..don’t know what you’re...talking about.” Rudy hissed. Neither did Snap, or anyone else for that matter.

Von cocked up an eyebrow. “Oh don’t be zo modezt, boy! Don’t try to hide your...geniuz from me!” Despite his anger, the man managed a somewhat lighthearted chuckle. His hand was placed against his chest. “I know talent when I zee it! And you, Rudy..” He waved his hand towards Rudy, gesturing to him, giving a soft chuckle. “Ziz plan of yourz really iz quite zpecial!”

Snap exchanged looks with the other zoners. He looked at his zoner pals, and then at his human friends as well as Mrs. Sanchez. Everyone gave similar looks of confusion and unertainty. None of them appeared to be able to make sense with what the man was talking about. Where was he getting the idea that this was all Rudy’s plan?

“Tricking me into ztaying here. Fooling me into zinking you were zo worried, all the while knowing that your friendz here would come find you. Really, I muzt congratulate you! Really imprezzive, Rudy! I can zee why Terry Bouffant had trouble wiz you.”

Rudy glanced nervously at Penny before looking back at Von and saying, “You misunderstand. I had nothing to do with...”

Von raised an eyebrow. “I don’t zee why you are trying to deny what you have done, Rudy. But no matter.” His smile had disappeared swiftly, his eyes darkening as his anger started to become more apparent on the surface. “I cannot allow your little plan to come into full fruition. Zo az much az I am imprezzed by ziz, I really need to...pull zee plug.”

Without warning, the man rushed over towards the fire alarm. Snap felt his heart skip a bit when he saw this. Immediately, he whipped himself around and faced the other zoners.

“Everybody! Run!”

As soon as he said that, as soon as the zoners all let out a horrified cry and started to move away, he heard the clang of something hard hitting againt something of equal toughness. There was an immediate ringing sound going off all around them. The sprinkler system above them all turned on, showering Real World water down upon them.

It was immediate chaos after that. The zoners all started to scramble to get away. Screams and shouts filled the other, some in fear, others trying to help someone else get to safety. Rudy and Penny’s cries were intermixed, shouting in horror, calling out friends’ names. Mrs. Sanchez was mostly silent, but she looked on in horror as the water began to pummel the zoners.

Snap winced in pain as he felt some of the water droplets hit him. Thankfully he moved fast enough to avoid too much damage, but the water droplets that did land on him still burned. He found it hard not to scream when some more sensitve areas were hit. He kept his hands over his head, trying his best to protect that vital area. He managed to move towards one of the corners in the room where the water did not hit. He looked around, his heart racing faster as he saw the chaos play out before him.

Some of the zoners, such as Rapsheeba, Howdy, and Blocky, carried by another zoner, had gotten to safety. They were pressed back against the wall, going as far as entering 2D mode just to avoid as much of the Real World water as possible. For obvious reasons, Rudy, Penny, Mrs. Sanchez, and Von didn’t move. Snap could see them all getting drenched as the water dribbled down their faces and hair and clothes. The sight of it, despite the fact that humans don’t get hurt with Real World water, was unsettling. He couldn’t help but imagine what would occur if that happened to a zoner.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what he was treated with only moments later...

The screams that filled the air were unsettling. He felt chills going up and down his spine. He covered his ears, trying to block it out. But it was impossible. No matter how hard he pressed his hands against his ears, he was still forced to listen to the horrific cries and screams. He made the mistake of opening one of his eyes and they shot open, unable to close and hide him from the gruesome sight all around him.

The zoners that didn’t make it to safety in time were being bombarded by the constant, unrelenting rain. Steam rose from the deepening, various wounds that were forming. Blood dripped down, much of it being washed away by the Real World water but was no less gruesome or disturbing.

Many of the zoners collapsed onto the ground as their bodies were being destroyed. Arms were melted off, some dropping to the ground. Blood splattered from the severed limbs. Heads were being dissolved, the brains exposed for a few seconds before they, too, were melted. Some zoners’ feet as the water reached a certain thickness on parts of the ground were dissolved causing the zoners to fall down to the ground. Some faces hit against the water and when they were lifted up, Snap struggled not to vomit at the sight of exposed muscle and eyes nearly spilling out of their sockets.

And the screams just continued. Snap found it hard to hold back his tears as he watched his fellow zoners perish like this. While a few did finally make it to safety, most of them were too heavily damaged to survive long. He watched their bodies crumple to the ground, bleeding out from the various bloody burned holes in their bodies, some uncomfortably large, or from one or more severed limb injuries.

Soon the screaming did finally die off, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence. Except for the heavy panting and the crying and whimpering, it was dead silent. Snap, who had eventually shut his eyes due to the horrific scene before him, forced himself to open up his eyes slightly and looked around, surveying the damage.

Snap gasped in horror at the horrific sight that laid before him. There was a massive pool of blood everywhere, although it had taken on a pink shade as the water drained and diluted it. In fact, that was all that was there in the center where the water hit the hardest. But that’s what made it very gruesome, bone chilling to look at. Snap, and everyone else knew, that just a few moments ago, there were several zoners standing there. And now, they had been completely washed away, erased from existence. That alone, was far more horrific than almost anything else they could think of.

And that wasn’t even getting into the survivors...

Some of them were relatively unharmed, if not just a little worse than him or his friends. But many of them had large, bloody holes in their bodies and had a lot of blood coming out of them. Some were worse than others, missing limbs or parts of their heads or backs. Some were laying on the ground, screaming in agony, begging for death. Some of them got their wish, perishing not long after they crawled out from where the water kept sprinkling down.

Snap found it difficult to look away. He couldn’t even attempt to block out the sound. It was etched into his mind, and he felt his body start to shake. He couldn’t believe that this just happened. Von, he had just committed mass murder...

He glanced over at his friends. He watched as Raspheeba and Howdy looked on in horror, their eyes bulging, pupils shrinking. Rudy and Penny were no better. Their bodies quaked as emotion rushed through them. He could see tears in Penny’s eyes, and he was certain this was true for many people here. Mrs. Sanchez stared with an open mouth, putting her hands to it as she looked on with wide eyes.

Snap then turned to stare at Dr. Von Doktor. The man just stared at the scene before him. His expression was relaxed, as if nothing was going on. No smile, no frown. Just an expressionless look as he watched carelessly as a few more zoners died from their wounds. It was almost like, to the man, it was just another day for him.

The tranquility of the man’s expression, his misplaced calmness in the face of what he had caused, the fact that he was brushing this off as nothing, it was enough to make Snap start to feel the sting in his stomach grow stronger. He gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes as thoughts raced through his head. How could he do something like this? How could he willingly turn on the sprinkler system when he might have known what it would have done? How could he just write this off as if it as no big deal?

“Y-You...you just...” Came Howdy’s shaky voice.

“You just killed them...” Rapsheeba finished the zoner’s train of thought. “Just like that... You killed them. How..how could you do something that cruel..?”

Von merely shrugged his shoulders. “It waz quite eazy. Why should I care about a bunch of ztupid drawingz?” He motioned with his hand. “Bezides, it waz zeir own dang fault for getting in zee way. Zey should have ran when zey had zee chanze.”

“You!” Rudy whipped his head towards Von, his lips curled back into a snarl. “You murderer! I’ll...” Suddenly Rudy let out a loud whimper of pain as he clutched his stomach.

Penny took notice of this and immediately rushed over. “Rudy...?” She grabbed onto Rudy’s arm and did her best to support him. “Rudy, are you okay?”

Snap turned his head and looked out at Rudy. He widened his eyes when he saw that there was some blood leaking out of the wound. “Bucko...?” He whispered softly.

Mrs. Sanchez moved closer, looking down at the boy with concern. “I told you we should have looked at that wound earlier, Rudy. Please, let me...”

Rudy raised up his hand. “N-No... I’m fine. Really, I...” The boy coughed painfully a few times. His body gave a couple of shudders, his teeth gritting, seething in pain. “I’m...fine...”

“No, you’re not fine.” Mrs. Sanchez said, narrowing her eyes. “We need to get you help. We need to leave now and get you to a hospital.”

“But...but what about...” Rudy asked, staring up at her.

“We can’t leave our friends!” Penny cried.

“But you two are in trouble here! Do you really think I’m going to let that madman hurt you two?” Mrs. Sanchez asked. Von raised an eyebrow at this. “They will be fine I’m sure! You can just redraw them, but you can’t redraw yourselves. Let’s just get out of here before...”

“No! You don’t understand! They...” Penny started to say.

As Rudy and Penny tried to reason with Mrs. Sanchez, Snap remained frozen in shock at the woman’s words. What was most chilling is that this is how most humans would see zoners. They wouldn’t begin to understand just how precious even a zoner life was, how they were still individuals. If one zoner died, they cannot be revived even with a redrawing. That redrawing would be their own person, their own individual.

And for Penny’s own mother to believe that... That was just...

“Perhapz you should lizten to zee lady, Rudy...”

Snap’s thoughts were interrupted when the man spoke up. Everyone turned their eyes to the scientist as his mouth ticked into a twisted smile. Many shuddered at the flash of insanity in his eyes. Snap watched cautiously, wondering just what the man was going to do now.

“Do you zink I’m going to give up ziz gold mine zo eazily, you bratz? Perpetual motion iz a zing of zee pazt! If I waz going to be rich wiz zat, I’m going to be loaded wiz ziz! Perpetual motion’z got nozing on a world where drawingz come to life!” Von said as he put his hands on his hips. He straightened himself out as if to make himself look taller. “Zo you can just forget it! Bezides...” Von rested his eyes on Rudy. He gave him a look that made most everyone uncomfortable. “I zink you should worry about yourzelf.”

Rudy gritted his teeth at this. “We aren’t backing down! We aren’t going to turn our backs on our friends!” He motioned to the zoners, including Snap, Rapsheeba, Howdy, and Blocky. “They don’t deserve the type of treatment you’ve been giving them! They’re my friends and I would never betray them!”

“That’s right!” Penny took a step forward, keeping her hands gripping onto Rudy to support him. “We have no intention on just letting you endanger our friends like this! We’re not going to let you murder more zoners in cold blood!”

Von shook his head slowly. “It’z only murder if it’z done to humanz. Zem...?” Von looked over his shoulder and stared at the zoners. A single, bitter yet amused chuckle. “Zey are juzt wild animalz.” Snap gritted his teeth. “Zo zerefore, it iz not murder.”

“We’re not animals!” Cried one of the surviving zoners, despite her fear.

“How dare you say such nonsense!” Shouted another zoner.

A third one, despite his wounds, formed fists with his hands, looking as if he was ready for a fight. “I’d like to see you come here and say that to my face!”

Snap stared at the zoners worriedly. He couldn’t believe how foolish they were being right now. Did they not know what might happen if Von decided to put his full attention on them? He turned his attention back to the man. He was sneering at the zoners, although thankfully he didn’t try to go near them. To insure that he didn’t, Snap decided to draw the guy’s attention to him.

“Zuch foolish little animalz. I would expect you to behave like ziz.” Von said as he smirked at the zoners. When some of them growled, he responded with, “Oh and zuch temperz. I zink you should calm yourselvez down a little bit. All I did waz point out zomezing zat you all should have known anyway.”

There was a clamor amongst the group. Snap could hardly tell who said what. He was aware there was an argument, a bunch of zoners telling Von how wrong he was, but much of what was said was mixed together in a sea of voices. The influxion and intent hinted by the voices themselves was the main thing he had to go on to understand what was happening.

He found himself drawn in, as did his friends. They glared angrily at the man, infuriated that he would dismiss zoners in such a fashion. It was clear that, despite having Blocky around to ‘study’, he didn’t learn much about zoners. The fact that he referred to them as ‘animals’ was proof of that. Or perhaps the man did know and he was still purposely pushing it aside, as if the whole thing really didn’t matter all. The thought sickened Snap, making his stomach churn.

This lasted for several moments. The volume just kept getting louder as confusion spread further, frustrations coming to the surface. Snap kept shouting as loud as he could, trying to have his voice heard as he called the man out for his cruelty and how he had no right to demean zoners that way. He became lost in the mess, and for a while, he was unaware of exactly where he was. Even Mrs. Sanchez got in on it, although he was unable to tell if she partially agreed with Von or not.

Suddenly, a shout from Rudy silenced everyone.

“You’re wrong, Dr. Von Doktor! Zoners aren’t animals! And you are an idiot of you think otherwise!”

It wasn’t so much the words, but the shere volume of Rudy’s voice that caused the zoners and humans to freeze. The boy was like a living boombox, somehow able to raise his voice above everyone else’s. They all stared at him in shock as the boy panted a few times, obviously having used up quite a bit of energy to speak that loudly.

Dr. Von Doktor stared at Rudy. “An idiot, you zay?” The man slowly turned himself around. He stared off at the boy, folding his arms. “Tell me more about ziz, boy.”

Rudy didn’t hesitate. “You...you think that you are so special, don’t you? You think that just because you have a fancy lab coat and a fancy laboratory that you can determine what is real and what isn’t? What is just a ‘beast’ and what is sentient? If you had half a brain, Von, you’d know that these zoners are just as sentient as you and me! They aren’t just mere creatures for you to exploit and make a profit off of! They deserve much more than that! It is really quite depressing that you are unable to understand that. I would have thought that someone of your callabor would figure this out much faster. I guess I was wrong on that!”

Snap and the others stared in silence. Rudy had never sounded this angry before. His voice was practically overflowing with emotion. Could they blame him? No. The boy’s anger was but a mere reflection to how they all were feeling. Snap was fully aware of just how scary Rudy can get if angered enough, and it would seem that Von had managed to succeed in that.

But it would seem that Rudy wasn’t the only one of the two who was getting significantly angerier. Everyone but Rudy noticed Von’s trembling and his eyes beginning to blaze in anger. His heart pounding, Snap turned to Rudy.

“Bucko!” Snap cried. “Be careful! He...”

But Rudy did not listen. He continued to rant off at the old man, his anger getting the better of him, the agony he was in clouding his judgment. “You deserve to have your reputation taken from you! You deserve all the mocking you have gotten! It was your own damn fault that it happened to you! If you had just listened to me and realized that I ‘discovered’ perpetual motion by mistake and just let me and my creation go, this wouldn’t have happened! You should have listened! You should have paid more attention! But I guess that’s too much ask for, isn’t it?!”

“Rudy..” Penny whispered in a warning tone.

Mrs. Sanchez stared at the boy, gritting her teeth. “Knock it off...”

Still, Rudy did not listen.

“You threatened my friends! You hurt them, even killed some of them! And all for what? Just to gain back your reptuation that you so rightfully lost? When people find out what you did to me, to Penny, to Terry, and I know you’re responsible to what happened to Mrs. Sanchez, do you think that they would just let that slide? Face it, Von, you are painting yourself up for failure! Once someone finds out about this, they will not let you off the hook and you will lose more than just your reputation this time!”

For a few moments, the room was silent. Snap, the zoners, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez stared at Rudy in shock. None of them had expected him to get that angry at Von, to snap like that. A few of them wanted to speak up, but no words would come from their mouths. All they could do was stare in shock, unable to speak or even move.

Von glared at Rudy, gritting his teeth. His hands had formed into fists and he looked like he wanted to slap the boy across his face. Thankfully, he remained still, just glaring at him with bared teeth.

Rudy glared back, letting out a small, short growl from his throat. He did not back down, no matter how angry the man seemed to look. He did not avert his gaze, making it very clear that he would not back down from his stance. The boy appeared unaware of the others staring at him in worry and confusion. All he could see right now was Von, and he couldn’t help but smirk.

“How does it feel to be outsmarted by a ten year old boy?” Rudy taunted.

Upon seeing the glow from Von’s eyes, Snap took a sharp intake of breath. No...Rudy did not just... What was he thinking...?

Suddenly, without warning, the man, seemingly having snapped even more than he already had, rushed forward towards Rudy. His feet pounded the ground as he moved too fast for the boy, or for anyone for that matter, to react. Within seconds, he reached Rudy, immediately colliding with him. He smashed Rudy against the nearby wall. The boy let out a grunt as air was forced out of his mouth. Immediately, Rudy began to squirm.

“Rudy!” Snap cried out.

“Get away from him!” Penny shouted as joined her mother and Snap in rushing towards the man to stop him. But they did not get that far.

Rudy’s thrashing froze for a split second, the boy’s eyes bulging wide, as the man pushed his hand against his wound. Rudy let out a sharp gasp, and then screamed as the man gripped onto the end of the object inside of him. Once he got a firm grip on it, despite only being able to grab it with his fingers, the man started to pull on it.

Rudy tossed his head back and screamed before his struggles increased. He struck against the man with his hands, desperately trying to push him back. The zoners watched in horror. None made a move, too shaken up by what had happened to their comrades to lift a finger against the man. But Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy were able to gather up courage and they rushed towards the man. Penny and Mrs. Sanchez followed suit. They shouted at the man to stop, pleading with him to let the boy go.

But their calls fell on deaf ears. Rudy’s screaming increased as the man began to pull the item, which Snap realized, to his horror, was a long, sharp nail, through his stomach. Rudy thrashed harder, tears of pain streaming down his face. Snap and the others moved faster, trying to get there in time. Everything seemed to happen so slowly, the seconds dragging out like minutes.

Then, without warning, before Snap and the others could stop him, Von yanked the nail out completely, creating a bloody hole in Rudy’s stomach.

At this, everyone froze, staring in shock at what had just happened. They couldn’t take their eyes off of Rudy. Everyone was horrified by what had just occurred. There were whispers amongst the zoners if this was really happening or not. Snap glanced over at Penny and his zoner friends, each exchanging a horrified look, and then they glanced back at Rudy.

The boy was holding onto his stomach. Blood was seeping rapidly from it, staining the ground. The boy’s mouth was open as he panted heavily, clearly trying to cope with the pain. Any attempt to hide his agony worked no longer; the boy’s face was constantly contorted in pain, his body refusing to stop shivering. He fell onto his knees, holding himself up with one hand while the other was placed firmly over his wound. He looked over at Dr. Von Doktor with wide eyes, shining with the question of ‘why’?

Dr. Von Doktor smiled down at Rudy as he held up the long, now bloodied nail that had rested inside of him. Rudy’s eyes widened as he stared at the object. Von lifted it up higher, examining it like it were something special. “Zere...zat’z better, izn’t it, Rudy? I’m sure you’re glad to have zat nazty zing out of you.” He lowered the nail slightly as he looked down at the boy. “Am I right? Don’t you feel much better?”

“Oh my g... Rudy!” Penny cried. She immediately rushed over to the boy. She knelt down beside him. “Are you okay?!”

Rudy looked up at Penny. He opened his mouth to speak, but all that would come out was a bit of blood from his mouth corners. The sight of this caused Snap’s stomach to sting. Oh no, Rudy...

Mrs. Sanchez was the next one to reach him. She lowered herself down to the boy’s level. She reachet out and attempted to touch Rudy. The boy looked up at her and let out a high pitched whine before striking her hand away. This act was enough to irritate his wound and he let out a help, gripping his side wound as blood dripped from it.

Snap shook his head in denial. No, this couldn’t be happening... Not Rudy.. No... He looked back at Rapsheeba and Howdy. They exchanged looks of horror with him. He could see just how terrified they were. He could see hints of tears in their eyes, just like Penny had. Snap could feel tears of his own start to surface as he stared back at his creator, watching the boy quiver in pain. Unable to take it any longer, Snap rushed over towards his friend.

“Rudy! Bucko!”

It didn’t take him and his friends long to reach the boy. The few surviving zoners hung back, all five of them staring in shock. The man’s act of hurting Rudy like that, seeing Rudy in that much pain, was enough to keep them back.

Snap sat down onto his knees in front of Rudy. He stared at him in the eyes as he reached over and managed to grab onto Rudy’s shoulder. The boy began to squirm, letting out loud groans of pain. Snap tightened his grip, using his superhero strength that Rudy had designed him with. It wasn’t much, but it did enable him to keep his grip on Rudy.

“Rudy! You’ve got to calm down!” Snap pleaded with him. “Please, settle yourself down before you hurt yourself more!”

“Yeah, listen to him, Rudy!” Howdy said as he reached out and gestured towards Rudy. “I know you can do this. Just relax and we can help you... Please.”

“Calm yourself and everything will be all right.” Said Rapsheeba.

But nothing they said worked. If anything, it just made things worse. Rudy’s struggles increased, making it harder for Snap to hold him still. Snap wasn’t sure what they were going to do. Rudy was in a lot of pain and it didn’t seem like he was going to be able to calm himself down.

Thankfully, Mrs. Sanchez stepped up to the plate before Rudy injured himself more. She grabbed onto him, yanking him from Snap’s grasp, and pushed him into the ground. She used her superior strength to hold the struggling boy. She stared down at him with narrowed, concern-filled eyes. After a few seconds, she began to speak.

“It’s going to be okay, Rudy. You’re going to be fine.” Mrs. Sanchez said softly.

“It hurts too much! Let me go! It hurts!” Rudy snapped, turning his head from side to side. “Stop! Let me go!”

“Shh... You’ll be fine. You’re safe. Everything is going to be fine.” Cooed Mrs. Sanchez, who managed to keep her voice calm and steady despite Rudy’s thrashing and whimpers of pain.

Penny looked at Rudy sadly. She bit her lip as a few tears streamed down them. She leaned in closer and ran her fingers through his hair. “Please listen to my mom, Rudy. She knows what she’s doing. She can help you. It’ll be okay.”

Snap watched the scene in horror, unable to tear his eyes away. He looked to his left and he could see Rapsheeba and Howdy moving closer to the boy, trying their best to comfort him. Snap moved in closer as well, placing his hand on Rudy’s. He watched as the boy squirmed on the ground, feeling his heart skip a beat. First Blocky, then those zoners, now his creator? Where would Dr. Von Doktor stop? Did he even have an off switch? Did he...

Wait... Blocky... Oh no...

Snap looked over behind him. His eyes bulged at what he saw. “Blocky!”

This caused everyone to lift up their heads, save for Rudy, and stare out at where Dr. Von Doktor was. He heard a collection of gasps as everyone realized just what had happened.

Snap realized, with his blood turning to ice, that the man didn’t attack Rudy just because he was angry. He did it so that they would all be distracted so he could make his move. While he and the others tended to Rudy, Von had attacked and killed the zoner holding onto Blocky using the eraser and now the man held the unconscious green zoner in his arms. A triumphant sneer was on his face.

Snap was stunned for several seconds, his mouth wide open. The sight of the zoner he had regarded as a brother being handled in such a way was enough to make his blood heat up. Without thinking, he straightened himself up and he rushed towards Von.

“Give him back!”

Snap wasn’t alone. Hearing more footfalls, he noticed the other zoners, having been worked up enough, had started to rush towards the man as well, ignoring their wounds, a few of them even limping towards the door. He was horrified by this, but he kept his focus on trying to get Blocky back. In a few seconds, he was the first one to reach the man and he lunged at him.

Von caught him by his cape and held him up. Snap gagged and struggled in the air. He heard his friends cry out to him. The man ignored them and focused his eyes on Snap. The two stared at one another for several seconds. Snap bared his teeth at Von and tried to pull himself free. Von pulled his arm back and he threw Snap as hard as he could.

The blue and white zoner screamed as he skidded along the ground, landing painfully in a heap. He heard Rapsheeba call out to him, her footprints indicating her approach. He felt her grab onto him and help him up. Snap shook his head, trying to regain his bearings. He suddenly jerked forward when he heard several screams behind him. He looked over his shoulder. It took all his strength not to scream.

Dr. Von Doktor had used his eraser like a fucking sword, and he mercilessly sliced at the zoners, cutting off a limb and letting them bleed to death. The zoners’ screams and whimpers filled Snap’s head, filling him with horror and despair. Unable to speak, he stared at the man in shere disbelief. Everything was happening so fast. He hardly had any time to react.

“Zo long!” Dr. Von Doktor said, giving a mock salute with the eraser before rushing outside. The door slammed and there was a click sound. It took seconds for everyone to realize that they had just been locked inside the room.

sss

Penny couldn’t believe what had just happened. She watched the door, staring at it in disbelief. Just seconds ago, she and everyone else heard the click sound. The unmistakable signal that the door had been locked. They were all now trapped inside this room with no known way of getting out.

On top of that, Von had taken Blocky with him just before he left. He just...grabbed him and left. Poor Blocky... He had just gotten away from that horrid man and now he was stuck with him again. A part of her hoped he would stay unconscious so he wouldn’t have to be terrified of whatever the man was going to put him through, but another part hoped he woke up soon so he would not be defenseless against Von.

And the other zoners.. They were all killed... Except for Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy, the other zoners were dead. Von had finished off the rest of them, and she had no doubts in her mind that any other zoners that might have been around in the building, if at all possible, were gone. The alarm that the man had pulled would have also activated ones located in different parts of the building. All of them. Penny felt her heart sting as she realized just how little chance there was that any of the other zoners survived.

But she didn’t have time to mourn them. Right now, Rudy needed help. She felt so torn. She wanted to get up and try to open the door to help Blocky, but she also didn’t want to leave Rudy’s side. She stared down at the suffering boy, biting her lip. At the moment, her mother was trying to settle him down, but the boy kept struggling, pain deeply etched onto his face.

Her eyes rested on the bloody hole that Von had given him. It lay closer ot his left side and it was deep and red, the skin looking partially torn. From what she called when the man held the nail, it was rusty, and this caused her to gasp in horror. What if there was infection? Rudy had to get to a hospital fast, before the infection could spread far.

She held onto her friend’s hand, an attempt to comfort him. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. She felt her own water. She couldn’t help but feel responsible for this. Why didn’t she act sooner? Why didn’t she try harder to stop Von from hurting him? She knew she couldn’t blame herself completely; after all, it was that foul man who had done this to her friend. He was the one who had chose to do something like this. But still, she couldn’t help but feel, in a way, responsible for all of this. She couldn’t help but feel guilty.

“Penny.” She heard her mother say. “Try to stop the bleeding.”

Penny looked at the wound again. She could see it was still leaking blood out. The sight of it chilled her. Although not sterile, her own clothes would have to do. She tore off a piece of her skirt and wadded it up into a pad. She was about to apply pressure when something was brought to her attention.

“But if he was skewered...” It was Howdy who spoke. “Wouldn’t that mean there are two bleeding wounds?”

Penny’s eyes widened. Yeah, it did mean that. She couldn’t remember what the protocol was for such a thing. Should they cover up both holes or just one? If just one, which one is the appropiate to cover and which would not do them much good? Penny tried to think of what her mother told her, but unfortunately, she couldn’t think of anything. In her panic, she had forgotten.

“We need to figure something out fast!” Rapsheeba said nervously.

“Rudy! Bucko!” Snap, who had recovered from Von’s attack, rushed back over to them. He knelt down beside Rudy, looking down at his pain etched face. “Speak to me!”

Rudy opened up one eye. He stared over at Snap. His mind clouded by pain, his arms restrained by her mother to ensure he didn’t hurt himself, Rudy expressed his fear another way. He bared his teeth at Snap and let out a low growl. “D-Don’t...touch...m-me...”

Snap’s face flashed with hurt. “Rudy...it’s me. Don’t you recognize me?”

“It’s the pain. It’s starting to take its toll on him.” Penny heard her mom say. “He needs to be restrained so we can help him.” She looked down at Penny. “We’ll focus on the hole on his stomach. We need to keep him on his back so he can breathe.” The woman turned her eyes towards the zoners. “I want you all to do exactly what I saw. Is that understood?”

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy nodded their heads.

“Good.” She looked at Snap. “Hold down his right arm.” She looked at Rapsheeba. “And you, his left.” Her eyes turned to Howdy. “You, try to restrain his head as best as you can. We don’t want him trying to bite anyone.”

Penny felt her heart skip a beat at this. Bite... Just like she and Rudy had bitten each other... The very mention of the word was enough to sting her heart, and bring back uncomfortable memories.

The zoners looked uncomfortable as well. She could not blame them. The idea of Rudy being in so much pain and so desperate that he’d likely resort to biting was unsettling. She couldn’t even trust him to remain calm enough not to do that. Pain could drive anyone mad, and with his arms and legs being restrained, it was the only weapon he had left.

Penny watched as her mom moved towards Rudy’s legs. “I’ll hold down the boy’s legs so he can’t kick anyone.” The vet’s gaze fell upon Penny. “Apply pressure to his wound. Be gentle, and be prepared. He might lurch from the pain, but don’t let up. We need to stop the bleeding.”

Penny nodded her head. She pushed aside the uncomfortable memory as she turned her attention to the open, bleeding wound. She watched as her friend squirmed on the ground, trying to get himself free. Poor Rudy... He was in so much pain... And there was so much blood... The fact that Rudy was still alive did bring some comfort; none of his vital blood vessels had been stricken.

Penny sucked in a deep breath and she placed the torn cloth against his bloody hole. The boy’s eyes immediately widened and he let out a scream, his struggling increasing.

“No! Hold still, Rudy! This is for your own good!” Snap said.

“It’ll be over quickly. We promise!” Howdy said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

Rapsheeba nodded her head as she tightened her grip. “Just hang in there, Rudy. Everything will be okay.”

Penny felt horrible, knowing that her action was increasing Rudy’s suffering. She couldn’t let up too much, though. The bleeding had to be stopped. She whispered soft, comforting words to him as she continued to apply pressure. “It’s okay, Rudy... It’ll be over soon. You’ll feel much better. You’ll see.”

sss

Blocky opened up his eyes slowly. He let out a groan, a pounding headache spreading through his skull. He tried to rub it, but his arms wouldn’t move. He was just too tired, in too much pain to do much of anything. His vision also reflected his pain; everything was just so blurry.

He was so hungry. It felt as if he hadn’t eaten in days. His mouth felt a little dry, as though he hadn’t drank any water either. His stomach churned and stung as his brain desperately tried to make him eat food. But there was little he could do about that. He was just so tired...

He tried to remember what had happened. Where was he? What happened to him? How long had he been asleep? Why did he have this headache? Why did he have any of these body aches? Why did he feel as though he had been a sleep for a very long time? He tried to speak, tried to signal to someone around here to come over and fill him in, but all that would come out were some groans.

He was laying against something hard and cold. He couldn’t make out what it was. His vision hadn’t yet been restored. He could tell he was in some place kinda dark, but it wasn’t excessively so. There was still some light, but despite that, he was having a bit of a hard time seeing his surroundings, to make out any details to identify his location.

He tried to jerk himself to one side to help himself climb to his feet. And what was when he was suddenly wracked in horrific pain. His eyes bulging, tears of pain forming in them, he dropped onto his back once more. He gripped his side, his body twisting and writhing in pain. Oh dear gawd, what had happened to him...?

“I zee you are awake now.” A cold voice said. “I wouldn’t move too much if I were you. You could hurt yourzelf more.”

Blocky froze immediately, his eyes bulging in horror. That voice... That horrible, chilling voice.. He had heard it before. His mind immediately flashed several memories, uncomfortable horrifying memories of this one particular man hurting him. The one that was responsible for him being in this mess.

He looked up at the source of the voice. He could see a shape coming into view. He watched carefully as his wobbly vision slowly came into focus. It took several seconds and multiple blinking of his eyes, but soon he could see who it was that had spoken to him. He felt his heart nearly stop as he realized who it was.

Dr. Von Doktor smirked down at him. “Did you mizz me? I know I mizzed you...”

Blocky immediately began to struggle frantically. He let out several cries of fear. He fought against his own physical pain as he tried to get away. He didn’t get far before the man grabbed onto him and covered his mouth. His cries were muffled as he jerked his head from side to side. But it was no use. The lack of adequate food, water, and the presence of pain caused the rectangular zoner to stop struggling.

Von lowered his head and glared into Blocky’s eyes. “We’re going on a little trip. I need you to be az quiet az pozzible.” Blocky flinched as he felt the man’s hot breath hit his face. “If you give me any trouble...” His voice lowered into a hiss. “Well...I juzt hope you aren’t too attached to life...”

Blocky’s eyes widened in horror at this. All instinct was telling him to struggle, but he managed to keep himself still.

The man stared down at him, tilting his head to one side. “Can I truzt zat you will be zilent?”

Blocky gave a few soft muffles, nodding his head frantically. Von smiled at this and released him. Blocky took in a few quick breaths. His heart began to race against his chest as he felt the man pet him, his hand moving along his forehead and the top of his head. He stared up at him in fear.

“Zat iz a good little animal. Zo long az you continue to be cooperative...” The man caressed his cheek, making him shudder. “You will be juzt fine.”

Blocky wasn’t sure just how fine he would be.


	36. Reveals

Sometimes the best way to help someone is to betray them.

sss

No.. It couldn’t be true. It wasn’t possible. Tilly sifted through her thoughts rapidly, trying to think of something else that made sense. Anything else that would be more comforting.

But no such thing happened. All she was left with was this...this horrid conclusion. She couldn’t shake the thoughts out of her mind, of what if, of what she could have done to prevent this. There was so much that she could have done, so many ways this could have gone that wouldn’t have resulted in this... But still it happened, and there was nothing she could do to reverse time and fix it.

Rudy, Penny, and Inez were all...missing.

She felt a lump in her throat as the thought repeated itself in her head over and over. She wanted it to be some kind of mistake. She hoped that someone would bring her good news, and show her that they were all right. Yet no such thing happened.

She, her sister, and Joe had all journeyed to Inez’s home. The decision was made after some more time passed with no word from them. Further attempts to contact the vet otherwise were useless, leading to no results. They had also tried to call some of the neighbors up, but they reported not seeing the woman leaving, indicating she was still home.

When they arrived, these claims seemed to be correct. Inez’s home did not look abandoned at first. The familiar yellow vehicle was still there, parked in the driveway. But when they got closer, they began to see signs that something wasn’t right. Or rather, hear it as well.

The animals were worked up. They were quite energetic and came up as far as their enclosures were allowed. They were staring at them expectantly. She and the others realized that the animals were very hungry and thirsty, and looking at where these supplies were kept, there was no indication that they had been fed at their regular time at this hour. This was strange; Inez was usually right on top of this and was quite strict with her schedule. It wasn’t like her to miss out on it.

And it wasn’t like she was late coming home. The vehicle was still here. She couldn’t be at the store like they had thought. And she surely wouldn’t walk to town either. Not with all those animals she had to take care of. They couldn’t imagine her letting Rudy and Penny walking to town on their own either; she would keep them at her place.

Fear already rose up inside the three humans. Thoughts raced through their head as they looked at one another, realizing what this probably meant. But they didn’t want to jump to conclusions yet. Maybe something else had went on. Maybe everything was still all right. They kept looking.

Tilly, Millie, and Joe searched the house from top to bottom. They looked around at each room, scowering through the building for any sign of them. They called out their names, cupping their hands to their mouths to raise their volume. Even Sophie tried as hard as she could. She sometimes would see her daughter running around, zipping by as she desperately called out for her cousin. Each cry grew more and more sad, making Tilly’s heart twist as she realized what this had to mean.

After about an hour of searching, double checking and rechecking, they all realized that they had to face facts. There was nothing else that it could be. The horrible truth was that their loved ones were missing, and they had no idea where to begin to look.

Tilly sat in the couch next to her sister, her body leaned back, head tilted upwards she stared at the ceiling. Her mind raced as the full realization of what had taken place struck her. She was unable to keep her mind clear, and she was constantly bombarded by multiple questions. She kept asking herself how she could have let this happen, why didn’t she do something sooner, why didn’t she try harder, and many more.

She searched her mind for something Rudy said. She tried to remember anything that he told her that might be helpful. But unfortunately, the terror of what happened pushed much of what he said out of her mind. If he had told her anything important, then the fact that she didn’t take it seriously enough at the time made it easy for her intense emotions in the moment to overwrite it. She feared she would not regain those bits of memory, and she could only work on what she knew.

The one thing that she was able to remember was that the reporter, Terry Bouffant, had been obsessed with ChalkZone. The very same world that her nephew had been going to. The same place that she had promised him she’d never tell his parents about.

The fact that Terry was interested in this world likely made her an enemy of Rudy, who had been protecting it. While Tilly did not fully understand why her nephew would do this, she decided it was best to respect his choice. But she knew that Terry would hold no such reservations; she had little reason to care about Rudy. And didn’t she try to ‘interview’ him and Penny a few times in the past?

She shook the thoughts out of her head. No, Terry wouldn’t do something like that. She was greedy yes, but not to the same degree was, say, Vinnie Raton, nor was she stupid. She wouldn’t jeopardize everything just for the sake of hurting or kidnapping one child, let alone two, and a woman. And even Vinnie wouldn’t go that far.

But what else could there be? Who else would have the motivation and the intelligence to pull off the kidnapping? She couldn’t think of anyone else. Terry did have reason enough to go after Rudy and try to force the information out of him. And with how she had been acting lately, and some of the crazy things she said, would it be that much of a stretch for her to become desperate enough to try to pry information out in a less....legal way?

And yet... She couldn’t help but doubt Terry’s involvement on some level. Something about it just felt...wrong. She was smart, she can give her that. But still, something felt...not right. She found it hard to believe that Terry would be smart enough to pull a kidnapping of this calibur, of taking three people without anyone noticing.

So what would have happened? Who else could have been involved? Oh if only she could remember something Rudy had told her. But she still couldn’t remember, and she wasn’t even sure it was because Rudy did tell her and she forgot, or if he didn’t tell her this and she was trying to conjure up a fake memory, which was possible. But the fact that she didn’t know caused a headache to form and she found herself clutching her head, gritting her teeth.

Her sister took notice of this and swiveled her head over. “What is it?” Her voice was cautious, laced in sadness. “Did you think of something?”

Tilly let out a sigh and shook her head. “No... I thought I did, but I...” She closed her eyes and turned her head way. “No. I’m sorry.”

Millie’s face contorted in more sadness. “It’s...all right. We’re all stumped.” She lowered her head and closed her eyes. “I just..can’t believe that this happened.”

“It’s okay, Millie. We’ll find them.” Joe said, trying to be as comforting as possible. “You’ll see.”

Millie smiled up at her husband, but she didn’t look all that comforted. She let out a sigh and lowered her head once more. Her eyes faced towards the ground, but it appeared as though she were looking at nothing. Her eyes had something of a vacant look in them. Well not fully vacant. Tilly could still see the spark of haunting in them. A look that only those who had lost a child could truly understand.

Tilly gritted her teeth as she looked away. She shut her eyes tightly, unable to fully let go fo the guilt she had started to feel. She knew she was purposely withholding information from her sister. Information that could help her better understand what happened. It was a terrible truth that she wished she could change. But she had promised Rudy that she wouldn’t say a word. She couldn’t betray his trust. She...

But what of her sister? And Joe? Was it really right to hold this information back during this time? With what was happening? It would be different if nothing big was going on and they were all at home, going about their lives as normal. But now? When they were all missing? And her sister and her sister’s husband had no idea who would have taken them? That didn’t exactly bode very well.

She looked down at her own daughter. Sophie was laying against her. The usually cheerful girl looked depressed. Occassionally, she’d look up and stare out hopefully, likely waiting for Rudy to show up. But when he didn’t, she’d just say and lower her head.

The sight of Sophie like this made her heart twist. Tilly could tell just how much her daughter was hurting from not seeing Rudy. She had all but forgotten about their little spat earlier, and now all she wanted was to have Rudy back, to be with him, to play with him. Now he wasn’t here, and she couldn’t understand why.

Seeing her daughter reminded her of how she would feel if she were missing. It reminded her of a parent’s love and how much they’d worry if their child were gone. It was because of that, she had started to have doubts of withholding such important information.

Only Tilly understood the most likely reason. Only she could deliver the news that may help them take further action.

She narrowed her eyes. There was no choice. She knew what she had to do. She could only hope that Rudy would forgive her when they find him. Or if they find him...

Tilly turned her head towards her sister. She placed her hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. Her sister let out a soft sniffle as she turned her head. Tilly felt her heart twist further when she saw the tear stains on her sister’s cheeks. Her sister had tried so hard to keep her emotions in check and now that was failing.

Joe didn’t look much better. Though he hadn’t cried much yet, she could still see a strong sadness in his eyes, and she could see just how hard it was for him to keep himself composed. As with his wife, he stared at her, waiting for her to speak.

Tilly hesitated for a moment. She wasn’t sure how to go about this, or how to word anything. A part of her feared what Rudy might think of her should he ever find out. But...this had to be done. He was in trouble, and his parents had the right to know what might be going on. Taking in a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for whatever backlash she might get, whether from her sister or nephew or from Joe, and she began to speak.

“I..I have something I need to tell you guys...”

At this, Joe and Millie looked at each other. They stared at one another in confusion, and then looked back at Tilly.

“I just...hope that you two will understand.”

Joe and Millie frowned in confusion. For the time being, their sadness had faded away as uncertainty took over. They stared at Tilly in silence for a few seconds. Tilly paused, feeling a stronger sense of guilt when she saw the looks in their eyes.

“What..what do you mean?” Joe asked.

Millie stared at her sister in the eyes. “What are you talking about?”

Tilly closed her eyes and looked away. “Well..you see...”

She began to recount Rudy’s story.

sss

Penny stared at Rudy sympathetically. She watched as he squirmed on the ground, trying in vein to get away from the agony. Even with Snap and Rapsheeba holding him down, he was still managing to move a little, his head jerking from one side to the other. It was an uncomfortable, horrible sight to behold, and unfortunately, there was little they could do about it.

Her mom hadn’t been able to find any useful chemicals in this room, and what she did find was not labeled. She was not about to take chances and risk hurting Rudy move. So she refused to use them. This meant that Rudy had no painkillers to help soften the blow, and he was forced to lay there in shere agony. At least the tight bandages helped to allievate some of the bleeding. But still...

“Ahhh! Make it stop! Please!”

Penny whipped her head around when she heard Rudy screaming. Her pupils shrank as she watched him writhe more violently on the ground. He had managed to toss Snap away and Rapsheeba was now laying across him, trying to use her weight to hold him down. This didn’t last very long and Rudy kicked her away.

“Rudy! Stop!” Penny shouted as she started to rush over. “You’ll...!”

Her mother beat her to the punch. The woman closed the gap much faster. Just like before, she grabbed onto the boy’s shoulders and pressed him down. She kept holding him even as the boy screamed and cried, his arms flailing at her in desperation. One of the hands struck her arm, the nails making small, but painful cuts. Her mother flinched, but still held on.

When Penny saw him try again, she immediately rushed over, resuming her charge. She grabbed onto the boy’s left arm. She held on tightly, pushing it into the ground. She applied more pressure, but then suddenly she was stopped when Rudy let out a scream and his thrashing increased.

Penny realized that she had accidentally applied pressure to the bite wound. A wave of guilt rushed through her as she realized this, and her grip on the boy loosened up. This turned out to be a mistake when Rudy pulled his arm free and struck her across her face. She let out a scream as she was knocked back.

“Buckette!” Snap rushed to her side and knelt down beside her. “Are you okay?!”

Penny let out a soft groan. “Y-Yeah...I’m fine...” Penny pushed herself up with one hand, rubbing her face with the other. She felt a slight indention from partially torn skin. She looked down at the wound. Thankfully, it was quite shallow, and there were only tiny specks of blood.

Penny turned her attention back towards her mother. The woman was still holding down Rudy. The way her eyes were narrowed and her teeth were bared tightly suggested that she was having some trouble with the boy. This didn’t at all surprise Penny. Rudy’s thrashes were getting worse.

And how could she blame him either? The wound in his stomach might be treated, but the pain was still present. The boy was trying so hard to get away from it, and they could not help him with the pain. There was no medicine that they could give him. The poor boy was going to have to suffer through the shere agony of it all, with no hope of escape. The mere thought of that chilled Penny’s blood. There’s...there’s got to be some way that they could help him.

Penny turned her attention towards the door. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the locking mechanism. That was the one thing holding them back. That was the only reason they couldn’t get out of here. If Von hadn’t locked them in, they could take Rudy to another room with the right supplied and better treat his injury. Instead, they were stuck in here, and she had no idea when Von would come back. Or if he would come back...

It wasn’t just Rudy who was in danger either. The zoners in ChalkZone were in danger as well. Blocky, too. He had been taken by that horrid man, dragged with to wherever the man decided to take him. She had no idea if the man was going to do more experimentations on Blocky, if he planned on killing him, if he planned on using him as bait... The only thing that she did know for certain was that he didn’t take him just to let him go.

They all had to get out of here and fast. The longer they stayed in here, the closer they were letting Dr. Von Doktor get to victory. If they allow him to succeed, then it was only the beginning of the end for ChalkZone. The horrible things that would follow.... She didn’t want to imagine them.

But how would they get out with the door locked? Rapsheeba, Snap, and Howdy might be able to get out in 2D mode, but even then, they couldn’t open the door once they were out. And leaving them out would only make them vulnerable to Von. Even the act of trying to find that chalkboard with the portal was too dangerous. What if Von were expecting them and was waiting for them? Or set up some kind of trap for when they attempted? It wouldn’t be that hard to set up a water-based trap for them. Not much need for caution since water did not hurt him.

But Snap, Howdy, and Rapsheeba... They wouldn’t be so lucky..

“Whoa! Hold on!” Howdy’s cry brought Penny out of her thoughts. The puppet was hanging onto Rudy’s head, which was jerking even more. “Please hold still! Calm down! Everything will be...”

Penny flinched when Rudy jerked his head to one side, using enough force to knock the zoner away from him. Howdy let out a scream as he sailed through the air and hit against Penny. She cradled him in her arms, staring down at him with concern.

“Are you okay?” Penny asked.

Howdy rubbed his head and shook it as if to regain his bearings. “For the most part.” He looked over at where Rudy was. “What are we going to do? He won’t calm down.”

“Pain makes it hard for anyone to relax.” Rapsheeba said. Her eyes held nothing but sympathy for Rudy. “Poor kid...”

“I wish there was something we could do help him. Oh if only we had some kind of medicine... Even a few over-the-counter painkillers would do wonders for him.” Snap said sadly.

Penny nodded in agreement. “The only way I can see us reducing his pain is if we knock him out with a rock. But that would not be a good idea.” She shook her head slowly. “That would only make his condition worse.” She stared at her friends and then looked at Rudy. “As much as I hate the idea, all we can do now is wait it out and hope for the best.”

A loud scream from Rudy chilled their blood. They stared in horror as Rudy’s eyes bulged open wider, Penny’s mom doing what she can to hold him still. Penny and the zoners looked at each other nervously, their hearts twisting up inside their chests.

“I don’t know how much I like the idea of waiting...” Snap said, biting his lip.

“Me neither...” Howdy spoke softly. His body shook from the emotion all around him. “There has to be something that we can do...”

“It seems about all we can do is comfort him.” Said Rapsheeba.

Penny nodded her head. Rapsheeba was right. Even if they couldn’t stop the pain, they should at least try to comfort him. This meant getting close to his thrashing body, but they didn’t have a choice. They needed to be close to him, to be able to touch him, comfort him. He needed them right now. He was always there for them. Now they needed to do the same for him.

The group of four walked cautiously over towards Rudy. Penny watched as her mom continued to hold the boy down. His legs were kicking out frantically, and his hands were pushed against her arms, his nails digging in. Penny saw a look of pain in her mother’s eyes, but still she held on. She and her zoner friends took position by Rudy, each in a different location.

Penny was the first one to speak.

“Rudy, I know how much it hurts... But please, don’t squirm around like this. You will only make it worse. Please Rudy, it pains us to see you like this. Please...please try to relax. You’ll be okay. We promise.”

Penny reached down and rubbed her hand along Rudy’s arm gently. She was careful to avoid the bite wound that was on the arm. She then gently grasped his hand and pried it from her mother’s arm, pulling back the digits as she did so. She allowed Rudy to grab her arm. She flinched, but held her ground. She merely used her other arm to continue to caress this one. She listened to his helpless whimpers, feeling her heart clench.

“Shh... It’s going to be okay, Rudy.” She whispered softly as she stared down at him. Rudy opened up one eye and looked at her. She nearly gasped when she saw just how pain-filled it was. “You’ll be fine. I know it hurts. But you’ve got to relax. It’ll only hurt worse the more you struggle. Shhh...it’s okay...”

She and her friends did what they could to comfort Rudy. They spoke as gently as they could, even as the boy let out a few more screams of pain. They kept speaking softly to him, working together to try to calm him down.

sss

“You...you what...?” Millie whispered softly.

“How could you do that?” Joe was just as shocked.

Tilly lowered her head in shame. She would have loved to tell them otherwise. Alas, she could not. All she could do was stare at them sadly and nod her head slowly. “I’m not proud of it...”

“Well I should hope not!” Millie hissed, anger laced on her voice. “How could you hurt my son?! Your own nephew?!” Joe didn’t say a word. He simply shared his wife’s glare, staring at Tilly with a great intensity she rarely got from him.

Tilly had been recounting the story of what had happened. She had only wanted to tell small bits, but other things flowed out of her mouth, even when she didn’t mean for them. And one of them was confessing to her sister that, after she discovered Rudy’s secret, she had slapped him out of anger. Needless to say, the reaction her sister gave was expected and understandable.

She hadn’t even fully explained her discovery yet. She did not give full details of ChalkZone. She had only mentioned she found something very strange on the chalkboard and that she had confronted Rudy about it, and that he had been hiding it for a long time. She had started to get into what it was to help them get a better idea of just why she reacted the way she did. But she didn’t get very far when her sister and her husband blew up in her face.

“We trusted you, Tilly! We let you stay here because we thought you would be able to take care of our son! But you hurt him... You struck him and hurt him!” Millie snarled at her sister. Her expression was filled with hurt and betrayal. Tilly looked at her sadly, not bothering to speak up. “And what makes it worse, other than the fact that you’re my sister, but you have Sophie there too!” She held her hand out to gesture to the little toddler. “You wouldn’t do that to your own daughter, would you?”

“What?!” Tilly wailed. She shook her head rapidly. “No! Of course not!” How could her sister even suggest such a horrible thing?

“Then why did you do it to our boy?” Joe asked, narrowing his eyes. “You once told us that he was like a son to you.” He folded his arms against his chest. “Well you’ve got a funny way of showing it...”

Tilly sighed softly, lowering her head in shame. She couldn’t blame them for being angry. They had every right to be. She had hurt their son. It may have been an accident, but that didn’t really change much. She was the one who lost her temper. She was the one who initiated the attack. She should have been more careful. She should have controlled herself more. Instead, she let her emotion get the better of her and she just...hit Rudy. She could still see his hurt look staring back at her...

She tried her best not to dwell on it too much. She had apologized to Rudy and he had accepted her apology. They had mended things between each other the best that they could. She would continue to remain guilt-ridden for a while, but at least she knew that Rudy had forgiven her.

Right now, she had to focus on continuing the story. There was more that she needed to tell them. More that they needed to know. She hadn’t even gotten the more important parts of her story yet. She still had to tell them about ChalkZone, despite her promise to Rudy. They needed to know so that they were better able to find him and help him. Perhaps there was another way, but in the moment, she could not find one.

“There’s still more I need to tell you.” Tilly said. “So can you please let me continue?”

“Why should we? Do you think we want to listen to more of you beating up our son?” Joe snarled, baring his teeth.

Tilly felt her heart twist. “N-No... That’s not what I...” Her voice trailed off as she stared at Millie and Joe. Their harsh glares made it difficult for her to say another word. She wished they would give her a chance to explain more. She wished they wouldn’t let their anger get the better of them. There were more going on than they realized. They...

“I should report you for child abuse.” Millie said, her voice icy cold.

Tilly’s heart froze at this. She stared at her sister in shock. She tried to speak, tried to respond, but no words would come out. All she could do was mumble desperately, trying in vain to say something. But there was nothing more than silence.

After a few long, tense moments, Millie gave a sigh. She shut her eyes and placed a hand over her face. “But...you’re still my sister. I don’t know if I would be able to do that to you.”

Tilly smiled. “I...”

“But I could.”

Both women turned to Joe. The man’s harsh glare never left Tilly’s sights. Tilly shuddered. The man’s glare felt like the closest thing to a laser beam being shot out at her. It felt as though something was weighing down on her, preventing her from moving.

Her sister, though still having a frown on her face, was looking at her husband with some instance of surprise in those eyes of hers. She didn’t say a word just yet. She just looked at Joe as if he had lost his mind. The man gave no such indication. He looked ready to run towards the phone to dial the number for the police. In fact, if Millie weren’t holding onto his arm, she was certain that’s exactly what he would do.

“Joe...” Millie started to say. “Don’t.”

Joe turned to glare at his wife. “Are you kidding me?! She attacked our son! Aren’t you..”

“Angry? Yes, I’m furious. She’s my sister. Don’t you think I feel hurt discovering that she attacked our only son?” Millie said. She glared over at Tilly, causing ice to go through her heart. She then gave a sigh and her frown lessened. “But she’s still my sister, and I’m sure she’s really sorry about what she did.” She looked back at her sister. “Aren’t you?”

Tilly didn’t waste any time and nodded her head. “Yes, of course I am. I never meant to hit him. I let my anger gain control of me, and I am disgusted by that. I broke down after I realize what I did, and I apologized to him. He forgave me. We patched things up. Trust me, Millie and Joe. I would never ever do something like that on purpose. I will see to it that it won’t happen again.”

Sophie, who had a little understanding of what was being said, held onto her mother. “No go! No go!”

Millie’s expression softened up when she saw Sophie cling to Tilly. Slowly, half of her mouth ticked into a very faint smile. “Oh sweetie... It’ll be okay.”

Sophie didn’t look like she believed her. Tilly grunted as Sophie jumped further into her arms, pressing her head against her. She held Sophie close to her and whispered soft words to her. She did her best to reassure the little girl that everything was going to be okay. She looked over at Joe.

The man stared at her intently at first. The glare was still on his face. Then he looked down at Sophie. As he stared at the little girl, it seemed to get into his mind just how Sophie might feel if he jailed her mother. Slowly, his expression softened up, his facial muscles relaxing. He continued to stare at Sophie for a few more moments, his mouth partially open. Then the shut his mouth tightly and turned his head away.

“Okay, fine...” Joe growled softly. “I won’t call.” He turned his attention back to Tilly. “Go on... Continue your story.”

“Thank you.” Tilly said as she smiled at the two parents. They did not smile back. Her own faded away and she cleared her throat. “Now, as I was saying, Rudy wanted me to keep it a secret. But I..”

“Whoa whoa...” Joe waved his hand frantically in front of him. “Promised not to tell us what?”

“I don’t think you got fully into that detail yet.” Millie pointed out.

Tilly lowered her gaze. “Oh yeah...” She looked back at them. “I was just getting to that detail when...”

“Oh just tell us already!” Joe snapped at her. Tilly cringed back. Mille shot a glare at her husband. The man flinched at this. He made an effort to speak more softly. “I mean...can you please tell us...?”

Tilly couldn’t believe what she was about to do. She couldn’t believe that she was really going to betray Rudy like this. She told herself over and over again she had no choice. He was in trouble and she needed to tell her sister and her husband about it. If she didn’t, they would never understand any of her suggestions, and may write them off as nothing.

The next words she would say would either shatter what they knew about the world or make them even angrier. She sucked in a deep breath, preparing to deliver the statement and await their reaction.

“Do you remember Terry Bouffant’s rant about a fabled chalk world?” Tilly asked. At their nod, she continued. “Well...it’s real.”

“What...?” Millie asked softly as her and her husband’s eyes widened in shock.

“And Rudy has been going to it for two years.”

sss

Blocky couldn’t stop shivering. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the man standing before him. The man looked so twisted, the accent of the light increasing this, casting dark shadows on the man’s face and different parts of his body. The small zoner would have struggled if he could, but he was too frozen in fear to do anything.

He had a hard time wrapping his mind around this. How could this have happened? How did he get here? How did he not remember being carried away by this vile man? Blocky had little to go on, and at the moment, it didn’t really matter to him exactly how all of this had happened. Right now, he was more interested in one thing: getting away.

But how was he going to get out of this? His body was too wracked in pain, his mind too frozne in fear, to do much of anything. He could also feel some cold shackles against his arms and legs. He had little room to manuever, and twisting around wouldn’t help too much.

And now, there was yet another obstacle getting in his way. Something that took him a little while to realize.

They were now in ChalkZone.

A part of him was elated. He was glad to finally be back on familiar territory. Even the act of breathing ChalkZone’s air was enough to help him feel a little better. But that faded away quickly when something else dawned on his mind. Since this was ChalkZone, it meant that he could not use his 2D powers to escape.

But it also meant something else. And it caused his blood to turn to ice. He hoped that this man would never know of this, but if he had taken him into ChalkZone, then chances were...he already knew...

The man could draw whatever he needed now. He could create any kind of torture device and use it on him if he so wished. On top of that, the man was now free to use any kind of fluid on him. This meant that he could test certain chemicals on him by drawing a bottle filled with the stuff and forcing him to drink it. He could also perform exploratory surgery on him after rendering him unconscious. The possibilities were endless.

And so were the horrors that swept through his mind and body. He could feel his shivering increase as he stared at the man in fear. He hoped and prayed that this man wouldn’t go that far. He hoped that the man would be at least sensible and not do anything that would endanger his life, or the lives of any other zoner that he may decide to trap.

“P-Please...why are you doing this...?” Blocky knew it was pointless to ask. Through his pain-ridden mind, he recalled that the man cared little about the pain that he caused to a zoner. Still he felt like he needed to ask. “Why can’t you just let me go...?”

Dr. Von Doktor approached him. He circled the platform that the zoner was strapped down into. Blocky tried to lift up his head to look, but he wound up irritating his wound, causing him to yelp and he stopped trying. He moved his pupils around, doing what he could to keep an eye on him. A few times, the man went out of his sight range, and his body tensed up at that.

It wasn’t much of a relief when he could see him either. He kept looking at him, waiting for him to make a move against him. Waiting to be struck, waiting to be hurt, waited to be experimented on.

Then at last, the man stopped circling him, and positioned himself behind him. The green zoner struggled to look at him. He squirmed on the platform, ignoring the pain as he twisted himself from side to side just to get a good look at the man. All he was able to do was make out some color and blurred shapes in his peripherial vision. That did little to help him feel better. Then he felt pressure around his shoulder and he jolted. He quickly realized that the man had grabbed onto his shoulder.

“Please...what do you plan on doing with me...?” The rectangular zoner asked. A few tears formed in his eyes. “What are you going to do to m-me..?”

This time, Von responded. “Oh not much, really. For now. I haven’t yet dezided what I want to do.” The man’s grip on his shoulder tightened slightly. Blocky winced at this. “Now zat we are in ChalkZone, zere’z zo much more I can do wiz you. You know, my draztic fleeing really did pay off. I should have come here much zooner. I no longer feel zo...limited.”

Blocky felt his heart skip a beat this. He let out a few small whimpers as he watched the man walk out to his side. He towered over him, sneering down at his small form. His eyes, it felt like he was staring straight into his soul. Those eyes, they were filled with so many hidden promises, and none of them were good.

His mind raced when he saw the man lift up a the magic chalk, the ends sparkling. Normally, he didn’t mind this, but the fact that the chalk was being wielded by someone who wanted to hurt him, that made the sparkling look much more ominous, foreboding. A warning to what was about to come.

“Here..juzt imagine what I could do. I wanted to ztudy your body in full, and here I can.”

Blocky’s face paled at this. He wanted to speak, but he could only manage more whimpering. Please no... He didn’t want this... What did he do to deserve this...?

The man’s smile grew more twisted. “I could inject you wiz zomezing zo I can prozeed wizout problem. I could tezt all kindz of ztuff on you. I have abzolutely no limits here.” The man tilted his head, tapping his chin thoughtfully with the chalk. “I wonder what I should do firzt. Should I vivizect you, zee your internal organz? Should I do more extensive tezting of your skin? Should I figure out your digeztive zyztem?”

Blocky tried to shake his head. “N-No...please...”

“Zorry, but you don’t get to decide. I do.” Von said with a sneer.

Blocky whimpered at this. He shut his eyes and awaited the pain. At least if he had his eyes closed, he could try to partially block out what was happening. He braced himself for whatever pain the main was going to inflict upon him.

But when nothing happened, he felt a pang of confusion. He opened up his eyes and looked up, seeing that the man hadn’t moved from his spot. At the moment, he was rubbing his chin, his eyes pointed upwards in a thoughtful manner. Blocky clenched his teeth. What was the man up to?

After a few moments, the scientist said, “But...I zink I will keep you alive longer. I don’t really need to use you anymore for my experimentz.” He stared at the magic chalk, his eyes flashing with something that Blocky could not explain nor enjoyed. “Wiz ziz, I can create my own zpecimenz..”

Realizing the full impact of what this meant, Blocky couldn’t help but gasp in horror. The man was going off the deep end now. Rudy, Penny, Snap, the others... They had to hurry.

sss

“What? Are you crazy? We can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“It’s too dangerous!”

“Well do you have any ideas?”

Rudy let out a soft groan as the voices plagued his head. He turned his head to head side, gritting his teeth. He couldn’t see anything, but that’s to be expected with his eyes shut. But he couldn’t open them. He was just too tired for some reason. He was so exhausted and he didn’t know why.

He tried to block out the voices. He tried to concentrate on sleeping. But that became a difficult task, if not impossible. He continued to hear them spout out words over and over. Sometimes they would make sense. Other times, they were just so darn confusing. It was as if they were speaking a foreign tongue. Complicating matters was how echoey the voices seemed at times. The thought would have chilled his spine if he were more aware of what was going on and where he was.

All that he was aware of was being in a room with lights that seemed, for some odd reason, too bright for him. He wasn’t sure why. The lights were preventing him from getting a good look around. That was just another reason to add onto his overall tiredness, giving him more of a reason to just go to sleep.

But something was preventing him from doing so. He wasn’t even sure if he could explain it. There was something in his mind telling him not to sleep, that he would be in a lot of trouble if he did. There was some kind of weird sensation in his stomach. He wasn’t sure what was causing the burning. The feeling was familiar, as if he had felt this way before. And it was rather unpleasant.

Yet, despite that, he was not able to identify the emotion. It was as if his mind was too tired to be bothered with it. As a result, he was feeling something rather unusual, perplexing, almost scary, yet he was unable to appropriately react to it.

And he didn’t find anything strange about this at all. He just wanted to sleep.

“Look I’m telling you it’s the only way! Otherwise we’ll be trapped here and who knows what Von is going to do once he gets there!”

“You mean if he gets there!”

But the voices certainly weren’t going to help. They kept echoing in his mind, bantering back and voice. Odd thing was, the voices sounded the same. They were so distorted and warped, it resulted in this. For Rudy, it sounded as if the same person were speaking and arguing amongst thesmelves. All fine and good, but did they really have to be so loud?

Rudy attempted again to block them out. He curled up on the ground and pulled his arms over his head, attempting to block out the sound. His hands pressed against his ears firmly, hoping to try to filter out at least some of the sound so he could sleep.

“Well I... Oh no, Rudy don’t do that!”

Rudy opened up one eye. He looked over at where the voice came from. A blurry shape amongst the bright light was heading towards him. He couldn’t tell who it was, if it was anyone that he knew. He recognized some hint of concern on the voice, but it was so distorted and distant that he couldn’t tell.

“You’re going to hurt yourself if you do that!”

“Please!” Another figure came into view. This one seemed shorter, though not by a whole lot. “Get yourself onto your back! You can’t lay on your side like that!”

Rudy wasn’t sure what the voices were talking about. He was feeling just fine. He just needed to curl up and....

Suddenly, without warning, there was an unusual sensation creeping along his side. It was gradual, moving as though it were some kind of snake or serpent. He thought it was strange, but didn’t think anything of it at first. He ignored the frantic voices and began to shut his eyes.

That only lasted a few seconds. The sensation rapidly grew more distressing, uncomfortable. His eyes could not remain closed and he ended up lifting his head. The sensation was rapidly growing more and more unbearable, then it became sharper, and he seethed through his clenched teeth.

And then came the screams.

“Ahhhh!”

“Hold him still!”

“Oh man, I thought we had calmed him down already!”

“Do it again!”

Oh gawd, the pain... Where was it all coming from? Why was his stomach feeling as though it was on fire? Why did it feel as though someone took a sword and stuck it through there? The boy found himself squirming on the ground, unable to stop. He turned his head from one side to the other, constantly letting out screams and cries of pain. He was still unaware of his surroundings. He still didn’t know who was here with him. All that he knew was that he was in pain and that he had to get out of here now.

Then to add to his fear, he felt something grabbing onto him. Something warm yet firm. His limbs were being pinned down at his sides. He let out a scream of terror. It was then he realized what he was feeling before. It was fear and apprehension. Was this the reason why?

He felt something brush up beside him. With his arms restrained, instincts told him to use the remaining thing available. Rudy struck out with his head blindly, snapping his jaws at whatever was closest to him. He hit something. Weird texture but fleshy. He bit down hard.

“Ow! Rudy! Stop! It’s me, Snap!” The voice cried. “Stop biting me, please!”

Snap? He didn’t recal Snap sounding this distorted. But then, the voice did appear to have an accent that time. One that did sound a little like his friend...

Rudy didn’t have time to react. He felt someone grab onto his head. Something gripped his lower jaw and applied pressure. Rudy squeezed his eyes shut from the pain, the fingers causing irritation to his jaw as it was being forced down. He fought against it, turning his head to one side. It didn’t help him for long and soon his mouth was pried open. Whatever was in his mouth slipped out with ease.

“Now, Rudy, I need you to...”

Unable to control himself, his mind overwhelmed with pain, terrified of not being able to move his arms, Rudy slammed his jaws onto the fingers that had been opening his mouth against his will. He heard a screech and he knew he hit his target. He bit down hard, unwilling to let go.

“Rudy! Let go! You’re only making this worse! Rudy, I.. ow!”

“What are we going to do?!” One voice called out, sounding terrified. “He’s gone mad with pain!”

“We tried comforting him, but I don’t think that’s going to work. I think Von hit a very sensitive nerve there!”

“How are we going to stop him now?”

Rudy felt a loud thud in his head. It was the agony. It was coursing through his body, swimming like some kind of massive lizard that got inside, constantly trying to claw its way out. The imaginary sharp talons were raking on his side, trying to rip it open, desperately trying to claw its way out. The more it struck, the more pain invaded his mind, the harder he bit down.

The voices around him grew more frantic. At this point, he stopped listening to what they were saying. He still didn’t know who they were, but he was having doubts that they were his friends. Even in his confused, pain-ridden mind, he could remember that his friends would never restrain him like this. They must be imposters. They want to use him for something. They must have been the ones who actually hurt him.

Yes...that’s where the pain was coming from. They were hurting him right now. They were trying to hold him still so they could hurt him more. Well not today. He was not going to let them get away with this.

He began to struggle harder. He used as much energy as he could. He tried to pull back his arms. His legs, he noticed they were still free. He began to kcik with them, trying to hit against those that dare to hurt him. He would make them pay for this.

He hit one of his targets.

“Ouch! Rudy! What’d you do that?!”

Rudy merely let out a scream, muffled partially by the finger that was in his mouth. One that was not just tinged in pain, but also anger. He did not speak. His wide, bulging eyes could not register the pain of the light. All that he knew was escape and survival.

“Rudy, let go!”

Rudy felt something hit against his head. He merely growled, tightening his grip, hearing his attacker cry out in pain. Again and again he was hit in the head, yet he refused to release his grip. There was no way that he was going to let them go. Not until they let him go.

“Wait! I think I found something!”

“What is...where did you find that?”

“It was over there! Do you think it’ll work?”

A pause. “It might, but we will need the right dosage.”

Right dosage for what? Rudy’s mind began to fill with some curiosity.

“I’ll go get the needle.” Said one of the voices. “I’ll make sure it’s the right about. You guys just focus on holding him down.”

Rudy’s eyes widened at this. Realizing that he might be in terrible danger, he let go of the finger and he began to scream loudly. Not just out of fear, but also an attempt to scare away his attackers. It was sort of like how a cat would hiss or a dog would snarl.

Then, finding his voice, he began to scream words.

“Don’t you fucking dare touch me you monsters! Don’t come near me! I’m warning you! I’ll rip you apart!”

“...oh, Rudy... How can you say that...?” One of the voices said. They sounded distressed, but Rudy did not care.

“I swear, if any of you dares to touch me, I’ll bite off your finger!” He tossed his head from side to side. “Don’t think I’m joking either! I’ll do it! I fucking swear I will do it! I...”

His voice went silent when he felt something cold and sharp in the side of his neck. His eyes bulged and he took in a sharp intake of breath. The needle pushed further into his skin and he thought he could detect something cold his body.

His eyes bulged. What were they going to do with him? His struggles increased. He tried desperately to get free. He had to keep trying harder. There’s got to be someway to get out of here. There has to be. This couldn’t be happening. No... Rudy let out a series of screams as he tried to get away, tried to get up and run. His attackers held him down, preventing escape. He cursed them out, trying his damnest to bite or hit them.

They tried to trick him. They tried to tell him it was going to be all right. Such filthy liars.... He would get out of here. He would escape. He would make sure they paid for what they did. He...

Suddenly, he started to feel really tired. His eyes started to flutter shut. His anger and his fear began to melt away as exhaustion started to take him over once more. He smacked his lips together slowly. Oh man, he was so tired... Had he ever gone to sleep recently? He wasn’t sure, and he found it harder to keep his eyes open.

Then came the darkness and calmness. Rudy never felt more at peace before. He looked around, and the dark figures that had been restraining him no longer seemed so frightening. They seemed more...inviting. Rudy rested his head on the ground and let out a sigh of contentment.

sss

“Wait! I’m not so sure about this!” Tilly called out.

Millie shot her sister a glare. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. But if you cared at all about Rudy...”

Tilly snapped her head back at that. “I’m not saying I don’t. I just think we should think this through more. What if we accidentally make things worse?”

Joe sighed at this. “I...suppose I understand. But Tilly, we can’t just let this go.” He held his hand out in gesture. “I’m not even sure if what you’re saying about this chalk world is the truth. I know your daughter seems to believe it...” He glanced down, watching the little girl clutch against her mother. “But that doesn’t mean we have to. But that doesn’t even matter right now. If that guy has our son...”

“I hope you understand why we have to go, Tilly. I’m sure you do. You have a daughter.” Millie said. “If she were in danger, you would do whatever it took to help her, right?”

“Well, yes, but...” Tilly began to say.

“Then you know why we are going.” Millie finished before she could get another word in edgewise.

Millie stared at her sister, her gaze unwafering, showing her that she meant what she said. She had no idea if her sister spoke the truth about this ChalkZone. The idea was rather shocking, and the idea of Rudy keeping it from them was unsettling. She didn’t want to believe her own son would lie to her about this. A part of her just wanted to label her sister a lunatic and have her sent somewhere to get help.

But she couldn’t do that to Sophie. Who would take care of her? Well she supposed she could, but would Sophie even understand what was going on? Would she realize she was the reason her mom was gone? Would she grow to resent her for it?

Besides, there was a more important matter at hand. Right now, Millie didn’t care if her sister was crazy or not. She did just give them enough information to give them a lead.

If this Dr. Von Doktor guy thought he could get away with this, if he thought for one minute that she was going to allow him to hold her son and friend hostage, he was going to have another think coming. She didn’t care if her sister would help her or not. She and her husband would do what they could to get Rudy back, with or without her help.

“I’m sorry, Tilly.” Millie said. “But this is the way it has to be.”

Tilly looked at her sister sadly. “Please... It might be too dangerous. I...”

“You don’t have to come with us. We would never ask that of you. You have someone to look after.” Joe looked at Sophie a second time. He looked back at Tilly. “Millie and I will go to Dr. Von Doktor’s place on our own. If our son is there, we’ll get him back.”

Tilly stared at them, her eyes wide in desperation and uncertainty. Millie felt a pang of guilt. She had never seen her sister look at them this way before. She wanted to tell her something to help her feel better, but she knew that wasn’t going to happen. They had made up their minds. Even if it turned out to be a false lead....

It was all they had.

After a few moments, Tilly seemed to accept that she wasn’t going to be able to stop them. She sucked in a deep breath and sighed. She whispered two simple words.

“Be careful.”

“Don’t worry.” Joe replied. “We will.”


	37. Paths

How strange is it if I choose the same direction as you, when you did not even tell me of said direction?.

sss

There it is. Their destination. They had finally reached it. It may have only taken about twenty minutes. But to the worried parents, it felt like it took at least three times longer. It didn't help that the traffic was a little worse than they thought it would be for this hour. Joe had to slam on the brakes at least three times as they tried to get here.

Now at last, after what felt like so long of driving, Joe could see the large, foreboding building in front of him. He narrowed his eyes as they approached it. He remembered this place quite well. This wasn't the first time that he had came here, although his real first time was unwilling. Dr. Von Doktor had just taken them over with no warning. To be fair, he and his wife did kind of agree and they kind of went along willingly. Still, this is the first time he and his wife consciously decided to come here.

The very idea of coming back here was rather unsettling. He couldn't take his mind off of what happened before. He could never forget how the man kept pestering his son for something about 'perpetual motion', which turned out to be a fluke, according to his son. Not that it made him look at his son any less, but he had to admit, he was a little disappointed.

That did not excuse the man's behavior towards him, however. But Joe had thought that it would be rather harmless. He never thought the man would ever go this far. He didn't think that he'd resort to actually kidnapping his son.

His gut twisted when he remembered Dr. Von Doktor's words earlier. He had nearly forgotten about them, and they faded away like an old memory. Now they echoed in his head, repeating the message that Von had given to them earlier. And now, he had wished he heeded it more.

"Oh no... We have barely...begun..."

Why didn't he listen? Why didn't he take that warning more seriously? He was so tempted to just slap himself in the face. He and Mille should have reported that vile man a long time ago. As soon as that man made that rather blatant threat, they should have called the police and have him arrested. Yet they gave the man the benefit of the doubt and had assumed he was just blowing off some hot steam. Oh how foolish they had been...

Well now they were going to correct that. They were going to go inside his building, find his son, his friend, and Mrs. Sanchez and get them out of there. If that evil scientist had harmed them in anyway, they will make sure that they get to the hospital swiftly.

And as for Von... He was going to face jail for a long time. If Joe could, he would make sure the man got sentenced to life in prison. After what he's done, he didn't deserve freedom. He deserved to be locked away. Especially if he had done anything to hurt the people that he cared about.

He knew Milie felt the same way. He could see it in her eyes as they continued to drive towards the building. She was antsy and nervous, and though she never spoke a word, she was wondering what happened to Rudy and if he had gotten hurt. He had done what he could to help her feel better, but he wasn't sure if it was enough. He could see his wife's tears still just barely forming. He knew that if he delivered just the wrong kind of news, that would be it. His wife's mind may shatter under the weight of emotion and she'd break down.

He wouldn't blame her if that happened. It would happen to him too, he was certain. He was doing his best to keep his emotions under control right now. But even now, that was difficult. The emotions were overflowing inside of him. It was getting worse by the second, especially with each new uncomfortable thought of what might be happening to Rudy and the others. If that man harmed them... His eyes narrowed.

Tilly didn't come with. She had stayed back Inez's place with Sophie. Joe wasn't really angry with her for that. She couldn't be blamed for wanting to stay with her daughter, and for not wanting her daughter to go anywhere near that vile person. Joe did not like the idea of having Sophie involved either. It was bad enough he took his son. He didn't want Sophie to come with. But they couldn't leave Sophie all alone either. Yeah, it was best for Tilly to stay home with her daughter. Keep her safe in case that evil man decided to strike back.

Joe still wasn't certain exactly how to feel about Tilly's claims of a chalk world. To him, it was all just a bunch of rubbish, and he was shocked that she would even pick up on Terry's wild tales. He thought no one was stupid enough to fall for her lies and delusions. Well, he did actually think there might be one person. He just never thought it would be his wife's sister.

The idea of sending her to a mental hospital was rather tempting. He was worried that she had suffered an injury recently and that made her more likely to believe such fairy tales. It would also explain why she lost her temper with Rudy and struck him, an act that she never did before and one that still left him with boiling blood. He and his wife did agree that calling the police for that was unnecessary since she had already cleared things up with Rudy. That didn't make him any less angry with her.

But sending her to a mental hospital... That still might be a good option. His wife insisted that they didn't, since whether or not this chalk world was real wasn't important. What they should be paying more attention to was helping Rudy get out of there. Tilly starting to believe in the chalk world was of little concern at this point.

Besides, regardless of this world being real or not, apparently Von now thinks it does, and him believing in it may have driven him to dry to grab recognition, to make up for his ruined reputation which he soiled himself months ago. It didn't matter just how fake this world was, how futile it was to prove its existence. Given Von's behavior, his threat earlier, he had no doubt in his head that he would do whatever it took to gain entrance and to claim the discovery for himself.

Even if it meant kidnapping his son.

There was a screeching sound as the tires of his car hit against the pavement of the driveway. He turned the car around, going into the nearest parking spot. He stopped the car, applying the brakes. He and his wife immediately got out of the car and they began to walk across the dark, hard floor that made up the parking lot of Dr. Von Doktor's place.

He looked up, pulling his head back and seeing just how immense and enormous the building was. It certainly looked a lot bigger closer up. It was so foreboding to look at, especially given the current circumstances. It felt as though the building would swallow them up in some kind of hideous shadow. He ended up freezing at one point, gritting his teeth and pulling his hands together.

"Joe?"

The man looked over and saw his wife staring at him with concern. He stammered, "Oh I-I'm fine..."

"No you're not. I can see you're scared." Millie said, her eyes narrowed softly. She took a few steps towards him. Her expression softened up. "Don't worry. I am, too."

Joe looked at her sympathetically. "Yeah I know..." He sucked a deep breath as he turned his head to the side. "I never thought we'd be back here again." He looked back up at the building. Uncomfortable memories shot through his head. "I wish I didn't have to come to this."

"But it did. I don't want to be here, but this may be where our son is. We needed to get him back. After that..." Millie put a hand on his shoulder. "We will make sure that Von never becomes a problem again."

It felt strange to the man. The fact that it was his wife offering support in an intense, emotional situation. Usually, it was the other way around. Not that he didn't appreciate it. He was grateful for his wife's words. She was right. This may be the last time they'll ever have to set foot in this horrid building. They're here to make a rescue and as soon as that was fulfilled, they can quickly leave, go to the hospital if need be, and then call the police.  
Joe swore, Von would never lay a hand on his family again. He would see to that.

"Come on, Millie." Joe said as he turned his gaze towards the wretched building. The only thing that would make this more fitting was if there was a storm with lightning bolts striking the building. "Let's go save our son."

The two adults, the two parents, frowned at each other, their expressions holding the most determination they ever held before. They nodded in mutual understanding, and then they turned to glare at the building. After a few moments, they began to walk towards it, preparing themselves for whatever that man might have in store.

sss

Inez stared down at the unconscious form of Rudy laying on the ground. She watched as he was gently cradled in Penny's arms. Her daughter supported Rudy's body pretty easily, the extra muscle gained from her chores giving her a bit of a boost in strength. His body laid towards her, his shoulders touching her leg, his shoulders and head supported by her arms. Penny was stroking Rudy's face and hair gently, trying to soothe him despite the fact that he was unconscious.

Well not unconscious, but close to it. The tranquilizer given him did make him a lot more docile and tired, yet he hadn't actually fallen asleep yet. At least he wasn't squirming around anymore and it was a lot easier treating him this way.

Inez had done what she could for Rudy's wound. There was little that could be done to cover it outside of using clothing pieces. She and Penny both tore off bits and pieces as was needed. She knew there was a risk of infection, but what could she do? She had little supplies to work with here, and it was either this or they just leave the wound open and raw. And she wasn't about to let that happen. That would have made things worse.

Despite the limitations, she still did her job and treated Rudy the best that she could. The boy did save her life. If he hadn't intervened when he did, she would have gotten far worse than just chemical burns. She owed him her life. Now she was returning the favor. If she didn't do this, then Rudy might end up dying from his injuries.

At least no major blood vessels had been cut. There was bleeding, but it wasn't as much as it would have been had he gotten a major vein sliced open. Thank goodness it wasn't his aorta. That would have led to death in a very short amount of time.

But despite the fact that no major blood vessel was cut, that didn't mean Rudy was save. There were still several vessels sliced and there was plenty of bleeding already. It was under control for the time being. But that didn't even get into the fact that one or more of his organs may have been pierced. Inez wanted to check the damage more thoroughly and see what else could be done. But the equipment just was not available here. Rudy needed to go to a hospital and see if the damage was far worse than it appeared.

Then there was the infection from the nail that used to be present in the wound, the one Von yanked out cruelly. From what little she could see, the nail in Rudy was most definitely rusted. That alone warranted a trip to the hospital. That was going to cause some very serious infection if it wasn't treated fast enough. He might even need a shot or two, depending on what his family doctor recommended. And what if a piece broke off and stayed stuck inside Rudy...? The thought made her stomach lurch in nausea.

Well at least she was able to do what she could and the boy's outlook didn't seem as grim right now. He wasn't out of the woods yet, though. He was going to need a lot more help. If only they could get out of here...

That was still an uncertainty. None of them had figured out exactly how they were going to get out. They hadn't figured out any kind of weakness in his room, or any other escape method that they could use. They were still trapped like wild animals, and this realization made her blood freeze. What if they didn't get out in time? She didn't know how long Rudy had before...before... She didn't want to think about it.

She hoped they would find someway out of here soon. It might take a while, and it would require a lot of thinking. But she was certain there was someway to get out of here. A method that none of them thought of or were prepared for. Even if it meant going through the ventilation system, they...

Wait...that could be it. The woman's eyes widened in realization. Ignoring the chattering from Penny and the...zoners as she calls them, she turned her attention towards the far corner of the room. She could see a shaft covered up by a latch. A ventilation pipe that she knew was going to be part of a whole system. Maybe, if it was large enough, they might be able to squeeze through.

But what about Rudy? It would be difficult to move him in his condition. She didn't know how long the drug was going to work. At any moment, the boy could fully regain his senses, his mind, and he may start to freak out again. That was not something that he needed, given his wound. She thought about giving him another dosage, but that might make things worse.

No, the only way they were going to get out using the vents was if they moved now. The sooner they got a move on, the quicker they would be able to get out. It didn't matter where the vents led. So long as they landed in a room with an open door, they should be fine. It would only be a matter of time before they would find one of the doors leading to the outside. From there, they could try to find their way back to the hospital. That shouldn't be too hard. They weren't that far out, she didn't think.

She clenched her teeth as she looked down towards Rudy again. She watched as he pressed his head against Penny, looking so content thanks to the tranquilizer. She watched her daughter's worried expression as she spoke to him, and tried to strategize with her zoner pals. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy, if she remembered their names right, were all arguing on a way to get out. So far, none of them came to a conclusion.

Well now was time to end that. They needed to get out of here fast. And if the ventilation system was the only way... Then so be it.

"Penny." Inez said as she got up from the ground. Her daughter looked up at her, falling silent as she waited for her to speak. "I think I know a way out of here, but it's going to be risky."

"I wonder if it's going to be as risky as Howdy's plan." Snap said, glaring softly at the puppet.

Howdy snarled back. "Well at least I had a plan!"

"Not a very good one!" Snap shouted.

Rapsheeba quickly got between them. "Enough, you two! We don't need this right now!" The female zoner glare at the two of them harshly, her lip curled up briefly in a snarl. "This isn't helping!" She turned her attention to Inez. "I apologize. What was your plan?"

Snap and Howdy stared at each other sadly for a moment. Then they turned their heads away from each other, folding their arms and snorted. Inez sighed. She hoped they didn't remain bitter at one another like this for long. They were going to need quite cooperation from everyone for this to work.

"I was thinking the ventilation shaft." Inez said.

"What?!" Snap spluttered. His eye were wide in shock. "But that was Howdy's plan! You can't be serious! Why are you taking his side?!"

"Oh I am serious." Inez didn't know that Howdy and Snap were arguing about the ventilation system, but that didn't matter right now. She stared at Snap sternly and said, "It's our only shot out of here. I'm not saying it won't be risky. But it's better than staying here. Unless you want to wait around for Von to let us out, if he ever bothers to do that."

"I..." Snap's voice trailed off.

Howdy gave him a smirk. "See? I told you."

Snap shot a glare at him. But he remained silent. He closed his eyes, lowered his head and sighed in defeat. "All right then..." He looked up at Inez. "How do you propose we go about this?"

"I won't lie. It will most likely be hard as heck. But it's all we have." Inez looked over at the ventilation opening. "We will need some kind of stacking over there so we can get up. We will need to work together on this. But I'm sure that we can..."

"But what if it's too high?" Snap asked. He folded his arms against his chest. "Not to mention, too slippery. I mean, we zoners can get up there just fine. 2D powers and all." He moved his hand in gesture a few times. Then he motioned to Inez. "But what about you?"

"We could use our 2D powers to help them." Suggested Howdy.

"Yeah, that could work!" Rapsheeba said. "We can get on the sides of the shaft and stick out our hands to provide support. We can gradually work our way up and we can get them to the top."

“Hmm yeah...” Snap rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That could work...”

“Yeah, but how do we go about getting him up?” Penny looked down at the sleepy Rudy’s face. The boy stirred in her arms and let out a soft groan. “He might be tranquilized, but he’s still going to need some help going up. We can’t just drag him up like a sack of potatoes.”

Rapsheeba rubbed her chin thoughtfully at this. “Well...we could see if there’s any rope around here. Maybe we can find something that could help?” She suggested.

Howdy immediately zipped towards one part of the room. “I’m on it!”

“Hey! Wait for me!” Snap followed suit.

Inez watched as the two smallest zoners raced together and began to search the room for any items they could use. While they did that, she turned her attention back to Penny and Rapsheeba. “We need to talk further about how we are going to do this. You are right, Penny. We’re going to need to be very careful.” She looked down at Rudy sadly. “We can’t afford to let Rudy bang against the walls of the vents. We can’t let the wounds reopen.”

Penny flinched at this and Rapsheeba looked at her worriedly. Both of them stared down at Rudy. The boy, of course, did not respond. He was unaware of what was going on and what kind of trouble he was in. Inez stared down at him sympathetically, knowing that his life wasn’t out of the woods yet. There was still a lot more that needed to be done. There was still a ton of work they still had to do.

“Do any of you two have any ideas?” Inez asked, turning her gaze to Rapsheeba and Penny.

Penny frowned as she lowered her head. Inez waited, giving her daughter time to speak. She knew that look on her face. She was in deep thought. Inez trusted that her daughter would be able to come up with a response. She was a smart girl after all.

While her daughter continued to think, Inez let her mind wander a little. She wondered how they were going to stop Von. Could they simply report him and have the police arrest him? Or did that mad man have some kind of backup? If he was in ChalkZone and he could draw whatever he wanted, could he create somethign to help save his sleazy ass from prison?

She narrowed her eyes softly as she tilted her head upwards thoughtfully. They were going to need some kind of plan. They were going to need some method of proving what this man had done, and without exposing his chalk world that Penny and Rudy both seemed so fond of.

She knew the dangers of exposing ChalkZone. Not just simply for that world, but for the Real World as well. For obvious reasons, she had more worry for the Real World. The thought of monsters, unimaginable, horrifying, logic-defying monsters, coming into the Real World was just terrifying. And the idea of creating any kind of weaponry and bringing in over here... Unthinkable.

Her thoughts focused back on Dr. Von Doktor. She narrowed her eyes. She didn’t know how, but she would make sure he paid for everything that he did. He would not get away with trying to kill her, kidnapping them, hurting Rudy, threatening her daughter...

“I think I figured something out.” Penny said, breaking Inez from her thoughts. “I’m not sure how well it will work, though.”

Inez knelt down beside her daughter. “I’m sure whatever you thought of is fine.” She placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Go on, tell me.”

Penny hesitated for a moment. Then she said, “Okay. This is what I had in mind...”

sss

Such a pounding headache... When was it going to end? It had been going on for the past hour, ever since she woke up. It still would not go away.

Ms. Tweezer had tried whatever she could to dull the pain. She had taken some of her strongest painkillers, but they didn’t seem to be doing much for her. They only worked a tiny bit; most of the pain still pounded through her head like it was a fucking drumset. She gripped her head and let out a groan. She had never gotten a headache this bad since.....that day...

She didn’t know how this happened. She didn’t remember falling asleep on the couch, or leaving her bedroom door partially open, or anything like that. There was no sign of an intruder and nothing was stolen. The only thing that was out of place was her insufferable headache. Oh why won’t it go away?

She wished she knew why the medications weren’t working all that well. She wished she knew how all of this happened. She haded being in the dark, especially when it comes to herself.

Well there was nothing she could really do about it. Maybe she was just really tired today and went to bed early and just forgot. No, that didn’t seem to be like her. She can’t honestly recall anytime when she would be like that. Even during her...mental relapse at the hands of that boy, she never got symptoms like this. She didn’t get tired and fall asleep and then just...forget. Maybe some people d that. But not her. It just wasn’t something she could imagine herself doing. Some would say she was being arrogant. She would say she was just being truthful.

Well enough about that. She needed to relax her mind. Maybe that’s what was causing her headache. She was just thinking a little too hard. She stretched out her arms and legs and gave a soft yawn. Maybe some television can help her out. Watching her favorite documentary might help calm her down and soothe her mind.

She could put on one of her favorite documentary marathons. She remembered watching it nonstop for a few days months ago after the incident with Rudy. She still remembered how shaken up she was. Watching the marathon did play a part in soothing her mind. The unreal may have left her mind a mess, but at least that was over and she didn’t have to worry about it again.

She sat down on the couch in her living room. She leaned back against the soft piece off furniture, taking in a deep breath and sighing. She lifted up the remote and turned on the TV. She began to flip through the channels, hoping that she would find the documentary playing today.

Something caught her eye halfway through her channel surfing. She caught a glimpse of something familiar. She backtracked, reversing by a couple of channels.

It was the local news. She wasn’t sure why anything on here caught her interest. She didn’t watch the news too much. It was often riddled with the unreal. Exaggerated drama, even the real bits were often nonsense too. Dedicating a manhole... What rubbish.

But wait, there she saw it again. That red hair, that green outfit.. Could it be...? Yeah it was. Terry Bouffant. She remembered her from months back. Her lip curled up in a snarl as she remembered what that foul woman had tried to do. She couldn’t decide which one was worse. Her or Rudy. It was bad enough that the children were spewing nonsense. But a full frown woman? Terry should be ashamed of herself.

Terry had ranted on and on about some fabled chalk world. Ms. Tweezer scoffed at the idea. This was the kind of rubbish she would imagine a rapscallion like Rudy to come up with. Not a full grown woman like Terry. She wondered if Rudy had a hand in that. Maybe he pulled some ‘harmless’ prank and now Terry thinks that whatever happened was real.

Ms. Tweezer would have loved to help that woman. But alas, it might be too late for Terry. Kids, she could try to save. But there was a saying. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. She could try to teach Terry all she wanted to, but her mind was already poisoned, predispositioned to the unreal. There was no hope for her now.

Something seemed...different about her today, thoug. It was then that she realized that Terry wasn’t even at some manhole or with somebody off the streeth. She was in a hospital and she was... wearing a pair of dark sunglasses...?

Ms. Tweezer blinked a few times. Why was Terry wearing those glasses? Was this some kind of fashion change? Rather strange, but she wouldn’t judge. At least it wasn’t something unreal or out of the ordinary. But no..that didn’t seem very possible. The dark glasses combined with the whole hospital schtick told her somethign else was going on. Ms. Tweezer felt her body stiffen up at the one possibility that had crossed her mind.

She had been attacked.

Ms. Tweezer clenched her teeth. She hoped that wasn’t what happened. She hoped that this usually peaceful town didn’t see such a horrible attack. No, it couldn’t be possible. Plainsville almost never saw such serious crimes. It was quite a peaceful little town. It didn’t make sense for... Why was this happening now?

She watched in stunned silence as Terry began to explain what happened to her. Ms. Tweezer’s thumping mind didn’t hear most of what she said. The only details that came out were the bits about her getting hurt. Being slashed on both eyes, having a chemical poured into them. She was certain that she was also explaining who did this to her, but alas, that was one of the bits that she didn’t really hear. Her mind had already figured out the solution, and it was not willing to let her sway from it.

It was that boy... She was certain that he had something to do with this. She wasn’t entirely sure how, and she would admit on some level it didn’t make too much sense. But...what else could it be? Rudy had been in cahoots with the unreal for a long time. All children were. She knew it was just a matter of time before all that unreal stuff would drive the children insane, and then they would...

Her eyes widened in horror. Oh no.. How many children were affected by this? She hoped it was just Rudy. He could be easily apprehended. But the others... If there were any others, how would she or anyone else be able tos top them? She didn’t know who else might be involved, where they were, or how dangerous they were.

Well there had to be some way. As she watched Terry recount what happened, her mind continued to echo with several thoughts, each one worse than the last one. The unreal was getting stronger, and she needed to do something about it. If she didn’t, it could spread. Who knows what will happen if it did? Ms. Tweezer was horrified with the prospect of such a plague spreading through the city.

The city needed a strong-willed, down-to-earth person to lead them now. They needed someone who can discern from the unreal and what actually exists. With her knowledge, she would be able to lead everyone elset o safety. She could restore sanity before it was too late.

But she would not be able to do much just laying around here. She needed to get going now. She got up from her couch and left the living room. She immediately went to work. She hoped that she wasn’t going to be too late.

sss

"Joe..I don't like this place..." Millie whispered softly. They hadn't walked in the building for five minutes before she had tensed up. "It just...doesn't feel right..."

"I know. But we've got to keep moving. We've come this far." Said Joe.

Millie knew her husband was right. They couldn't just turn away now. Not after they came all the way here to help their son. If he was in trouble, if that evil man had taken him... There was really no choice. It was either this or they condemn their son to whatever fate the man had in store for him. True, they didn't even know if the man had taken him at all. But could they really take that chance? Where else could he be? For him and the others to just suddenly disappear...

Millie regretted not turning the vile man in when she had the chance. She and Joe would have had grounds to call the police after the man practically threatened their son. Yet they foolishly didn't take it. She never thought that Von would go this far. She wondered if her husband felt just as foolish.

As upset and confused as she was with Tilly, she was glad that her sister spoke up. It was her sister that alerted them to this possibility. Without her, they'd have no leads at all. Even if this turned out to be nothing, a dead end chase, at least it was something for them to work from. Tilly had also given them another possible lead, and that was Terry Bouffant, the reporter.

She had never had much of a problem with Terry in the past. She just seemed like any other reporter. At most, just annoying. She and Joe rarely had anything negative or positive to say about her, and the times they did interact, they got along mostly well.

She never thought that Terry disliked her son so much. Even though Tilly was the one who told her, one of the people she'd trust so much, she wasn't sure how much she should believe this. Tilly was talking about some chalk world just like Terry did. How truthful was she being this time? And even if she were being honest, she couldn't fathom any reason for Terry to hate her son. It wasn't like the boy had ever interacted with her in the past. This hatred seemed to have sprung out of nowhere.

Tilly did try to explain the best she could. She said that Rudy and Penny both knew of this chalk world and Terry knew that they had the knowledge. She had wanted them to spill the beans on it and apparently had been pestering them for a while. While Millie didn't want to think that Terry would be like this, but if she were desperate enough, was it possible that she could have taken Rudy?

She shook the thought out of her head. She didn't want to end up accusing every strange person of such an act. That would not only be unwise, but it would not bring them any closer to finding Rudy. For now, they will search Dr. Von Doktor's place. Hopefully something will turn up here.

But so far, nothing. As she and her husband moved down the hallways, they didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Well aside from the fact that the building was strangely unlocked. Perhaps Von just forgot? He had lost most or all of his help ever since that incident a few months ago. He still had enough money to keep the building, but that didn't mean that everything was going to be on the up and up. If he didn't forget, then the locks might be broken. Not much of a concern; there probably wasn't too much here people wanted to steal. After all, how many people would want to take something that once belonged to a madman?

Okay so maybe there were a few people like that. Still, that didn't stop her from considering that being one of the possibilities.

She stopped when her husband suddenly halted his walking. He narrowed his eyes as he looked from the left and then to the right. There was a look of concern on his face. Millie bit her lip, wondering what he might have taken notice of.

"Do you hear that?"

Millie took a moment to look around the hallway. All she could see were white walls and floors, a few signs on the walls. Nothing unusual. The hallway did arch to the left up ahead. She stared at it long and hard, her pupils focusing on the corners and the blocky shadows that formed on them. She looked at some of the open doors of the hallway, trying to see if any of them were moving or if there were any shadows, no matter how subtle.

But no, nothing. It was quiet in here. It felt as though the whole place had been abandoned for a long time. There was little here to even suggest that Von still came here. If it weren't for the fact that she had seen him come in here before two weeks ago, she would have thought he left this place to right.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't hear anything."

Joe narrowed his eyes. "Exactly."

Millie blinked a few times. "What?"

Joe looked around cautiously. His body looked more tense than usual. "Where is the alarm? Why didn't it go off?" He clenched his teeth, hunching his back slightly as if he were expecting some kind of death trap to spring on them at any given moment. "Did this guy have his security system disabled or something?"

Millie froze at this. She looked around the hallways again. Joe was right. The security system didn't appear to have gone off. That did seem rather strange and out of the ordinary. It didn't seem like Von to not at least have a security system in place. Well he did leave the place unlocked. Maybe he just didn't bother with a security system?

No, that made no sense. The security system was already in place before. Losing all his workers wouldn't make Von suddenly tear down his security system. It had to be still in place, still active. Maybe she and her husband were just lucky enough to not have tripped it? That didn't seem like it made a lot of sense, but it was the only thing she could think of. But if they simply hadn't tripped the alarm, then how long did they have before something...

She and her husband pressed on. Despite their newfound reservations about coming here, they still had to get a move on. They were nervous about trying to go back. What if they slipped up and they hit something to activate the alarm? What if they accidentally get themselves trapped? Von could easily sue their asses for trespassing. That would be the one advantage Von would gain from them coming here.

The longer they stayed in here, the more the atmosphere started to weigh down on them. The various smells, the smooth white walls everywhere, the familiar plaques on the walls, just everything about this place reminded them of the last time they were here. Back then, it hadn't been a problem. But now, as they snuck through the building, hoping to find any sign of their boy, this place felt as foreboding as a haunted ship.

Suddenly, as they made a turn, they slammed against something. It was solid and hard. They let out yelps of pain and stumbled back. They shook their heads and looked at what they had run into. They blinked a few times, confused. Just what was this?

What was a wall doing here? And why did it look so out of place compared to the rest of the hallway? It looked almost like someone had taken a silver shield and glued it in place to make it look fancier.

But this wasn't right. Millie narrowed her eyes slightly. She remembered passing by a map earlier. She might not have the exact greatest memory of the world. But she was still good enough to know that this hallway should lead somewhere, not to a dead end. A give away was how there was a curve here, and even with the shield in place, she could still see that there was a bit of an edge sticking out.

This edge protruding like that didn't make any sense architectural-wise. It was almost as if the builders were going to put in a hallway here, but got lazy and stopped for whatever reason and just hastily covered up the hole. That wasn't something she would expect any professional builder to do, however. So something else was going on. And they were going to find out what it was.

Joe walked over towards the unusual wall. He looked at it up and down. He reached over and touched it. Then he formed a fist with his hand and struck against the wall. Millie winced at the sound that it was short-lived. Joe turned to look at her.

"It's quite hollow." He said.

She tilted her head at this. "Hollow? Are you sure?"

Joe nodded his head. "I struck it hard enough to tell." He turned his head back towards the wall. "It looks like it slides in from the top."

Millie took a step closer. She looked up towards the ceiling. It was hard to tell, but when she turned her head at the right angle, she suddenly took notice of how there appeared to be a tiny sliver of space there. The wall wobbled slightly, further suggesting that it wasn't originally a part of the wall when it was first constructed.

But why would it be like this? Why would the building be designed this way? It didn't make any sense to her. She and Joe didn't notice anything like this the last time they were here. Why would..

Something came to her mind. Turning her attention to her husband, she said, "Do you think this is a part of his security system? Maybe he changed stuff around?"

Joe hissed at this. "I suppose it's possible. But why would the doors still be unlocked?"

Millie frowned at this, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Well, is it possible that this place is in such poor condition in some areas, that the power simply doesn't work?"

"That could be. Maybe the door we went through simply didn't have any power running it to keep it locked. Dr. Von Doktor did have those fancy locks, right?" Joe replied.

Millie nodded her head. "Yeah I remember them. They needed a secret code to get through. I guess Von just didn't want to spend the money on some more conventional locks."

"Yeah, seems so." Joe said.

With that question out of way, it appeared to only bring more. Several questions swirled through the woman's mind as she tried to make sense of what was going on. Why did Von get a new security system instead of using the old one? Why install walls like these? How much did it all cost him? Did he really think that this would be a better idea as opposed to simple lock and sensor mechanisms? Just how did he think was going to break in here that they'd require thick wall shields to trap them?

One thing that she and her husband realized was that it was going to be a lot harder getting to their son now. How would they be able to find him if many of the hallways were blocked? They could still search the areas without power, but she had a feeling they would be rather small and fragmented, disconnected from one another. How would they be able to get to a new dispowered area to keep looking? What were they going to do if Rudy really was here and they couldn't reach him because of some stupid sheet of metal?

Well they weren't going to give up. Rudy needed them now more than ever. It would be wrong to just turn their backs on him now. If he was here, they needed to find him and get him out. Same with Inez and her daughter, Penny. There had to be someway that they could...

Joe's eyes were facing towards the ceiling. She noticed a particular expression on them. She frowned, tilting her head to one side. "Joe...? What is it?"

Joe simply said, "I think I know what we can do."

"Really? What is it?" Millie asked.

Joe responded by pointing upwards. Millie pulled her head back, her eyes tracing upwards as she followed his pointer finger. It didn't take her long before she spotted exactly what her husband had in mind.

The ventilation system.

sss

Penny couldn’t believe she had been so stupid earlier. Despite her mother reassuring her that they had all made the mistake, Penny still felt she should have been more vigilant. If anyone was to keep track of this stuff, she should have been the one. If she couldn’t even keep track of rather important details, how was she going to help Rudy or anyone else?

She attributed to her forgetting to the chaos that was going on around her. It was hard to keep track of all the details, what with Rudy being badly hurt, several zoners being killed, being strapped to that awful machine, among other things. Her mother did say it was undersandable that they’d all forget some details. That still didn’t stop her from feeling guilty, though.

She wasn’t going to let that get her down, however. She was shaken, but she was still pushing herself forward. She couldn’t just stay in one spot. They simply didn’t have the time for that. They needed to keep moving. If they hurried, then they might be able to get out of here and have a chance at getting out.

Provided that she remembered about the security system...

Penny had to remind herself so she wouldn’t forget again. Dr. Von Doktor had activated his security system earlier to ensure that they wouldn’t be able to get out. All exits were blocked, or so Von said. Penny wasn’t sure how accurate this claim was, or if he was even being truthful. There might be some areas without power. Not all this building was in tip top shape, she was certain. They just needed to find the correct path.

But would that path even lead them to freedom? Or would they end up in circles? Or would they end up in a much worse situation? It was possible and she knew she couldn’t dismiss it entirely. That would only make things worse.

Penny did her best to focus on the task before her. She grunted as she continued to move through the ventilation system. The smell was pretty bad, worse than she imagined it would be, and the metal was so cold it felt as if it was going to burn her skin. She did her best to ignore it as she crawled through. She constantly thrusted her hands forward to pull herself through the tunnel.

Her mother was in front of her. She was leading the way. As the adult, she felt responsible for their safety, so she took charge on deciding the direction. Penny didn’t try to argue. Her mom might know a thing or two about architect that she wasn’t aware of.

Behind her, she could hear the sliding of her friends. After Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy had helped them up the shaft initially, they remained in their 2D forms so they could follow at a steady pace and not worry about getting in the way. Penny felt a pang of jealousy. She never thought she’d see the day that she would want to be able to turn into a flat cutout. Well at least they were able to make some progress and sticking to the pipes meant that they wouldn’t fall over so easily, so at least they’d be safe if something happened.

She clenched her teeth. She hoped nothing would happen. She hoped that her mother chose the right path and that this ventilation system was stable. She didn’t want to think what would happen if they fell. Rudy didn’t need more injuries than he already had.

As she crawled, her knees and shins scraping along the ground, she lifted up her head and looked out towards Rudy. He was strapped on her mother’s back. They had found the right material for such a job. It looked pretty crude, but it was affective and it was working.

Tying Rudy to someone was her idea. It wasn’t her best idea. She felt she could have come up with something even better. But for what it was, it appeared to be working. Having Rudy strapped to her mother enabled moving him without jostling him around too much. Her mother was capable of moving quite gently when she needed to, while still keeping up the speed. It also freed her mother’s hands so she didn’t have to hold him and try to crawl without arms. She couldn’t begin to imagine how her mom would be able to pull that off.

The ventilation system had pretty high ceilings as well. Penny was surprised by their structure. This gave her mother more room to manuever and lessened the chance of Rudy getting hit even more so. Penny felt a sense of relief about this. She was worried that, even with her plan, Rudy would have gotten unnecessarily hurt. She was glad when that wasn’t the case.

“How long is it going to be?” Snap asked, breaking the silence. “We’ve been moving along here for a while. Any sign of an end?”

Penny took a moment to look left and right. All she could see was the same silvery color of the metal pipes, but no places for them to turn off into. Other than that, the only other thing she could detect was the smell being stronger in certain places. She wanted to plug her nose. Just what were these smells?

Possibly related to Von’s stuff, she was sure. Chemicals, perhaps. Some might have been recently used and Von didn’t bother using the ventilation system more efficiently.

“No. Sorry, Snap.” Penny replied. “It’s hard to see too much in here. It’s not like there’s any map.”

“Well there should be!” Snap cried out. “Are you sure there weren’t, you know, plans or something?”

“There might have been, but they weren’t in the room, Snap. We will just have to make do with what we have right now.” Penny heard her mom say.

“But there has to be something that...” Snap started to say.

“Snap, she said there wasn’t much we can do. So just drop it!” Rapsheeba snapped at him. Snap stared at her in surprise. She sighed and said, “Look, Snap, I’m sorry I snapped at you like that. We just need to keep moving and...”

Penny tuned out the two zoners as her mind began to wander. She thought about what Snap said. Perhaps there was some kind of method they could use to figure out if there’s any paths up here that they could take. Maybe if she could find some kind of crack, one of the zoners could slip through and search around. Then they could come back and report and then they could...

Wait, what if the zoners got lost? Or hurt? What if they slipped through somewhere and they end up captured by that awful man? Or gotten outside somehow and spotted by another human? They were at least human enough, but..what if someone notices something...off about them?

Penny was interrupted from her thoughts when she pushed up against her mother. She let out a grunt and shook her head. She pushed herself back. She could hear the sound of the zoners stopping behind her, despite them being in their flat modes. She stared out at her mother in confusion, wondering why she had stopped like that. Did she see something of great importance?

“Mom? What is...”

“Shhh!” Her mother held up a hand. Penny pressed her lips together as she kept her mouth shut. Her mother turned her head from one side to the other. Her mouth was partially open, a soft frown on her face. “Do any of you hear that?”

Penny blinked a few times. She turned her head and tried to listen to whatever had caught her mother’s eye, or rather, ear. But no matter how much she tried to listen, nothing was coming up. It was just...silent. Well except for her and everyone she was with, of course. So what could her mother be talking about?

“I...don’t think there’s anything here.” Howdy said softly. “Maybe you’re just...”

“I know I heard something!” Penny’s mom hissed. Not out of anger, but out...Penny wasn’t sure what emotion it was. Determination perhaps? She turned her head to the right and held it there. She narrowed her eyes further. “Something is coming this way...”

Penny wasn’t sure what her mom could be talking about. She didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. She could hear breathing mostly, maybe a grunt or two. Rudy wasn’t entirely quiet either, but her mom couldn’t be talking about him. But...what was her mother talking about if that were the case? What had her worked up?

The way her mom’s eyes looked, the expression on her face... Yeah something definitely had her mom worked up. But what was it? What was causing the tension? Why did her mom look as if she were going to tell them to run at any second?

Suddenly, Penny’s body jolted when she heard a loud scrape. It irritated her ears and she lowered her head, trying to cope with it. Thankfully it was shortlived. But even after it was over, she still didn’t feel much better. She quickly realized that her mother was right. There was something going on here. There was someone else in the pipes...

Her eyes bulged at this. “Do you think it’s...him?” She asked her mother, her voice barely a whisper. She heard the soft gasps from the zoners behind her. She could only imagine what their expressions look like right now.

Her mother kept staring to the right. Her eyes were narrowed softly, her lips pressed against each other tightly as she was in deep thought. She narrowed her eyes a little further, giving off a soft ‘hmm’ sound. “I don’t think so. I don’t see why he would come through the ventilation system.”

“He might be trying to bypass his own security system.” Rapsheeba suggested.

“True, but if he set this up, then he would know the weaknesses and how to get around them. After all, what person would set up a security system if they didn’t know the ins and outs of it just in case?” Penny’s mom said.

Penny wasn’t entirely sure of that. Von might have hastily put it together and didn’t read the memo. He might not be fully aware of how to get through his own activated system, or if there was even a way.

She could see him tearing through the paper-like walls that covered up the doors, but that would only lead him into another room. She wasn’t sure if there could be any kind of secret passage through the blocked off areas themselves. Maybe Von did know, but how he’s acted rashly so far, she wasn’t going to hold out for it. She still thought it was possible that he was trying to get through using the ventilation system.

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s someone else.” Her mother’s voice cut through the air. “We have to be careful. Until we find out who it is, we can’t take any chances.”

“Should one of us go and find out?” Snap offered. “One of us could slip through the cracks and...”

“No, it’s too dangerous.” Penny quickly said, cutting off her friend. She turned her head and stared over at Snap. “You might get lost, or hurt. It’s better if we stick together.”

“But Penny...” Snap stared at her, his expression softening up in worry. “If we’re all together and if this person means business, what if he or she manages to trap us? It’s easier to catch all of us if we’re in the same spot.”

“He has a point. It might be a safer bet if we send one of ourselves through any opening and try to find the source of the sound.” Howdy said, nodding his head in agreement.

Rapsheeba nodded her head as well. “I’m sure we can....”

Her voice was cut off when, without warning, there was another creak. This time, unlike the other one, was from right underneath them. They all looked at each other in confusion, wondering what this meant. Then there was a sudden jerk, and the ground they were on suddenly became slanted. They let out a surprised cry as they struggled to keep themselves from falling.

The surprise jerk caused the three zoners to go back into their 3D forms. They laid on top of each other, groaning in pain. More creaking and more jerking, and soon they were all pushed up against each other. Penny felt pressure on her limbs and back and her arm was pulled out behind her. She couldn’t keep track of who was where, who was touching her, who she was pushed up against. She gritted her teeth and struggled to get herself free. It was useless and all she could do was end up getting smooshed further against them as the structure they were on began to give way.

And then it snapped.

She and the others let out screams as they fell down from the pipe. They crashed against some of the internal structures of the wall, being flung from side to side. Penny yelped as she felt herself hit against something sharp, and she heard the others cry out in pain as well. Her head struck something hard, causing an ache to spread through it. She didn’t have time to react to that as her shoulder hit against something. She knew it was going to bruise.

They hit against another pipe, this one breaking under their weight and allowing them to fall through. They all laid in a pile, panting heavily from their long drop. They looked at one another, smiling softly in great relief that it was all over.

But it would seem they thought too soon. The pipe they were in began to bend to the whim of their own weight. They dug their fingers against the ground as they struggled to prevent themselves from sliding. However all attempts failed miserably, and as the pipe began to tilt in a diagonal fashion, their bodies began to slide downward.

Penny clutched the pipe, ignoring the loud, annoying screech of her fingernails. She tried in vain to stop herself, her mother trying the same thing. Her ears were irritated from the screeches both their nails’ produced, and it felt as though it was going to explode. But there was nothing she could do about that. Despite their best efforts, their attempts at stopping didn’t work and they just kept rolling down the slanted pipe.

Soon, they reached the exit. Penny let out a yelp when she rolled through, a sharp tip of the pipe cutting into her. She rolled across the ground, tumbling across the floor painfully. She soon rolled to a stop, laying down on her stomach. She let out a soft groan, pushing herself onto her hands and shaking her head.

That was some fall. She wondered where they were now. How far had they fallen? And just where did they end up? As the others groaned and picked themselves up, Penny took a moment to look around, turning her head left and right.

It was difficult to see where they were. It was very dark here. She could make out some shapes, but not enough to determine their expact location. Maybe they were in the basement, or in some lower floor. They were still inside the building. That much she knew; she would recognize this smell anywhere. But the overall shape... She hadn’t been here before, not even when she helped Rudy out of here a few months ago. It didn’t look like any room she had been in before.

Her heart skipped a beat when she remembered about Rudy. She swiveled her head and looked down at where her mother and Rudy were. Her mother was laying on her stomach, gritting her teeth and groaning. She could see a cut on her mom’s arm. Unlike her zoner friends, her mother did not escape the fall unscathed.

Rudy, thankfully, looked fine. He might have gotten hit a few times when dropping down, but other than that, he appeared to be okay. She let out a sigh of relief, smiling momentarily at Rudy before worry and concern caused replaced the expression. She knew what had to be down now.

“I’ll go scout up ahead. I’ll try to figure out our location.” Penny said, straightening herself up, eyes remaining narrowed in determination. “I will be right back.”

“Penny, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Howdy asked nervously. His eyes shifted from side to side. “We can’t even see anything... What if there’s a trap waiting for you and...”

“I don’t think Von would go through the trouble of setting up traps all over this place. The guy is so cocky, he probably thought that we’d never get out.” Snap said.

“Besides, this place doesn’t look like it’s been used much.” Rapsheeba noted. “I think this is one of the places without power. An area of the building that Von doesn’t even use.”

Penny heard her mom speak up. “We should still be careful.” Her mother ground as she climbed up to her feet. Thankfully the straps still held Rudy to her back. Her mother provided extra support by looping her arms around Rudy’s legs. “I think Penny has the right idea, but not alone.”

Penny turned to her mother. “Who do you suggest I bring with?”

Her mother’s eyes swiftly turned to Snap. “Him. You two seem to have the longest history with each other.” Her mother looked at her for a few seconds before turning to Snap. “Can I trust that you two will keep each other safe?”

Snap nodded his head. He offered the most confident grin that he could muster. “No worries, Penny’s mom. We’ll be careful!” He turned to Penny. “Won’t we?”

Penny nodded once. “Yeah. We will be fine, mom. I promise.”

“Good. Now get going. Don’t stray too far. Just get as much information as we can use. We will be waiting back here for you. If we don’t where from you within the hour, we will assume something happened and we will take action.” Penny’s mom said.

Penny and Snap nodded their heads at this. They didn’t waste anymore time. After glancing at the others, and then staring sadly at Rudy’s still groggy form, they took off together.


	38. Reunions

Let us all come together.

sss

Snap kept his back hunched up slightly as he and Penny walked down the hallway. It was so dark and it was so difficult to see. The zoner kept close behind Penny, one hand on her shoulder, the other towards his chin as he looked left and right, trying to make sense of where they were in the building.

The damp smell did indicate this was a basement of some kind. Or at least, it seemed like it was. It was difficult to tell. There were no maps here and even if there were, it was way too dark to see anything.

“Buckette?” Snap asked. “Can’t you draw a light or something?”

Penny nearly stopped in her path. “Snap, you know I can’t do that in the Real World.”

Snap felt like an idiot. Of course it wouldn’t work here. “Oh...right...” He grinned nervously, unable to believe just how much of an idiot he had been.

Snap was not used to adventuring in the Real World, if it could even be called adventuring. He had grown used to the magic chalk’s help, and often relied on Rudy and Penny to be able to draw whatever it is that they needed. He never thought he’d see the day when they would be needing to explore something without the help of the magic chalk. It was so foreign and strange. He might as well be with a bunch of zoners, cause it felt like that.

He wasn’t really angry with Penny or anything. He couldn’t blame her for the situation. Until they got into ChalkZone and they got some magic chalk, there was little that they could do when it came to getting what they needed. He hoped they would be able to find something soon.

Seeing the damp areas on the ground made him nervous. The wet places were likely the result of some old pipes starting to crack a little. There were only a couple tiny puddles on the ground and they were all up against corners. They rarely saw them. But that didn’t lessen his nervousness whenever they came close to them. Snap could feel his heart beating faster everytime they passed on, and his grip on Penny would get tighter.

“Snap, please don’t do that. You’re hurting me.” Penny said.

“Sorry.” Snap said quickly. He relinquished his grip on her and held his hands towards himself. Teeth clenched nervously, he turned his head from right to left, his eyes sweeping the area, using whatever scrap of light was available to see whatever that he could.

The sight of the small puddles reminded him of what happened with those zoners earlier on. He shuddered as he remembered how they were all washed away, their bodies melted, burned, faded away from existence from a mere clear fluid substance. He would never forget the sight of their melting organs, their distorted muscle and bones....

To make it worse, they hadn’t been the only ones who got hit. He knew the zoners fleeing must also have gotten hit as well. Unless they were lucky enough to head into the ventilation system, or got outside somehow, they were all dead. The mere thought of that sent cold shivers up and down his spine.

The advice from Biclops had been of little help. The zoners seemed to all but forget about it as soon as they confronted Von. Their anger and hate towards the man caused the giant’s advice to slip from their minds.

And when Helga was killed... That just made things even worse.

The death of Helga, their toughest leader, had shaken the foundation of their confidence. It had sent shockwaves of horror through their bodies, and many of the zoners lost the will to fight. Seeing Helga die like that broke something inside most of them. While a few remained that tried to be brave, that wasn’t enough.

Add to the fact that Arnold was also murdered, and that would have broken whatever was left of their confidence. It had reduced most of the zoners into scared, ‘wild animals’ as Von would have put it, and as soon as they were given the chance, they ran off, desperately trying to save themselves.

A part of Snap felt sorry for them. He knew what it felt like to be so scared. He got a taste of that when he was trapped with Blocky and Howdy. But he knew that Howdy understood better than him. He was trapped longer. Then there was Blocky..

The poor rectangular zoner had been trapped for several days, likely not having much to eat, tormented by experiment after experiment, his mind clouded with a shroud of pain... If any of them understood what it felt like to be terrified, afraid, helpess, it would be him. Snap could hardly begin to imagine just what the poor zoner had felt during his stay.

But the blue and white zoner could not feel only sympathy for the zoners that fled. There was also anger there.

As much as he didn’t want to blame the zoners for their own demise, a part of him just couldn’t help it. The zoners had been warned how dangerous Von was, and they were still so blinded by their desire to stop him that they just cast aside that logic. They should have stayed home and let him and his friends handle it. Perhaps then, they would at least still be alive.

Well there was nothing that could be done about that now. With a pang in his stomach, he knew those zoners were gone forever. Nothing would bring them back. All he could do now was focus on stopping their killer from harming more zoners. It was going to be difficult, but if it wasn’t done soon, then...what was going to happen to ChalkZone...?

He and Penny continued to move through the hallway slowly. They took their time, the darkness preventing them from seeing many things until they were much closer. They had passed by a few rooms, but the doors were shut and stuck there, likely from rust as this portion of the building seemed more in neglect than other parts.

He and Penny thought about entering the rooms, but decided to pass it up. Finding where this led to was more important. Perhaps there was an exit somewhere. If they could at least find their way out, then they could get away from here and get help somehow.

Something soon caught Snap’s eye. As they had turned with the corridor, there was a door far down that appeared to have some kind of light in it. It seemed this place had some kind of power available to it. He wasn’t sure how much, though. Maybe just from a generator for all he knew.

“Do you see that, Penny?” Snap asked, his eyes focusing on the room further down. There was a dull glow there. Not very noticeable compared to, say, a brand new fluorescent light, but still visible nonetheless.

“Yeah I do.” Penny whispered softly. She stopped in the middle of the hallway, staring at the light. “Do you think we should go check it out?”

Snap paused for a moment. A part of him just wanted to continue looking for an exit. If they were to just explore any random room, they might just end up in bigger trouble. Von might be in one of these rooms, if he didn’t head into ChalkZone first. He might also have set up some traps just in case. If he and Penny got stuck out here, then how would they be able to tell the others?

Then again, these rooms might contain items that they could use for their escape. This room might have something that they could possibly need. And if that’s the case, then perhaps it was worth the chance to check it out and see. Just a quick look wouldn’t hurt, right?

“Yeah, it might have something that can help us.” Snap said as he started to cautiously walk forward.

Penny followed suit. “Just be careful, Snap. Don’t just go around touching anything.”

Snap smirked at this. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”

The two friends headed towards the open door slowly. They took their time, just in case Von got crazy with booby traps here. They were careful to watch out for lasers and pressure points. So far, they didn’t find anything, but they were still on the alert just in case.

Soon they reached the room. They stared inside. They didn’t see anything that looked like a trap. But they weren’t stupid. They would still treat this room with the utmost caution. They looked at each other and frowned, nodding their heads to send silent messages to one another. They then looked back towards the room. Slowly, they began to enter it.

The room appeared to be some kind of lab. Another one. Not that it surprised Snap or Penny. They both assumed that this place would have several labs, considering what it was used for. It looked similar to the room that they had been locked up in, save for a few changes, such as a distinct lack of that chair.

There appeared to be a large chalkboard in this room. The smudge marks and dust that collected on the board indicated very recent use. Maybe a few days at most. There were some symbols on the board, but Snap could not make heads or tails of it.

Penny, however, could. At least a little. “This is some kind of formula...” Penny whispered softly. She stood in front of the board, her eyes scanning it up and down. “I bet Von was trying to figure something out. Perhaps perpetual motion. None of this data looks like what would be associated with chalk.”

Snap replied, “I still can’t believe that he remained obsessed with perpetual motion for all this time. You’d think he would have moved onto better things.”

Penny nodded her head. Then she turned her head to do a quick, visual sweep of the area. “Let’s look around for a little bit. Maybe we might find something. But be careful.”

“Careful is my middle name!” Snap said with a grin.

“Of course.” Penny said before she began to look around. Snap glared softly at her for a few seconds, unsure if she was being serious or not. He then looked away and he began to look as well.

The room didn’t seem to have much that was interesting to them. Von appeared to have cleaned this room out. Well mostly. A few items remained, but none that they could use for an escape, and certainly no maps or anything regarding the building itself or a security system. Snap guessed that Von decided to change rooms after he found out about zoners. It certainly did seem like this place was abandoned swiftly.

Snap dropped down onto his knees and began to look around. He turned his head from right to left, looking for any items that may have fallen down. Paper, tools, anything. But no, there was nothing. Just the coldness of the ground, some dust, not much else.

There weren’t too many things to look at here, and it didn’t take long before he and Penny searched most of them. They had even checked for the possibility of a back exit in the room. A fire escape of some sort. No, nothing like that here. This room was just a dead end, a waste of time. The only thing they learned from here was that Von was really a nutcase about writing formulas for perpetual motion. Perhaps it was time for them to leave and....

Wait, what is this? What was that over here, sitting in the cabinet?

Snap noticed something familiar about the object. It was hard to tell what it was at first. It was obscured by the shadows, and yet, there was still something about it that seemed so...familiar. Curious, ignoring Penny’s questioning statements, he walked over.

His eyes were glued on the object as he approached. Even as he got closer, it didn’t seem to get any clearer for him. His eyes trailed up and down, looking for any kind of clue as to why this object was so familiar to him. It was box-shaped..kind of. It stretched out and he saw some other structure to it. It didn’t seem to remarkably stand out, but...oh why did it seem so familiar to him? Just what was it about it that caught his attention?

“Snap? What is it?” Penny asked as she walked over to where her friend stood. “What do you see?”

Snap shook his head and shrugged his shoulder. “I’m not sure, Buckette. But...” He pointed his rounded hand at the cabinet. “Isn’t there something familiar about that thing in there?”

Penny turned her head to look. “What is? Oh you mean that square-ish thing?”

Snap nodded his head. “Yeah. Doesn’t it seem to ring a bell?”

Penny stared at him for a moment and then turned her attention back to the object. She reached forward and grabbed onto the doors of the cabinet. She attempted to open it, but the doors would not budge. “Hmm...it’s locked.”

“Allow me.”

Snap never did this before, but it was worth a shot. He saw it in movies before. Maybe it would work? He reached his hand gainst the cabinet. Concentrating hard, he was able to turn just that portion of him flat, and in went his 2D hand and arm. He stretched it in as far as he could go and soon he found the lock. He began to pick at it, trying to grasp the..whatever they were called, and repositioning them for it to be unlocked.

Soon, much to his surprise, there was a click. His eyes widened slightly. It had worked? He turned to Penny. She looked as shock as he did. A few seconds later, he smiled broadly. Well of course it worked. Why did he ever have any doubts that it wouldn’t?

“You’re welcome!” Snap cried triumphantly as he pulled his hand out. “Please, no pictures!”

Penny gave him a quick, playful push. “Cut it out, Snap. This is serious.”

“I know.” Snap said, still smiling at her. That smile soon faded as a look of contemplation came over him. He looked at the object that had been stored in the room. “What do you think it is?”

“I’m not sure.” Penny opened up the door and began to reach for the object in side. “But maybe if we pull it out and...oh!” Suddenly Penny froze, her hand positioned only about half way to the target. Her eyes widened in shock. “D-Did he...?”

Snap looked up at his friend worriedly, biting his lip. “P-Penny...? Are you okay? What’s going on...?”

Penny withdrew her hand from the cabinet. She stared at the object long and hard. Then she turned to face Snap, taking in a few slow breaths, as if she were trying to clear her mind and figure out what to say. The longer she stared at him like this, the more his heart clenched. Just what did she see?

“Snap...” Penny whispered. “I-It’s that device Rudy drew on that day. The machine that made bobble-headed yous.” She paused for a moment. Then she said, “The one that he was convinced was capable of perpetual motion.”

Snap gasped at this, taking a step back. “What...?”

They didn’t get a chance to finish their thoughts when a loud clamor caught their attention. They swiftly turned their heads. Their hearts nearly froze in their chests when they saw a shadow forming on the wall. They turned around to face the door and they took a few steps back.

Snap couldn’t believe it. Did Von know that they would be coming here? Did they fall for one of his traps? Did they just come here at the wrong time?

Regardless of the reason, that didn’t change what was going on right now. Von was coming into the room and they had no place to hide. There wasn’t anywhere in this room that was sufficient enough to hide the two of them. He gritted his teeth, his body tensing up for the inevitable fight. He turned to look at Penny, and he saw just how scared she was. He then turned his attention back to the door and took a few steps forward.

“Snap, what are you doing?” Penny whispered softly.

Snap didn’t answer her. He continued to move forward until he positioned himself in front of Penny. If that creepazoid wanted Penny, he’d have to go through him first. The only way that the man was going to have any access to her was if he went through his dead body. He didn’t want to die but if it came to that, if it meant buying some time for her, then he was prepared for it.

The tall shadow began to grow shorter, indicating that the man was getting closer. It didn’t seem like he was carrying anything at first. But then another shadow emerged. It was so close to the first shadow, and so long... Was it a gun?

The thought sent chills through Snap’s body. He never thought that the man would go as far as trying to shoot them. His body trembled at the thought. All it would take was one shot of that gun to him or Penny and the situation would rapidly become much worse than it had been before. He hoped he was mistaken, and that it was something else entirely. Maybe a broom or something.

He still stood his ground, not moving further away from Penny. When the shadows got even closer, and he began to see the shapes more distinctly, knowing what they were about to arrive in the room, he spread out his arms, waiting for the man to come in and try to make his move. He was not going to make things easy for him.

Then the figure arrived in the room. Snap tensed his body up, his adrenaline fully prepared for an attack. Unable to hold it back any longer, he began to rush forward, letting out a yell.

“Snap! Stop!”

The sudden shout from Penny wasn’t what stopped Snap. He skidded to a stop and stared out in shock when he saw not Von, but Rudy’s parents walking in.

He hunched his body forward, his arms dangling down, as he stared at the two shocked adults, just as surprised as they were. Many questions ran through his mind. Just how did they get here? Where did they come from? And why were they covered in dirt?

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie stared down at the blue and white zoner in shock. They were silent for several moments, their eyes filled with so much shock, Snap thought they would burst open. He took a small step backwards as he watched them. Uncertain of what to expect, he kept his eyes on them. He had no idea how they were going to react to meeting a zoner.

Mrs. Tabootie was the one who spoke first. “Snap...? But I...I thought you were just a...”

“We thought you were a creation of Rudy’s.” Mr. Tabootie finished, his voice soft, filled with so much shock. He raised a finger and pointed it at Snap. “Did Rudy base the character off of you?”

Snap shook his head. “No, I’m the real deal.” Snap clenched his teeth tightly, realizing what a mistake it may have been to say that. He could just feel Penny’s glare on him.

“How is that...” Mrs. Tabootie started to say, overwhelmed in emotion. Then she stopped and turned her head. “Penny...? Are you okay? Where is Rudy? Where’s your mother?”

Penny didn’t answer right away. She just stared at Mrs. Tabootie, still clearly rearing from the shock of running into her so fast. She stared at Snap, as if she thought that he would have any answers. All Snap could do was shrug and look back at the adults. The questions that bombarded their heads made it difficult for either of them to formulate words.

Mr. Tabootie appeared to understand. He gently nudged his wife and spoke softly to her. Snap and Penny couldn’t understand what was being said, but they guessed that he was discussing something with his wife. He then looked back at them, giving an apologetic expression.

“We’re sorry if we surprised you so much. We’re...rather surprised as well.” Mr. Tabootie rubbed the back of his head. “We weren’t expecting to see you guys here...” He backtracked. “Well in this spot.”

“Neither were we.” Snap managed to say. He licked his lips and swallowed hard. A cold thought came to his head. “You...weren’t captured, were you?”

Mr. Tabootie shook his head. “No, we came here.”

Penny took a step forward. “How did you get in?”

Mr. Tabootie said, “Through one of the doors. It was still open.”

Penny’s eyes widened slightly at this, and then she swiveled her head towards Snap. “Did you hear that Snap? One of the doors is still open. We can get out!”

“Yeah, but..where is it?” Snap held his hand out in gesture. And just how did you get here?”

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie looked at one another, and then back at them. All their expressions held the desire to gain more information, to answer confusing questions, but also to share information as well. They had some catching up to do so they could all fully understand the situation that they were in.

Snap hoped that the two adults were able to find something that could help them. An open door was nice, but if there was no path to get there, it was useless. Still, this was a chance at possible freedom, and if they can help, that would bring them a step closer to stopping Von.

But first, so much confusion had to be taken care of and gotten out of the way. Things needed to be straightened out first. Hopefully they will be able to do that very quickly. They didn’t have all the time in the world.

“Well you see... It all started when...” Mr. Tabootie began to tell his story.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor felt a rush of energy surge through him. He couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. Everything that had happened lately... It just filled him with a sense of accomplishment. He couldn’t help but suck in a deep breath and releasing a loud, content-filled sigh. Today had just been marvelous. Better than he had expected.

For him anyway. He imagined that his ‘guests’ felt differently. Both the ones he trapped in the Real World and Blocky, whom he now had tied down on a surgical table that he drew. Yeah, they were definitely not enjoying this. But he didn’t care. It was all about him, after all. Not them.

He wondered if they were going to escape. He had made sure that they couldn’t, but there might have been a flaw or two that he had overlooked. Well if that were the case, well, not much he can do about it now. Besides, even if they were to get out, they wouldn’t know where to find him here, and they would not be able to sneak in either. These walls, he drew them to be one-way, allowing him to see out but no one in. That would make it much harder for them to try to get in without him noticing.

He turned his attention back to Blocky. The small zoner was squirming against the binds, ignoring the pain that he was in. Normally, he would want to try to settle him down. Before, he didn’t want Blocky too badly hurt as he wanted to experiment on him. However, with that restriction removed, it no longer mattered to him. He can make his own test subjects now. Blocky was not needed anymore. It didn’t matter if he died.

But Blocky still had a purpose to him. A use. If he really wanted to, he could perform a dissection here, or a vivisection. He could run tests on Blocky, and any future test subject, that he was unable to in the Real World. He would be able to learn their bodies on a much deeper level.

There was a tingle sensation in his chest as he felt so excited. No one had ever done this before. No one had ever studied chalk animals like this. He was the first. It was so lucky when a scientist got to study a new animal. He felt like the luckiest of all. How much chance did he have to get the opportunity to study a new species made out of material that no one had ever thought possible for a living creature? Oh he was going to be famous!

He could feel his heart thumping with excited desire. He had come to close to obtaining his dignity back and the thought of him gaining so much more was just irresistable. He couldn’t wait to see the looks on those scientists’ faces. They will rue the day that they made fun of him. Everyone would be sorry.

But enough about the petty stuff. He will have his revenge soon. Right now, he needed to focus on the task at hand. He still had a lot more studying to do, and he had his test subject all strapped down and ready to go. His smile broadened as he stared down at Blocky.

As the zoner shivered and whimpered in fright, he began to think of what he should do. What should be the first test to try? Should he test a chemical reaction on him? Should he cut him open to get a glimpse of how his insides look? Should he force feed him some kind of poison?

“P-Please...don’t do this... I-I beg of you...” Blocky whimpered as he stared up at the man in fear. “Please...why does it have to be this way? Why can’t you use an x-ray machine or something?”

Von smirked at this. He turned his head to one side. “Well I could. But zorry.. It’z juzt not good enough for me. I need a more...perzonal view for myzelf. I’d get more data out zat way.”

Blocky began to struggle harder against his binds. He let out a few yelps of pain as his attempts were in vain. Even as he clearly was losing strength, he still struggled, trying to break himself free and get away. Von couldn’t help but smile at this. It was incredible how much energy he still had despite what he had gone through. Maybe he will discover the secrets of that through his cutting up the zoner. Maybe it can be applied to humans somehow.

“No! Come on! Let me g-g-go! Please!” Blocky wailed. He pulled harder on his legs, the small shins banging against the metal cuffs that held him down. “There has to be another way! Please!”

“Oh why don’t you juzt zettle down, Blocky? I hadn’t even begun yet.” Von began to circle Blocky. His mind ran with different thoughts of what he could do. There was so much he could try and it was so hard to choose just one. “Juzt zink of all the benefitz you may bring to zoziety. Zink of how much zings will improve. Izn’t that worz zomezing?”

Blocky did not reply. He merely let out a scream as he kept pulling on his limbs. Adrenaline was really kicking in how. If he had a heart monitor hooked up to him, he’d imagine the zoner’s heart would be racing, pounding against his chest.

The man continued, holding up his hand in gesture. “I can juzt zee it now. Maybe I could make a profit off of zelling your meat.”

“No!” Blocky cried in horror.

“I know it won’t do anyzing, but zome culturez do believe that eating animal partz helpz zem heal from dizeazez and zuch. Who knowz?” Von’s eyes gleamed as he stared down at the frightened zoner. “Maybe zome of them will zink that zoner meat can help zem out. I’m sure many people will flock to purchaze ground or powdered zoner. Wiz what you guyz are made of, zat shouldn’t be too hard to make.”

Blocky tried to shake his head in protest. The metal bar across his forehead prevented that. “No! Please!”

Von chuckled as he watched the zoner squirm. It was almost comical to him how the zoner still tried to escape, despite his condition and his predicament. Did he still really think that he can get away that easily? Did he really think that he would be able to break his binds if he just struggled hard enough?

He decided to leave the zoner alone for the time being. He still hadn’t figured out exactly what he wanted to do with Blocky, and some of the experiments he thought of doing couldn’t be performed on him, partly due to his injuries. He needed a fresh subject. One that has been untouched. At this, his smile spread further. Yes..he knew exactly what he could do while he tried to figure out what will be done to Blocky.

Without saying a word, he turned and left the zoner alone. He ignored the zoner’s confused cries as he headed down the hallway. There were more rooms in this place. He didn’t design it with just one. He had a feeling he might need some other areas, and this was one of those times that proved that.

The place was structured similiar to the building he had in the Real World, only much smaller. He had only made a few rooms because this was simply an experiment. He would need to test a few subjects out first before he expanded on something bigger.

It didn’t take him too long to reach his destination. There was a room on the far end of the hallway. He turned into it and walked inside. He immediately shut the door behind him. Despite the fact that he didn’t expect anyone to find him, he locked the door anyway.

The room looked similiar to the room where he had tried to test out his perpetual motion ideas. Only this room would, later on anyway, have more supplies and more tables. This was to be one of his major dissection and vivisection rooms. Soon, the shelves will be stocked full of different chemicals and jars and needles and scalpels. It was going to be incredible.

He walked up to one of the tables. He noticed the super strong straps he had drawn. Designed to hold down tons of weight, it should make it easy for him to subdue his test subjects. Especially if he drew them first. He could prevent them from being too strong, ensuring that they would remain subdued.

He pulled out what remained of the magic chalk. He frowned slightly. He had used up so much of it. Oh well, there was still enough for him to do what he wanted. Gripping it tightly, he began to draw.

Lines rapidly filled the air, twisting around, forming a distinct shape in the area. He added a sharp turn here and there, then a swirl and soon he was finished. As soon as he stopped, color filled in the empty void, and flesh materialized in an instant, just like the building and everything else had. He was fascinated by how similiar the process was, and just how quickly and easily he had practically given birth.

Here, standing before him, was a brand new zoner. One that he had created. This realization gave him a sense of power over this particular life form. This zoner, which looked like a cross between a zebra and a peacock, was his property. He was free to do whatever he wanted with this zoner.

And he knew just what he wanted to do.

“Hello there. It’s nice to meet you.” The zoner said in greeting. He bent down on one hoof and bowed to him. “I’m so glad to meet my creator.”

Dr. Von Doktor flinched slightly at this. The zoner spoke like... Well it was hard to explain. Almost like a child and a foreigner strung together. There was emphasis put on the wrong words at the wrong time. Was this what happened when he didn’t concentrate hard enough on the personality and behavior of the zoner?

Oh well, this will have to do. After all, he did not create this zoner to study his vocalization and grammar. No, he had something much more...interesting in mind for him.

Von grabbed onto the zoner’s arm and tugged him. “Come on.” He spread his hand out towards the table. “Please...take a seat.”

The zoner stared down quizzically at the table. He tilted his head to one side. “What is this for?”

“Oh it’z a game.” Von said with a smile on his face. “A game of knowledge. And you’re going to help me get it.”

The zoner stared at Von for a few seconds. Von wondered if the zoner understood what he meant and if he was going to try to get away. Instead of looking horrified, the zoner looked excited, an energy rushing through him as if he were just a little child. Well he was new to the world after all.

“Really? When do we get started?” The zoner asked, his voice high-pitched and energetic.

“Climb into zee table and you will zee.” Von said. He again motioned to the table, this time with more force, indicating to the zoner exactly what he wanted.

The zoner nodded his head. “Okay, creator. Sure, I’ll do it!” Immediately the zoner climbed into the table. With a motion from Von, he turned himself onto his back, spreading out his arms and legs as if he were about to make a snow angel. “How’s this, creator?”

“Perfect.” Von said. With a snap of his finger, the cuffs activated. The zoner let out a yelp as the cuffs strapped in him down. A few more appeared, holding down his body and his head. “Zank you for your cooperation.”

The zoner began to struggle. A nervous smile spread across his face. “Creator? This...this is kind of tight...” He gave a quick chuckle as he stared up at Von. “Is this part of the game?”

Von’s smile grew twisted. “Yez, it iz.”

The zoner’s face paled at the sight of this. It was almost amusing to see this child-like zoner experience fear for the first time. If the zoner thought this was bad, the true fun had not yet begun.

“B-But...creator... I-I thought we were going to have some fun together...” The zoner whimpered, sounding so much like a frightened little child.

Von chuckled at this. “Oh we are. I plan on having zo much fun wiz you.” He leaned forward, putting his faced close to the zoner’s. “Now I would appreciate it if you didn’t zcream. Ziz will go more zmoozly if you didn’t diztract me.” Von quickly began to sketch.

“B-But I...”

The zoner was silenced when Von drew a muzzle and slipped it over his mouth. He tightened the straps and buckled them down, securing it against the zoner’s face. This prevented the zoner from talking or screaming. The only thing that he could do was whimper and whine.

The zoner tried to shake his head in a vain attempt to get free. After a few times, he appeared to realize it was futile and he fell almost limp against the table. His chest rose and fell rapidly and he looked up at Von with wide, innocent and frightened looking eyes. There was a strong question of ‘why’ in them. The zoner reminded him so much of Blocky.

Well..it was time to get started.

“Juzt cloze your eyes, little one. It will be over before you know it.” Von cooed to the scared creation of his. A short while later, the room was filled with the muffled cries of his test subject.

sss

Joe was still surprised by what had happened. He certainly wasn’t expecting this turn of events when he and his wife explored around this area. He was so confused and a part of him hadn’t fully recovered from the shock.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy to see Penny. It was just...he didn’t think she’d be out over here. He and his wife thought this part of the building was abandoned. He didn’t think that Von would use any part of this area, and would have instead focused on the areas that looked more functional. That seemed to make the most sense to the man.

He and his wife had traveled through the ventilation system, which hadn’t exactly been a real joy. It was dirty in a few places, and some areas were rusted and sharp. Going across them was tricky and dangerous. They had to be extra careful as they moved through the vents. It was a little roomier than he thought it would be at least, so it made it a tad easier. He wasn’t sure just how long he and Millie had been traversing through the metal tunnels. It could have been anywhere between just several minutes to an hour.

After a while, they did discovery a hole in the elevated tunnels that they could not cross. Evidence of neglect from Von. They had no choice but to get out. They both climbed down from the vents, which wasn’t easy, with the jagged opening and moist ground there and such. But working together, they did manage to get down and then they were able to explore around a little and see where they were.

He and his wife were convinced that the area was left abandoned by Dr. Von Doktor, so they searched around unhindered, not expecting any kind of trap from the man, or being worried about getting caught.

When they came over to this room, they had realized there was someone there. They thought they could hear voices, and they were immediately put on edge. They had glanced at one another, and asked each other just what was happening. They both thought that perhaps it was Von or Terry. Who else could it have been? They knew of no one else who could be likely culprits to have taken their son.

They approached the door, prepared for a fight. Joe had taken position in front of his wife. His eyes had narrowed when they got closer. Their bodies remained tense, expecting Von or Terry to jump out at any given moment. Although they were both afraid, they were also both very determined to save their son from this...this madman.

But when they had turned the corner and they got to see just who it was that was here, they were both taken aback, neither of them expecting Penny to be there, staring them in shock.

Penny wasn’t alone. There was some else with her. A blue and white figure that had rushed towards them, only stopping when he seemed to realize they weren’t who wanted. When the person stopped, he and his wife were taken aback when they saw that it was Snap, Rudy’s star in his comic. His appearance filled them with so many questions, especially after Snap asserted that he was real.

He and his wife had liked Rudy’s work, and he recalled how popular Madcap Snap was. He never would have dreamed that Snap would be real, though. He thought that Snap was just a made up character. To see him standing before them, it was hard to take in. They both began to wonder if it was just a really good costume or something.

But the shock of seeing Snap being real was pushed in the back of his head when he realized that they really needed to catch up. To better understand their situation, they needed to exchange knowledge with each other and tell one another just how they gotten to this point.

Joe and Millie had told their story first. They did their best to explain everything, from how worried they were that Rudy hadn’t come back, how they tried to contact Penny’s mom, going to her house and finding them all missing. During the explanation, Penny looked a little guilty, confusing the two adults. They weren’t sure why Penny felt so bad. Maybe she was just guilty for contributing to them worrying; she was missing, too.

Penny and Snap both looked horrified when they brought up ChalkZone and the silly story Rudy’s aunt Tilly said about it. Joe was confused by their responses, and the way they looked at them... He had glanced over at his wife and she didn’t have any idea of what to make of it. Their reaction made it seem as though...they had learned something they shouldn’t have...

But..it couldn’t be true, right? ChalkZone couldn’t possibly be real. Tilly was just a little crazy, perhaps watching Terry too much. There was no way that such a world could exist. It violated too many laws of physics. It was..impossible...right...?

But Penny and Snap’s expressions suggested otherwise. These expressions held no deception, and they couldn’t be mistaken for anything else except shock and worry about their discovery.

He and his wife had gone silent for a few moments upon seeing their expressions. They had looked at one another, both exchanging a look of confusion with each other. He and Millie then continued their story, moving on from the subject of ChalkZone. They told the two about how they had found a way in and how they had been searching through the building to find any evidence of Rudy, Penny, and Mrs. Sanchez being held captive here.

And their hunch appeared to be correct, considering Penny’s presence here, and how she and Snap seemed defensive in the first split second they had shown up in the room. Snap’s reaction suggested that they had been waiting for a fight, and he knew it couldn’t possibly have been with him or his wife.

Now it was time for Penny and Snap to tell their story.

“We told our story. Now it’s your turn.” Joe said sternly, folding his arms against his chest. There’s several unanswered questions that he and his wife really needed to know. “Tell us, how did you get here?”

Penny and Snap looked at one another. Joe and Millie stared at them expectantly, not making a move to rush them. It was clear they had a lot to say, and they would need a little time to organize their thoughts. Joe hoped that some of the stuff they would say would reveal whatever happened to their son and just what Von was up to.

Speaking of Von, he wondered where he was. Joe turned his head from left to right and repeated this once. He didn’t see any sign of Von in here, and he and his wife didn’t even hear him or find any signs that he was here. While he expected that in this more abandoned area, why was the parking lot devoid of any cars except his own? Where was Von? Was he even here? Was he hiding from them? He tensed up, prepared for a confrontation with him.

He turned his attention back to Penny and Snap. Hopefully, they can answer that question. Right now, he didn’t care if Snap was a chalk creature or not. He didn’t care about the chalk world. That, as amazing as it sounded, was irrelevent at the moment. What mattered more now was finding Rudy and their friend, Inez.

“We’ll have to tell you later.” Snap said at last. Joe and Millie stared at the little guy in shock. “We don’t have time right now.”

“We had time to tell you what happened.” Millie said, narrowing her eyes as she held out her hand in gesture. “What do you mean you can’t tell us your story? How isn’t there enough time?”

“Is Von up to something?” Joe said, interjecting. “Is he doing something really horrible right now?”

“Look we’ll tell you all later.” Snap waved his hands out in front of him. “Right now, we need to...”

“No, you listen here!” Joe glared at the chalk creature. He didn’t care if he was Rudy’s creation at the moment. He didn’t have the authority to tell them when they’d get the information. They were going to get it now. “Millie and I are worried sick about Rudy and Inez! And if you’re not going to tell us, then...”

“It’s not like that at all!” Snap cringed away from the man, grinning nervously. “It’s just that...”

Joe narrowed his eyes dangerousy as Millie folded her arms against her chest. “It’s just what?” Snap was quiet and after several moments, Joe said, “What’s with you, Snap? Don’t you even care?”

Snap’s eyes widened at this. He frowned as though he had said some great insult. “Of course I do! Don’t you dare say such a thing!”

Millie growled. “Then why aren’t you...”

“Because we really don’t have time! We need to head to the hospital!”

This caused the two adults to freeze. They stared over at Penny in shock. The hospital? Was someone hurt? They looked at Penny’s arm and they felt their hearts skip a beat when they saw that she had several puncture marks in her right arm. They stared at this for several moments before looking back at Penny. They took in a few quick breaths, finding it hard to speak at first.

“Penny...” Millie was the first of the two to regain her voice. “What happened to you...? Did Von do this?”

Penny looked at her arm. She then nodded her head. “Well yes, but I’m not the one who needs the most help.”

Joe felt hesitant to ask. But he knew there was very little choice. He and his wife, they both needed to know. “Who....who is it...?”

Penny and Snap looked at one another. They then looked back at them. Joe and Millie felt their hearts start to race when they saw the looks in their eyes. Their faces held gazes of utter sympathy. After a few seconds, Penny was the one who responded.

“It’s Rudy.” Penny whispered softly. Joe and Millie gasped in horror at this, putting their hands to their mouths as their eyes widened. “He’s hurt.”

Joe took in a deep, sharp breath, his mind swirling with thoughts. He could hear his wife gasp in horror. They looked towards each other, both exchanging looks of horror with each other. Hearing the news confirming that their son was injured caused them both to freeze, making it hard for either of them to say something, or even move. Their heads ran with many questions.

What happened to their son? How bad was it? Did Von do it? Did someone or something else do it? How long would he be in the hospital? Was the wound fatal? Had they gotten here in time or were they too late to do much to help him?

Joe finally found the strength to turn his head and looked back towards Penny and Snap. He breathed in and out slowly, his eyes moving from left to right. Then he said, “What..happened to him...?”

Snap narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. “Dr. Von Doktor impaled him, the bastard...” The chalk creature’s voice was filled with venom.

Millie took a step back, tears forming in her eyes. “He’s been what?!”

Joe, his eyes wide with alarm, took a step forward swiftly. “Where is he now?!”

Penny quickly mothered with her arm. “He’s over this way. My mom and two other zoners are looking after him.”

Joe and Millie didn’t bother with asking what the term ‘zoner’ was, or trying to remember if they heard the word before. Right now, their only focus was getting to Rudy. They immediately followed Penny and Snap as they led them down the hallway to where Rudy apparently was being kept.

They were both grateful that Inez was with him and looking after him. That helped to drive away some of their worries. But it didn’t help them to fully relax. How could they when that evil, vile man had impaled him? The thought sent chills up and down their spines. Their minds filled with all kinds of horrific images at that thought.

The fact that he was impaled was horrifying enough, but there was still the matter of what he was impaled with and where. They both knew that there were all kinds of complications that could..no..would arise from this. They could only hope that the object in question missed all or most of his more important body stuff. And that wasn’t getting into the infections and whether or not this could affect him for the rest of his life.

The two parents pushed those thoughts aside. They could speculate more once they had seen Rudy and could assess for themselves what was necessary. The group of four disappeared down the hallway, towards where Rudy, Inez, and more of those zoners awaited.

Joe formed a fist as they went down, his thoughts growing dark. If Von did anything that horrible to Rudy, if his son was going to be permanently crippled because of this....

...well he hoped the man had really good insurance.

sss

Rudy let out a soft groan. He tried to open up one eye, but found that he could not. He never felt so weak in his life. Just..what had happened ot him? Why did he feel this way? Why did his mind feel so muggy and tired?

He would have tried to figure this out if he didn’t feel so tired and sleepy. A part of him just wanted to go right back to sleep. He wanted to close his eyes and allow the darkness to overtake him again, bringing him back to that peaceful slumber he had been in earlier. He didn’t remember how long he had been out, a short time or a much longer time, but he hardly registered any concern with that. Right now, sleep...

He felt himself being moved around. He could feel something underneath his body, and he could have sworn he was suddenly floating. He looked around to figure out what was going on. But his vision, it was so blurred, he could hardly make anything out. He struggled to try to make any sense of the blurred mess of colors and shadows all around him, but nothing worked.

Normally, if he were more awake, he’d be worried, panicked, something. He wouldn’t just lay here and act as if all was right with the world. Right now, however, he hardly had any care about what was going on. Being lifted up by, as far as he could tell, was air felt....nice. Yes, nice was the word he’d use. Very calming and relaxing. Then he began to move through the air, which felt even better. It reminded him of the car rides with his parents. He remembered on long ones, how he would just fall asleep in the care, the movement along the road just so relaxing, especially on sunny days.

Rudy could feel his eyelids grow heavy. He wasn’t sure how long he could stay awake. Not much longer, he knew. He had a feeling that, within a few moments, he would pass out, returning to the slumber that he had so desired for.

He did stop for a moment to look around him, trying once more to at least figure out where he was. He could start to recognize some shapes and at least tell there were people around. They seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite identify them yet. He noticed some white dots of fuzzy blobs, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say that they were looking right at him.

Then one large fuzzy thing filled his vision. Pale peach color with yellow mixed into it. Compared to the other shapes, this one was large and...either muscular or just hefty. He wasn’t sure which. His eyes flickered when he saw more peach coming towards him, and for a split second, he wondered if he should move.

Then, seconds later, he felt something against his cheek. He jolted in surprise, not expecting the blob to touch him. He thought about jerking himself away, but...no... This felt nice. He let out a soft sigh and pressed his head against the thing. He could feel it moving along his cheek, caressing it gently. Yeah, he liked this. He wanted it to do more. Then the thing moved up to his head, and he could feel his scalp come alive with pleasure. Slowly he shut his eyes and leaned even further against the blob, letting out a sigh of contentment. He didn’t care if he had no idea who or what this blob was. All he wanted was for it to continue, for a lack of a better term, petting him.

But sadly, it didn’t last very long. When the thing withdrew, Rudy let out a frustrated groan. He opened up his eyes again, staring towards the blobs, giving them all a longing look. Won’t one of them touch him like that again? Please...?

Then after a while, he started to get his vision back. Well more of it anyway. Not all, but enough that he could now start to make out details. He stared up at the blob that touched him, and he started to see the face. He tilted his head to one side, his eyes frowning in confusion.

“M-Mom...?” He whispered softly.

The blob responded, but the voice was so distorted and echoey that he wasn’t sure what to make of it. He was certain that she at least said his name, and possibly how he was.

Although he had no way of knowing for certain, Rudy still replied to what he percieved to be his mother’s question. “I’m...fine.. Tired... Just want to sleep...” He began to close his eyes.

He was stirred when his mother, or was it his father, shook him. He let out a groan, but did not open his eyes. He shook his shoulder to one side, jerking himself free of their grasp. It wasn’t that he was unhappy to see his parents. It was just...he was too tired. His head ached from the lack of sleep, or too much there of. He needed to rest.

His eyes shut completely, and he curled up into a small ball on the ground. He thought he felt something nick him in his stomach, but he was so out of it, he didn’t really notice.

“Sleep time...good... Sleep...” Rudy mumbled under his breath as he closed his eyes completely. It didn’t take long for the voices to rapidly fade away, and he was overcome by the darkness. Yes, all he needed was some more nice, peaceful sleep.

sss

“Rudy! Wake up! Please!” Millie called out to her son. No..this couldn’t be happening. Not her little boy. No...

But no matter how hard she shook him, Rudy wasn’t waking up. He just remained still, unmoving. She refused to give up at first, and she kept trying. But soon she had to face reality. Slowly her shaking stopped and she stared down at her completely still son. Reality sank in, weighing down on her shoulders.

Her son had...passed out. Succumbed to whatever internal bleeding was going on. The only thing that kept her heart from shattering into tiny pieces was the fact that his chest still rose and fell, albeit shakingly.

Despite the bloody spot on his chest, still visible despite the bandages, there was no expression of pain in the boy’s eyes. It was just so...peaceful. The look of it made the large woman shudder. It was such a contrast, seeing such a bad wound and seeing her son look so peaceful. He was even smiling, something she didn’t expect him to do if he was in so much pain. She wanted to lift him up and hold him in her arms, but she did not want to make things worse.

She looked over solemnly at her husband. He looked over at her sympathetically, reaching out and touching her shoulder. It took all of Millie’s strength not to pull her husband into a big hug and cry into his shoulder. She kept telling herself that everything will be okay. They just need to get out of here and get Rudy to a hospital.

Inez had told them what she could, about Von’s actions. Each thing she had listed made the woman and her husband feel more and more hatred towards the vile man. Neither of them thought he’d go this far, do something this horrible. Him trying to murder Inez, experimenting on Penny, and impaling Rudy... He crossed the line three times over. Well they would make sure that he didn’t get a fourth chance with them.

And then there was his torture of these...zoners... Millie wasn’t sure how sad she should feel for them. She wasn’t sure how to take them or view them. But regardless, even she felt a pang of disgust when she learned how this Blocky character was treated. If he was sentient, then shouldn’t he have been treated with some amount of dignity?

But for the moment, she couldn’t concern herself with the zoners. Her son was more important right now. She knelt down beside him and stroked his hair gently. She wished that he would wake up. Him sleeping made her very nervous and she kept fearing he would not wake up again, despite reassurances from the others.

Seeing her son like this was just horrible. She and her husband had a feeling something might have happened. But..neither of them thought it would...be something like this.

Their son had been impaled through the stomach, right below his ribcage. It did not pierce his aorta at least, but there was likely other things it ripped through. The fact that the man had ripped out the rusty nail horrified them, as that would have caused extra damage on its way out. And rusted.... Millie found herself imagining all kinds of diseases that would come from the rust of the nail. She did her best to try to remain calm, but..how could she with all of this?

But...at least the worst of it appeared to be over. Rudy’s wound was bandaged up and she and Joe were here. They knew a way out and they could take him through there. They could get their son to a hospital where he can be treated.

And after that, they could take care of Von. They could report to the police what they had found out and this place will be searched. She was confident that the police would be able to find evidence linking the man to the kidnappings. Then there was no doubt in her mind that the man would be locked away for a very long time. There was no doubt about that.

“There...this should do it.” Inez said, cutting through the silence. She took a few steps back, staring at her handiwork. “It’s not the best, but it should help you carry Rudy out just fine. Just be very, very careful. He may have suffered more damage than we thought.”

Joe nodded his head. “Thank you. We..can’t tell you how much we really appreciate this.”

Inez smiled at them. “Don’t worry about it. Just concentrate on getting him to the hospital.”

“And don’t forget, we will be helping you.” The zoner named Rapsheeba said. The other two, Howdy and Snap, smiled and nodded in confirmation at this. “Rudy is our friend and we will do whatever we can to help.”

“Me too.” Howdy said.

“Rudy is my creator. I’d never abandon him.” Snap said.

Penny took a step forward. “Working together, we should be able to pull this off. We can get out of this wretched place and get Rudy the help that he so desperately needs.”

“Then we take care of that creepazoid.” Snap snarled, slamming a fist against his palm.

Penny glared down at him. “Only after we secure Rudy’s safety.”

“I know.” Snap said as he looked up at her. “Come on, we better get going.”

“Agreed.” Penny said.

Millie didn’t attempt to say anything. Neither did her husband. Now wasn’t the time for discussions. Now was the time to help Rudy. She watched as Inez and her daughter carried the item over towards them. The item in question was a roughly made man-powered transporter. Well whatever it was. She had seen them before, but the name of them evaded her for the moment. The vet lowered it towards the ground and motioned to the parents to put Rudy in it.

She and Joe were as careful as they could. They gently lifted Rudy into the air, Joe holding his front and her his legs. They did their best not to move his body around too much, keeping him as still as possible. As they carried him over, Millie couldn’t help but stare at his face. He might look peaceful now, but her heart twisted when she realized that, once the drug completely wears off, he was not going to be so relaxed anymore.

They lowered Rudy down onto the transporter. There wasn’t any straps, so carrying him was going to be difficult. Especially going through the ventilation shaft, which they had no choice but to do. At least they had more help this time, but that still didn’t make the task any less daunting.

Working with her husband, they hoisted Rudy up into the air. They steadied him as best as they could. They then turned their attention to the others.

“It’s this way.” Joe said.

Without saying another word, they all headed down the hallway. Millie still wasn’t sure exactly how they were going to handle the ventilation system issue, but she was certain they’d figure something out on the way there. Only time will tell.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor took a step back and smirked as he looked at his handiwork. This experiment turned out better than he had thought. Other than it took longer than he hoped. Oh well. The important thing was it was a success. He had wanted to see the anatomy of a zoner and he finally got to do just that.

It was a little difficult with his creation squirming around, whimpering like a little baby. The muzzle did little to completely mute him. The zoner thrashed around wildly. If the muzzle were off, he was certain that he would have tried to bite him. The straps, though thick, almost appeared ot nearly break as the zoner struggled violently to get free. Perhaps he had made him too strong or the straps too weak. He will have to fix that later.

At least right now, it was nice and quiet. He stared down at the unconscious form of his creation. Well sort of unconscious. He was still breathing, but there was no way he was going to survive for long after this. He was definitely dying, on his last legs. Even if he were to get to a hospital now, there was no way he’d live.

And the experiment wasn’t even done yet. He was maybe half way through. There was still so much more he wanted to do. So much he wanted to know. He had learned a great deal already, but he knew there was more to learn, more that he should be excited for. He couldn’t wait.

He looked down at the tray filled with sharp instruments. Most of them had bleed on them. Most of them had been used to cut open this zoner’s body, allowing him to see his insides. Quite fascinating, they were. He had removed a couple non-vital organs for further steady. He had made sure to use clothespins to stop major bleeding. He wanted his victim alive for however long he could make him last. It was a way to test endurance and see how much a zoner can take before even assistance won’t help them anymore.

He let out a sigh of disappointment when he saw that most of the sharp tools had dulled. He was going to need to draw some more. He didn’t have a lot of magic chalk left and he needed to conserve them. Perhaps he could figure out where he could find more. Blocky might know. He smiled. Yes, the little run would tell him exactly what he wanted to know. But first, he needed to finish his exploratory vivisection. He turned his attention back to his strapped down creation.

The zoner had all but stopped struggling. The only movements that he made were some faint, shaky breathing and he saw a twitch or two. The zoner’s eyes were partially open, but they were glassy and unseeing. His nostrils flared wildly as he struggled to breathe, each breath signalling just how much pain and agony that he was in. A quick look at his body made it easy to tell just what caused this expression.

The zoner’s chest and stomach were completely open. The skin was stretched and pinned at the sides and the sternum was cut in the middle and opened up. The abdomen wall had been sliced and stretched apart. The internal organs were exposed, in plain sight. And it wasn’t just that. One leg and one arm had been skinned, and some of the exposed muscle was cut up. The scalp had also been partially removed, letting him see the bare skull of his creation. He was going to wait until he died before he would do anything with the brain.

As to be expected with something like this, there was blood everywhere. He did his best to keep it clean. He didn’t want the heavy stench of blood to distract him from his work. No, he certainly wasn’t interested in that.

He stared down at the dying zoner. He listened to his pitiful breathing, the way his gasps of air sounded raspy, like someone was trying to scrape against something. It was a rather pitiful sight, causing him to narrow his eyes deeply. Despite the fact that he knew that zoners could always be redrawn and that death didn’t matter to them, he still felt some pang of sympathy for him.

After all, he was simply a child. Well, child-like. The zoner was clearly an adult, but he had a child-like mind to him. Everything had been brand new and he was ready to explore the world. Yet he had been born only to die a short time later. His only experience in life was pain and agony. He felt almost sorry for the little guy.

Oh why should he care? It didn’t matter. The zoner wasn’t really suffering as much as it looked. He needed to remind himself of the immortality these zoners surely had. One death would be like the nine lives with cats thing. They can just be redrawn like nothing happened.

But..would it really be right to keep the zoner alive for the rest of the experiment? He would just be depriving himself of going in much further. He really wanted to look at that brain and there was also the heart and lungs he wanted to look at as well. Besides, the zoner was going to die soon anyway. Why not just speed up the process?

Von took one of the scalpels and he pressed it against the zoner’s neck. He pierced it with ease, despite the dulling tip. The zoner was so weak, he barely gave out a whimper as the knife pierced his flesh. The eyes looked up at him, trying to see him but failing. Von froze for a second, feeling another pang. He shook his head, gritting his teeth as he sliced the zoner’s neck open with a quick flick of his wrist.

The blood gushed out quickly, dripping down the table and over the side. He had made sure to slice both major blood vessels located in the neck, allowing for the quickest death. The zoner gave a few small twitches, a few small death throes, and then just passed away. The eyes closed and his head turned to the side. The still chest and the fact that he could see his heart wasn’t beating anymore told the scientist that he was dead.

It wasn’t much of a show. The zoner had died rather unspectacularly. A part of him couldn’t help but be disappointed. He had hoped for something more...satisfying than that. Oh well, it didn’t really matter that much. Time to continue cutting the zoner up.

As he proceeded to use the saw to cut into the skull to expose the brain, his thoughts wandered a little. He started to think of what zoner he should draw next, and what he should do with it. Chemical testing perhaps? Yeah, that sounds really good. After he studied this body a little more, he would have more data to work with. Then he really could experiment with all kinds of chemicals and see how they interact with the zoners.

Soon the saw cutting was finished, and he could feel the skull plate wobbling slightly in his hand. He lifted it up and gently set it on the bloodied table. He stared down, taking in the sight.

There was the zoner’s brain.

It was pretty large, with a lot of grey matter and wrinkles. It looked similar to a human brain, except a different shape and slightly smaller. It was pretty impressive overall. Picking up the sharpest scalpel he had left, he proceeded to remove the brain from its boney casing for further study.


	39. Determinations

Take action. Take lead.

sss

Outside.

Fresh air.

Freedom.

Penny never thought she’d feel so happy to see the road and the sky and buildings again. She couldn’t remember how long she had been trapped in that wretche building with Dr. Von Doktor. She couldn’t tell if it had only been a day or several hours.

But that didn’t matter to her right now. The fact that she was out at all was cause for internal celebration. A part of her just wanted to jump up and down with joy, to embrace her friends and her mother as they were finally free from the building. It had been a lot of hard work and at some points, she or one of the others thought about giving up. Thankfully, that was only brief and they still managed to get out.

They had gone through the ventilation system, following the Tabooties through the path that they had come from. It was tricky pulling it off. Moving Rudy was the hardest thing. Despite there being some room, that was often still not enough in some cases. The act of turning around was an absolute nightmare and it required moving Rudy around a little at least twice. At least Rudy was asleep and couldn’t feel too much.

The jouney through the ventilation system didn’t last too long, thankfully. Not as long as Penny thought it was going to be. They had soon exited the ventilation systems and entered into the hallway that Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie had been walking through before. It took a little time, but they did soon remember what this area looked like and which way they had come from. They all followed down the hallway.

Before they knew it, they had reached the exit. The sight of those unlocked doors made Penny’s chest swell up in excitement. She couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face. So much of her core just wanted to get up and rush towards those doors and jump out and kiss the ground. She had been worried that she would never be able to set foot under the sky again. She was glad that she was wrong.

But they weren’t out of the woods yet. They still needed to get Rudy out of here. That part, however, shouldn’t be to difficult. He just needed to be secured in the back of the car and his parents could take him to the hospital. The sooner he gets those wounds treated, the better.

Penny needed a trip herself. She looked down at her wrist, wincing at the punctures in her arm. She knew for a fact this was not the only thing that needed to be looked at.

“Are you ready to go, Penny?” She heard her mom ask. She looked up at her. “The Tabooties have kindly offered us a ride.”

Penny winced as she looked up and down at her mother. The chemical burns, though actually mild for what they could have been, looked horrible. She had a feeling there might have been some internal damage as well. She wasn’t sure how long her mother was stuck down in that wretched hole, and even her mom couldn’t really give an accurate time. The only reason she survived was because Rudy managed to get her out.

Penny felt a rush of gratefulness towards Rudy when she remembered that bit. She didn’t know what she would have done if something worse happened to her mom. The thought of her almost dying because of some chemical the evil man pumped in there was rather unsettling.

Her mother definitely needed to go to the hospital. She needed to be checked out to ensure that the damage wasn’t too far spread and could be managed. Her mom didn’t dare do a self-diagnosis; it was best to let someone whose field of specialty is specifically with humans.

“Well, I..”

Penny stopped herself and thought for a moment. She was going to tell her mom ‘yes’, but now she was having second thoughts. Perhaps now wasn’t a good time for her to leave. No, definitely not...

The zoners were still here. They might be able to go with them to the hospital, but that may not be the best idea. Something could happen and they might get hurt. Then there was the fact that she had no idea how long they would even be there. What if something happened and it took much longer? How well would they fair being stuck in the Real World for many hours without food or water?

And then there was the matter of something else that was almost forgotten, but still really important. She remembered that Rudy’s chalkboard, the one with the portal on it, was still located in the building.

This...did not bode very well for ChalkZone. With that portal open, Von could go into ChalkZone at any time. They needed to get it back before he...

Wait...did it even matter anymore...? Dr. Von Doktor had a piece of magic chalk. He could get into ChalkZone. And he was determined to figure out exactly how it worked. He might try studying it much further and create his own magic chalk. Then nothing they do would keep him out. At least...nothing that wasn’t on the more extreme end.

Penny shuddered at the thought of taking a life. That was one route she never wanted to take and hope she wouldn’t have to. But a part of her, deep inside of her, reminded her that if things get really hairy and if she were boxed into a corner, extreme tactics like that might be their only chance.

Hopefully, it would never ever have to come to that.

She was about to draw a portal for the zoners when she realized that she did not have the magic chalk. Dr. Von Doktor had taken that away from her earlier. This meant she was going to have to go home before she can do anything for the zoners. But how would she be able to do that? The hospital was much closer. Would the Tabooties even consider driving all the way to her place just to drop her off, when her mother was also in need of help?

Well, there was that open portal that was still in Dr. Von Doktor’s place... Perhaps she could... But would that be the best idea? Would she be able to get there without getting caught?

There was only one way to find out.

“I need to head back into the building.” Penny said. Upon seeing their confused expressions, she turned her head and looked towards the entrance that they had come out of. “The portal is still in there.”

“Sweetie, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go in there alone.” She heard her mother say. “Don’t you think it would be best if we...”

“I won’t be alone. My friends will be with me.” Penny said. She motioned towards the zoners as they came up towards her. They stood by her and smiled at her mother reassuringly. “I’ll be fine.”

Her mother frowned at this. “No offense, but..what good are they going to do you?”

Penny narrowed her eyes at this. She took a step forward, shooting a look at Snap to make sure he didn’t say anything. “Listen, mom, these are my friends. I care about them. I don’t want to see them suffer. They do not belong here in the Real World. I want to get them home, where they’ll be safe. I can’t bring them with me to the hospital. And what about Von? If he’s allowed to keep the portal, then who knows what will happen?”

Penny could feel a cold shudder go down her spine as she thought about all the trouble that Von could cause the longer he’s in ChalkZone, the longer he still had access to the place. ChalkZone had always been a rather peaceful place. That would all change if Von succeeds and spreads the knowledge around. Even just local would be enough to cause massive damage to that world.

Yet that expression her mother was giving her...the frown, the glare... Would her mother even begin to understand this? She did accept their help before, and she had even admitted at one point that she didn’t want to see them hurt. But had she only said that because of the situation? Now that they were no longer trapped, was she going to turn her back on her own words and let prejudice take over?

She hoped not. She didn’t want to struggle against her own mother, and they were wasting time. Her mom should be going to the car so they could leave to the hospital. She needn’t worry about her. She would be fine. She could do this. She wished her mom would have more faith in her.

“Please just leave.” Penny begged her mother. Her voice was a soft whisper. She could feel herself grow more desperate when the woman simply glared down at her, raising one eye brow in uncertainty. “Mom, you need to go the hospital more than I do. Why don’t you just leave with them?” She turned her gaze momentarily towards the Tabootie’s car. She watched as the smoke chugged out from the pipe. After setting Rudy in the car and climbing in, they had been waiting for a few minutes for her mother to hop in. “They’re waiting for you.”

Her mother bit her lip. “I know but...” She sucked in a breath. “I don’t know if I can leave you, Penny. You’re my daughter. And I know that you trust these...things...” She gave a sideways glance to Snap, Howdy, and Rapsheeba, ignoring the glares she got from them. “But how do I know they can protect you if the time came? I don’t know them that well. Despite your reassurances, I just...can’t feel comfortable with you going off alone with them.” She straightened herself up. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Maybe I should...”

“No!” Penny cried. “You need to go to the hospital!” Penny realized she had spoken a little too loud and she did her best to calm herself down. She took in a deep breath and sighed. “Look..just..please..go to the hospital, mom. I’ll be all right. Let me help my friends. Please...they...”

Her mother frowned again. “I’m not saying they don’t need help, but Penny... Can’t they stay for a while longer? Can’t they come with? We can deal with Von later.” Penny shook her head. “Yeah, you’re right. That wouldn’t make much sense. How about we call the police on the way to the hospital? Would that make you feel better?”

“But mom! The portal! We can’t just leave it there!” Penny cried.

“I’m sure it will be fine.” Her mother said.

“What if someone else finds it?” Penny asked.

Her mother stared at her for a few moments. Then she shrugged. “I don’t think anyone will find it. The police will just...”

“They’ll search the whole place! One of them is bound to find that portal! Mom, don’t you know what will happen?!” Penny cried. She took in a few ragged breaths. She ignored the looks she got from her friends as she glared at her mother. “Do you think they will just shrug it off? No! They won’t! They will take the portal and then we will have a whole new problem!”

Her mother stared at her, shocked by the volume of her voice. Penny continued to glare at her, unsure of why her mom was suddenly being uncooperative. She was certain that her mother would be understanding. She seemed so back in the building. Had she been wrong?

The zoners looked at each other nervously. They looked as if they wanted to say something, but one glance from her was enough to keep them quiet. Penny felt a pang of guilt when she did this, but the full impact of her actions didn’t quite hit her yet. She was more concerned of trying to get her mother to understand than what her friends thought of her at the time. Oh why won’t her mother listen?

Snap took a step forward. He ignored her glare as he turned his attention to her mother. “Ma’am, I understand how you must feel. Your daughter staying here, looking for a portal to a world you know little about, or even care about.” He held his hand out in gesture. “But you can trust her. Rudy and Penny had done a lot of things in ChalkZone and they had always been fine. She and Rudy are both quite capable children, and you would be amazed at what they had been able to pull off.”

“Yeah, like the time that she stopped a taffy flood that trapped a lot of zoners.” Rapsheeba pointed out.

“Oh yeah that’s right!” Howdy said, a smile spreading across his face. “I believe Snap told me about it. Penny had worked out a clever solution after so many failures. She saved not only the zoners, but Rudy, too.”

“But only after I flew into my bedroom and got in trouble...” Penny mumbled, feeling embarrassed about that incident. Why didn’t she come up with a better lie that didn’t result in nearly making everything worse?

Her mom’s eyes widened at this. “What?” She looked at Penny. “Penny, is that the real reason that you knocked down all your books and paper?” She took a step towards her. “You..weren’t doing an experiment?”

The tone of her mother’s voice made Penny feel as though she had just made another mistake. She wanted to slap herself in the face. Well, there was nothing she could do about it now, and all she could do was nod in response. “Yes, mama. Rudy, Snap, and I were trying to save the zoners from perishing in the taffy, and then they got stuck and I was the only one who could help.”

Her mother stared at her for a moment. Then her expression softened up slightly. Penny could have sworn she saw a hint of regret in her mother’s eyes. “Oh Penny... Why didn’t you tell me? I would have...”

“I just couldn’t. Besides, I can’t fault you. You were just stressed out at the time and I...” Penny’s voice trailed off as she looked over at the car. Even though it had only been a couple minutes, that was a few minutes wasted that could have been spent getting Rudy and her mom to the hospital. She turned to face her mom and made a motion with her hand to shoe her away. “Just go. I’ll be fine.”

Her mother still appeared reluctant. It was clear that she wasn’t going to just leave her daughter here alone that easily. But there just wasn’t enough time. Penny wasn’t sure if she could convince her mom to let her be here alone. And with all the time they were wasting...

Her friends did attempt to convince her. She listened to them as they made their testimonials, doing their best to assure her mother that she would be fine and be safe with them. But no matter what they said, she wasn’t budging. Normally, her mother would be more cooperative, but now that it was personal, now that her own daughter was involved in a risky mission, her emotions had gotten the better of her, and she was refusing to leave.

“We’re telling you, she will be fine! Please, try to have some faith in your daughter!” Rapsheeba pleaded.

“Yeah, Penny is quite capable! She won’t let that old creepazoid catch her again!” Snap said. He motioned towards himself. “And she will have us. She won’t have anything to worry about.”

Her mother shook her head. “That’s not exactly reassuring. You’re all still kids, aren’t you? Besides, weren’t you guys captured, too?”

“That doesn’t mean...” Howdy started to say. The arguing continued on, and it didn’t seem like there was going to be an end in sight.

Penny realized there was only one option left. While her mother and the zoners argued, she walked over towards the Tabooties’ car. She took position beside the driver’s door and peered inside. She waved her hand to signal to Mr. Tabootie. He saw her and he rolled down his window.

“What’s taking so long?” Mr. Tabootie said. He didn’t sound annoyed or angry. More just confused. “I told her that you guys can come with us and she didn’t answer.”

“Change of plans.” Penny said. “Mom and I will remain here for now.”

Mrs. Tabootie gasped at this. “What?” She put a hand to her mouth. “Are you sure?”

Mr. Tabootie looked just as worried. “Yeah..what if something...”

“I understand the risks. And I insist on it. I need grab that portal and get it away from Von, and I need to get my friends back into ChalkZone.” Penny’s voice tinged on desperation. She stared at the two adults intently. “Please just take Rudy to the hospital. He needs help now.”

“And you?” Mr. Tabootie asked. “How will you get your mom to the hospital if...”

“I can just use ChalkZone as a gateway. I can easily navigate there after we’re down with Von. We’ll be fine.” Penny reassured them.

“Well...okay.. I’m still not so sure about this.” Mr. Tabootie said, gritting his teeth. “But you’re right. Rudy needs help and we’ve wasted enough time as it is.”

“Just...be careful, Penny. We wish you the best of luck.” Mrs. Tabootie said.

Penny smiled at the two. “Thanks.” As Mr. Tabootie turned the keys in the ignition, she waved her hand slowly. “Goodbye, and good luck.” No more words were spoken as Mr. Tabootie backed up and drove off into the distance. Only when the car disappared completely did she turn her attention back to where her mom was still arguing with the zoners.

The sound of tire screeching caused her mom and the zoners to freeze and stop what they were doing. Her mom straightened her previously hunched back and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes grew big when she saw that the car was speeding away. She was flabbergasted and stared at Penny with wide, unblinking eyes.

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy looked just as shocked as well. They looked at one another, trying to figure out what had just happened. They turned back to Penny. Unlike her mom, the zoners weren’t completely speechless. Snap took a step in front of his friends and held his hands out at his sides in confusion.

“Buckette, why are they leaving without your mother?” Snap asked.

“I thought they were supposed to take her to the hospital, too.” Rapsheeba said as she found her voice.

Penny nodded her head. “Well we don’t have time to waste. We need to get that portal back, and if my mom isn’t going to let me and if we are just going to keep arguing, then...” Penny narrowed her eyes in determination. She didn’t care if her mother was the present adult. She herself was taking charge. “We are going back in that building and find that portal! And you...” She looked over at her mom. “You’re coming with us!”

Her mom spluttered at this. “Penny...”

Not willing to stand around any longer, she began to head back towards the building. She turned to her friends and made a swing of her head. “Come on. Let’s get going!”

The zoners nodded their heads. Without having to say another word, Penny was swiftly joined by her friends. She smiled at them. She was glad that they supported her and were willing to listen to her. She looked back towards her mom, noticing that she was still standing there. She felt a pang in her chest. The idea of her mother not supporting her, despite being her mother, was rather upsetting. But if she chose to stay there, she guessed she couldn’t stop her.

“Mom, you can either come with us or you can wait out here.” Penny said. “It’s your choice. Me and my friends are going in.” After that, she said not a word as she continued her approach towards the building.

“Penny! Get back here!” Her mother cried. “Stop this instant, young lady!”

Penny knew the kind of trouble she may get herself into by disobeying her mother. But right now, she didn’t care. She had given her mom a chance to get to the hospital and she chose instead to argue and be uncooperative. If she wanted to stand out there and be frustrated, well she was a grown woman and she could do that.

Not that she didn’t feel guilty about it. She did. Her mom was hurt and she also needed hospitalization. But she was only ten. She couldn’t force her mother to go. Pushing would be utterly useless. And she was aware of how worse things might get if Von wasn’t stopped, if that portal wasn’t taken care of. She had no other choice.

“Come back! Stop! Please!”

Penny felt a sharp sting in her chest at those words. Her mother was growing more desperate. She wanted to look back behind her, but she did not. She could not let herself be slowed down. Even as the cries grew more and more desperate, she still pressed on.

She hoped that, in the end, her mother would realize her mistake and come with her. She hoped her mother would try to believe in her and trust her decision. She can take her to the hospital if she would just listen and come with her. But still, all she could hear was her mother trying to stop her, and she could imagine that she was holding her hand out towards her. Penny ignored her as she and her friends continued on.

Then they opened up the door and the zoners went inside. Penny paused for a moment. She looked over her shoulder and stared at her mom. She gritted her teeth when she saw just how desperate she looked, her eyes wide and slightly watery. Penny closed her eyes and lowered her head. Then, turning her back to her mother again, she went into the building.

sss

Inez stood outside of the building, staring up ahead in shock. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Her own daughter had just...left her. Just went inside the building and left her alone. This wasn’t an act of malice or anything. The expression on her face suggested other wise. But it still hurt. Her daughter just...refused to listen to her. Why didn’t she listen?

Then again...she wasn’t doing a good job with listening to her own daughter either. She had been holding up everyone, arguing with the zoners, delaying time for Rudy to be taken to the hospital... She felt a pang of guilt as she thought of how badly she had slowed them all down. And all because she couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her daughter here with people she hardly knew.

It wasn’t hard for her to understand why she did it. She was her mother after all, and she wanted to make sure she was okay. They had a nasty encounter with that horrible man, who had kidnapped them and hooked his daughter up to a machine as part of an experiment. She didn’t want that to happen again. She wanted to bring her with where she would be safe from that guy. And going with those zoners, back into that horrible building they had worked so hard to escape from... That just didn’t seem to be a very practical idea.

Still, she did wish that she had cooled it a bit and tried to listen to her daughter more. She wished that she had been more consciencious about how much time she was wasting for them, for Rudy and his parents. Yet she had remained quite stubborn. No wonder Penny finally had enough and took charge.

Having her own daughter give her orders was rather unexpected. These were real orders, too. Not like incidents like the concert, where Penny was just in a hurry and wanted to get going. No, she had flat out told her what to do, as if she was the one in charge. To say that this surprised her would be an understatement.

A part of her felt proud for her daughter. Penny was a really smart girl and she didn’t doubt that she had some leadership, take charge qualities to her. She didn’t doubt that her daughter could be really competent when she needed to be. There was good reason why she trusted Penny with helping her around the animals. She was usually very reliable, with only a few incidents here or there. But none of that made her regret having her daughter around for help.

But another part of her was confused and uncertain. Maybe if her daughter was older, like in her early twenty’s, she would have thought nothing of it. But for her ten year old daughter to be telling her this...it just felt so strange. A part of her almost felt betrayed, as if Penny had lost faith in her and decided to do things her way instead of looking to her for help.

She bit her lip as she thought about that. It was almost like losing a child to college. It all happened to fast. She looked out towards the door and she could have sworn she saw a brief glimpse of Penny standing right there, with her diploma and everything. She shook her head and the image faded, but the thought still remained. She did her best to push it aside.

Despite the fact that she felt hurt, she still could not really feel all that angry at her, or the zoners. She couldn’t complain about them taking Penny away. It was clear she did this on her own. This was something that she herself had wanted to do. Inez had no right to try to push the blame on the zoners, to blame them for this, and she knew that. Besides, what did the zoners do? All they were being were...well...friends to Penny. That’s it. How could she be angry at them for that?

And besides, even though she didn’t really hint it during her talk with Penny, she did know, on some level, how dangerous it was to keep the portal there. She had just been in such a hurry to get out of this place that she just pushed it off to the side without thinking. She could understand why Penny would leave to go fetch the portal, and why she would want to bring her friends to safety. She did care about them after all, and the woman did know that it would have been far more cruel to force the zoners to remain longer in this world than it was to help them to get back home.

Perhaps she should have just heeded what her daughter said and left when she asked her to. She had a feeling she would have saved quite a bit of time if she had just done that. Instead, she had wasted time for everyone and she had delayed the help that Rudy needed. She had deprived herself of help as well, choosing to fight with the zoners instead of leaving to the hospital.

Well now was enough of that. She could not change what she had done, but she could still try to make things better. It was not too late to still take action. She looked towards the door, glaring softly at it. Her daughter wouldn’t have gone too far. She could still catch up.

The woman realized that she hadn’t been giving her daughter enough credit in this instance. She knew what she was capable of. She knew how intelligent and mature and competent she was. She proved that time and again with her chores with the animals. She regretted not paying attention to that more sooner.

Well, now was the time to change that.

She took in a deep breath and sighed. No more wasting time. No more doubting her daughter. No more arguing with the zoners. Just action. She walked towards the door and she opened it up. She shut it behind her. She stared down the hallway, seeing shadows in the distance. She picked up the pace and rushed forward.

sss

“Rudy come home?” Sophie asked.

“No, dear. He won’t be home for a while.” Tilly looked down at her daughter sadly. “I’ll tell you as soon as I’m sure, okay?”

Sophie stared up at her mother, her eyes wide and filled with so much confusion. Tilly felt her heart break as she looked at how sad her daughter seemed. She wished she could be more reassuring to her daughter. She wished she could say something to take all her fears away. But what could she say? She had nothing, except the truth.

That didn’t stop her from trying to be at least a little reassuring. She placed her hand on her daughter’s shoulder and smiled at her. “It will be all right. I promise. He’ll come back soon. You will see.”

Sophie didn’t look entirely convinced. For a little girl, she did seem to have some unexpected intelligence to her, and had a better outlook on the world than most would expect for someone her age. She still acted like the typical two year old, but she did seem aware of what was going on around her. And right now, she was aware that Rudy and the others were in trouble. Her behavior strongly suggested this.

Tilly wanted to try to help her daughter be as happy as possible. She didn’t want Sophie to be depressed over this. She didn’t want her to just sit around and mope. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Sophie to miss Rudy. Obviously she really cared about him and naturally she would miss him. It was just that... she was the parent. She was the one who should do most of the worrying. Sophie shouldn’t be forced to endure that heavy, negative emotion. She should be free to relax and have fun and let mommy do all the work.

Well life wasn’t always like that. Life had a way of surprising people. Just like how it took her by surprise lately, with this chalk world, striking Rudy out of anger, to the fight between Rudy and Penny, and that crazy guy and the kidnapping... Everything these past several days had turned their lives topsy turvy. She knew for a fact that nothing would be the same after this.

For the time being, all she really could do was sit around in Inez’s household and wait. She could not leave her daughter alone. As much as she wanted to leave and go help them, she did not want to leave her daughter here all on her own. She had no idea if she would be able to get a babysitter at this time, so fast. She also didn’t want to bring her into danger. The last thing she’d ever want was to see Sophie being....who knows what by Dr. Von Doktor.

So for now, they stay put here. She waited near the phone, hoping to get a call from Joe or Millie whenever they had any news. She didn’t know if she would ever get a call, if they would just burst through the door and tell her in her face. But, despite all the urges to leave, she remained near the phone on the hopes that it would ring and she would hear her sister’s voice or Joe’s voice on the other end, hopefully saying they rescued Rudy and the others.

She did feel a pang of guilt as she thought about what she had done. She had given out information that Rudy told her to keep secret. She had broken the promise and told his folks everything, all under some pretense that she could not remember. The only thing she remembered was that she thought she had no choice and she thought it was the only thing she could do. She realized later that this was not the case and that she could have done something else, but now it was too late for that. Rudy’s parents know.

She wondered how Rudy was going to think of her later on once Joe and Millie speak to him about that world. They were going to bring it up, she was certain. Even if they thought it was just a joke, and speak to him as if it doesn’t really matter, Rudy was still going to find out that she had broken a promise to him. He was not going to be happy with her.

Rudy was going to feel exactly what she felt when she found out about the chalk world and how Rudy had kept it a secret. He was going to feel hurt and enraged. And she was going to be in Rudy’s position. It was she who was going to need to defend herself and try to explain to Rudy why she did it. She could only hope that he would understand and be able to forgive her. Would he? She wasn’t sure, but she was still holding out for that.

She took a moment and glanced over at the door again. No... Still nothing. No sign of them coming back. No screeching of tired in the drive way. She bit her lip, feeling a pang spread through her stomach.

She hoped they would be okay. She hoped that Dr. Von Doktor didn’t capture them, too. She would feel so awful if that happened. She would feel as though she could have done something more to help. She would feel like such a coward for staying behind, even though she did have some good reasons for not going.

She glanced down at her daughter. Sophie had taken a notebook and was scribbling on it. She didn’t have her usual vigor to it, though. The strokes were slower and more..subdued than what she normally saw in her daughter. This spoke volumes of just how sad and depressed her daughter was.

It was clear she really missed Rudy. Sophie enjoyed spending time with her cousin and playing with him. The fact that he was gone suddenly and she was unable to provide a clear cut answer as to when she’d see him again didn’t exactly help things with Sophie. It seemed to just make her even more depressed, causing her to want to draw more. But she could not put her full effort into it and her scribbles, though not exactly masterpieces before, lacked the usual effort she’d normally give them.

Sophie stopped her scribbling and looked up at her. Again with that desperate look. Again with that sad expression. “Rudy...?” She asked hopefully.

Tilly felt her heart clench at this. She let out a sad sigh. “I’m sorry, Sophie. But Rudy still isn’t back.”

“Soon?” Sophie asked, practically begging.

Tilly looked down towards the ground. She wasn’t sure what to say at first. She soon lifted her head and stared down at her daughter. She about to speak when something caused her to immediately freeze.

The phone was ringing.

Tilly remained still for several moments. She wondered if it was real, or if she was just hearing things. A couple more rings echoing in her head was enough to convince her that it was true. She turned her head towards the phone that she was waiting next to. She licked her lips nervously and then, slowly, she reached for the phone and grabbed it.

Holding it to her ear, she hesitated and said, “Hello?” Her eyes brightened when she realized who it was. But that only made her heart pound faster. “What’s going on? Where are you guys?” Her eyes widened in horror at what was said next. “...what...?”

sss

Terry was tired of waiting. She realized it hadn’t really been that long. Certainly not long enough for a proper investigation. But she didn’t care. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now. Someone had attacked her and she deserved to know who it was. If these doctors can’t find out fast enough, then she would have to take action.

She had wanted to just spring from her bed and run out the door. She wanted to get out of here, find her way back home, and figure things out on her own. She wanted to begin her own investigation of just what had happened.

But there were a few problems with that idea. One of which was the fact that she could not use her leg. It wasn’t broken, but it had been damaged enough that she could not walk on it. If she attempted to bear weight down on it, she’d feel tremendous pain, which would cause her to fall down and hurt herself. She wouldn’t get very far.

The other one, and this was the most obvious, she was still blind. Her eyes weren’t heavily covered, but she could not move her eyelids without feeling sharp pain. And aside from that, she had chemical burns on her eyes, preventing her from seeing. If she were to fight against the pain and open up her eyes, she would be greeted with a field of obscurity, blocking her vision, and perhaps some blurry shapes if she concentrated hard enough. And this was coming from one eye.

Her more damaged eye, it was a lot darker, and much harder to make out the details. The damage was set much further in, and the doctors feared that she might have some retinal damage there. The thought frightened her, and she knew she was going to have a much harder time sleeping at night, knowing that she might wake up and find that she had completely lost her sight.

The doctors had done all that they could for now, and they were preparing for further treatment later once they got a better idea of what happened. The initial tests did show them quite a bit, at least. It wasn’t everything they needed, but it was something to go off of.

The chemical that hit her eyes had caused her eyes to obtain a reddish color. The burn was seething, even with any painkillers they had given her. The one eye apparently also had a tiny bit of a whitish hue, which had the doctors very worried about how bad the damage really was. She imagined that her eyes might look different, too, though the doctors would not say.

She wasn’t sure why. Perhaps they wanted to get more information first before they told her? Maybe. It was a possibility. It didn’t help her too much right now, though. She needed something more...concrete than that.

But what she wanted even more was to get up and leave. Yet she was trapped here. She had not been trained to use a white cane. She did not know how to get around without being able to see clearly where she was going. She would bump into things, run into people, and overall just get herself into further trouble. What she needed...was help.

And what was where her plan kicked into play. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to leave. Even if she could see, the doctors would want her to remain on sight, at least a couple of days, to make sure that her eye was fine.

This meant that she was going to have to ask someone else to do the research for her. And she knew just the person to ask. She only spoke with him once, but he seemed like the kind of guy who would be good at the detective stuff and be able to find out what she needed.

Vinnie Raton.

She was well aware of how crazy he can get. Frankly, she was rather annoyed by his barking habit. But the man did seem to have remarkable searching skills. He often sniffed around like a dog, and it made her wonder if he had a heightened sense of smell compared to a human. Very possible, and she could use that to her advantage.

She had Vinnie over the phone if he could come over here. If she didn’t do this, chances are he would not show up. They weren’t exactly the best of friends. But perhaps if she promised him something in return, he would agree to help her out. There was a chance of this backfiring, but she was willing to take it. When she heard the doors open, she immediately turned her head.

She knew, from the familiar grunt, that Vinnie stood in the doorway, possibly with a small frown on his face and his arms folded. There was another voice and Terry guessed that there was a nurse there that had led him here. She told Vinnie about how much time he had before visiting hours were over. Vinnie merely shoed her off, explaining that he knew already. The disgruntled nurse then shut the door behind him and the footsteps could be heard as the nurse left down the hallway.

Vinnie remained quiet for a few moments. No word was spoken. Terry imagined that he was looking at her in confusion and uncertainty. She could practically feel his eyes moving over her body. He was likely tired, too. It was dark out now, wasn’t it?

“So...what happened to you?” Vinnie asked as he took a few steps forward. “It looks almost like you had a fight with a train.” There was a slight hint of amusement in his voice.

Terry narrowed her eyes at this. “Very funny, Vinnie.” Her expression relaxed as she took in a deep breath and sighed. “Look, I need your assistance.”

Vinnie stared at her for a moment. The amusement in his voice returned. “I can see why. I don’t think you can do any of your reporting like this.” He took a few steps closer. Terry could almost feel him right beside her now. “So what did you want me to report for you? And how much am I getting in return?”

Terry shook her head. “No, it’s not like that. I need help with something else.”

“Oh...” Vinnie almost sounded disappointed at that. He let out an exasperated sigh. “I hope this is good...” He paused for a moment. Then he asked, “Okay..what did you need me for?”

Terry narrowed her eyes. She could feel her eye lids sting slightly from this. “I need you to find out who my attacker is.”

A long silence. Then a spluttered, “...what?”

“I’m serious, Vinnie.” If she could see right now, she’d be staring straight at Vinnie’s eyes. “I was attacked. Someone blinded me. And I need to find out who it was. You are the only person I trust enough to figure this out.”

Vinnie let out a chuckle. “You’re kidding, right?”

“This isn’t funny, Vinnie!” Terry snapped. “Someone had...”

“Okay okay I get it!” Vinnie snarled at her. “Yeesh, you don’t have to cop an attitude!”

Terry growled at this. She should have known that Vinnie would have been disrespectful when he waltzed in here. Perhaps it had been a mistake asking him of all people for help. She should have gone with someone else. Maybe Mr. Wilter or something.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” Vinnie’s voice pierced the darkness again. “I didn’t mean to laugh. I’m just...so taken aback by this and...” There was another pause. Terry imagined that he was rubbing the back of his head nervously. “Well...do you mind explaining to me what happened?”

“I can’t tell you much of that until I know who attacked me and why.” Terry said, her teeth gritted. She didn’t have time for Vinnie’s idiocy. “If you can find out for me, then I might have a clearer picture of what happened.”

“Well...what about what you do know? When did you wake up like...that...? And what did the doctors say?” Vinnie asked. “You can tell me that, right?”

Terry nodded her head. “Yeah, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” She knew there wasn’t much time, and if she was going to do it, she’d have to be quick about it. She sucked in a breath and sighed, mentally preparing herself for the speech. She did not feel comfortable doing this, but if this was the only way to get Vinnie to help her...

“I promise I won’t laugh again.” Vinnie said.

“I know you won’t.” Terry let out another sigh. She kept him waiting long enough. So she began to recount what she could remember. “This is what I recall.”

sss

Moving back through the ventilation systems wasn’t easy. Going back to where they had been before was even harder. The security system was still locked in place, meaning they could not just wander through and hope to find the portal. They would need to do some exploring before they found the correct hallway.

And that’s exactly what they had been doing. They had been searching around, going through different exits, looking in the new areas, hoping to find the one that was linked to the room that held the chalkboard.

However, this required a lot of trial and error. Penny wasn’t very happy about it. She didn’t want to waste time guessing. Yet she knew there was little choice in the matter. Without a map or anyway to guide themselves, how else were they going to locate the portal? It wasn’t like they had Von here to interrogate, and even if they did, it wasn’t like he’d tell them anything.

She was glad that her mom had decided to join up with her and her friends. Even if there was still some uncertainties between each other, even if she still didn’t act as though she trusted them, they still managed to make quite a bit of progress, and she imagined they head searched a large portion of the building already.

But how long would they be doing this? How long would they be stuck traversing through the pipe system, moving through gunk and who knows what else, to reach the portal? The only consolance is that her mother didn’t appear too alarmed, so that could mean the stuff they had gone through was relatively harmless. Or, with the poor lighting, it just meant that she didn’t see them...

Penny shook the uneasy thought out of her head. Right now, they needed to focus on finding the portal. Besides, she was just being silly. Though the tunnels were indeed pretty dark, they still stepped out often, and her mother hadn’t said anything then. Yeah, it was probably nothing to be worried about.

They continued on. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy were behind her, while her mother was beside her. They stayed close to one another, offering each other suggestions and advice as they went through. More time passed and the more frustrated they started to become. But they did not give up hope. They’d find what they were searching for sooner or later.

Eventually, they tried one more exit. They crawled out carefully. It was difficult getting down, as always. But the zoners did help make the trip more bearable. They helped her and her mother down until they were close to the bottom. They all dropped down and they went into the hallway.

Immediately, Howdy reacted with positivity. He exclaimed that he knew this hallway and he knew where they needed to go. Penny was so shocked, she wasn’t sure if she could believe it. Nonetheless, she followed Howdy, as did the others. And after a while of running, they soon arrived at a room, the doors wide open.

And there was a light...

Penny took in a sharp breath, her eyes widening in shock. They had made it... They had found the portal at last. Without hesitation, they all rushed into the room.


	40. Surprises

To be prepared, is it not always wise to prepare for the least likely?

sss

Ms. Tweezer doublechecked to make sure she got everything that she needed. She didn’t want to miss a thing and have to come all the way back here. That would waste time and that’s not what she wanted to do. So she made sure she had everything, like the paper and pens, the camera, anything else that she felt she could use.

She wanted to go see Terry. Yeah, Terry did explain already what she knew. But Ms. Tweezer had a strong hunch that she was hiding some information, perhaps out of fear. She wanted to go over there and reassure her that everything would be fine, and ask her for more information regarding her attack. The more information she got, the better. She needed as much information as possible if she was going to try to counter the unreal and the unthinkable.

Ms. Tweezer wondered if Terry was frightened into slience by Rudy. That boy, he was definitely the cause of all of this. Who else could it be? He was the one who paraded with those unreals, let them into this world.

Yes...she remembered it all now. It had all come back to her. She had been trying to help Rudy understand why the unreal was so bad, and he had dished out unreal against her. She didn’t understand why he’d do that. She had only tried to help him become a more model civilian, and he bit her back with that...wretched imaginary stuff.

All kinds of them had jumped out into the world, preparing to infest it. All kinds of creatures that shouldn’t exist...and they taunted her, surrounded her.. She was so lucky that they didn’t try to eat her, or worse, infect her with some kind of virus to make her act differently. She ran off before they could do anymore. She didn’t stop running until she had reached her home, and she got into her bed and hid underneath the covers.

Her life had been suck a wreck since then. People had mocked her and told her she was just making it up. Normally she’d agree and think it was a nightmare. But no... It had happened, and Rudy was behind it all. He had made the unreal physical and he was trying to poison the world with it. Well, not anymore. She was going to put a stop to that.

But first, she needed to speak to Terry. She was likely Rudy’s latest victim. She would have the most memory of the attack. She’d be the one to talk to when it came to trying to figure out what the boy did and how to stop him.

She hoped that Terry would be cooperative. She’d understand if it was hard to speak at first. After all, being blinded was a really traumatizing experience. But regardless, she still needed to speak to her. She needed to share her experience so everyone would know the threat. News must be spread. Ms. Tweezer was aware that the news station wouldn’t air something like this, but she didn’t care. If they weren’t going to spread the news, then she would find a way to do it herself. She’ll put up flyers if she had to. She would make sure that little brat didn’t get away with this.

Soon she had completely packed her bags. She tied the knots tightly, and made sure the straps were secure. She buckled it in the back seat of her car to make sure it didn’t go anywhere. Then she turned the keys in the ignition and off she went.

She wondered where Rudy was right now. Probably out scheming with this unreal friends, the little sneak. Her blood boiled ad the mere thought of that. She couldn’t wait to see the look on the boy’s face when his plans all come crashing down. He would soon taste the bitterness of defeat and find out exactly what she and Terry had felt.

Then there was the unknown factor. Penny herself. She had been mostly a good student in her one day art class. But she was still friends with Rudy. She reminded herself of this over and over again. She might be in cahoots with him. She needed to be monitored for any suspicious activities. A part of her hoped that Penny would be the good girl she had thought her to be and be more sensible. But there was still that chance that she wasn’t all that she appeared to be and she was actually helping Rudy in all of this.

There was also the fact that other children might be infected by this. She had to make sure to stop it, before it spreads any further. If she failed to do that, if she failed this town...

How could she keep the world from falling victim?

She soon pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. She stretched herself up, feeling her back crack. Then she proceeded towards the double doors leading inside.

Along the way, she spotted something. She turned her head, noticing a rather short, round person walking by in such a hurry. He was mumbling to himself and it seemed as though he was...flustered she guessed was the right word. Or something close to that. Curious, she walked a little closer. She soon recognized who it was.

Vinnie? What was he doing here at the hospital? Was he visiting Terry? She recalled that Vinnie was one of the people had spoken to about the ridiculous chalk world. Though she saw little sense in him visiting Terry, after all, he did not know her that well, she still did not want to dismiss that possibility.

Ms. Tweezer felt her stomach twist and turn in disgust when she felt she got a little too close to him. A smell of his cologne was enough to make her feel sick and back away a little. She plugged her nose, trying her best to ignore the smell. It reminded her way too much of just how crazy this man was. Like Terry, he believed in this fake world of chalk, and he had been determined to create a ‘chalk world theme park’ or something like that. This man was clearly infected and she could not risk getting caught up in it. She mustn’t fail in her mission.

She was about to walk away when the man called out to her.

“Hey! Why are you following me for?” Vinnie shouted. “Do you need something?”

“I...” The woman looked back at him. She clenched her teeth, darning her eyes from one side to the other. Oh, what was she going to say to him? And would he even begin to understand? She swallowed hard and managed to speak, “D-Did you see Terry Bouffant in there?”

“Terry Bouffant?” Vinnie asked. He took a step forward. The woman immediately recoiled, moving back. “Well...yeah she is. Why are you asking?”

“I...” Ms. Tweezer struggled to find the words to say. How would she explain the situation to this man? How would she be able to get him to understand? “I just..need to talk to her, okay?”

Vinnie frowned slightly. “I see... Well visiting hours are still open.” He turned around, pointing his shoulder at her. “If you hurry, you may be able to see her before they shut the doors completely on visitations.”

Ms. Tweezer watched as the man walked away. A part of her was feeling relief to have that man be as far away from her as possible. She did not want to risk catching any of the unreal and corrupt her pure essence. But still...she couldn’t help but feel curious regarding what Terry wanted with Vinnie. She had to wonder if Terry shared any secrets with Vinnie. She had to find out.

“Hey, wait!” Ms. Tweezer called out, holding out her hand. The man stopped and looked at her. “Do you mind if you answer a few questions for me?”

Vinnie stared at her for a few moments. He then narrowed his eyes. “Why should I?”

“Please, it won’t take very long.” Ms. Tweezer said.

Vinnie shook his head slowly. “Sorry, but I need to get started. Terry gave me an assignment and...” He stopped as he stared at Ms. Tweezer. His eyes widened slightly when he realized he had given a bit of informatio naway. He then quickly said, “Look, I need to leave now. I can’t stay. If you want answers, go talk to Terry.”

Ms. Tweezer narrowed her eyes as she watched the man split. He got into his car and drove away, leaving her in the dust. How rude... How dare he treat her that way... How dare he ignore her like that... He could have had the descency to answer at least one of her questions instead of just running off like that.

Well, at least she wouldn’t need to deal with his idiocy anymore. She supposed she could be grateful for that. She turned her attention back to the hospital. Time to go see Terry. If Vinnie was right and visiting hours were almost over, then she had little time to spare. She walked over and entered the hospital.

sss

Snap stared out at the portal, his eyes wide. A part of him had a hard time believing that they had finally made it here. A part of him was worried that they would never get here, that he and his friends were going to die in the Real World. He had imagined that they would get captured or killed long before they even got this far. But here it was. The portal, right before them. Just waiting to be used. It was almost too good to be true.

He turned and glanced over at his friends. They were just as as happy and shocked as he was. They looked over at him, and they gave him a smile. One that spoke volumes of what they felt without actually saying anything. Snap couldn’t help but smile back at them. He was so overwhelmed with emotion, he wanted to go jump up and down and hug his friends. All their effort...it had finally paid off.

But no..they couldn’t do that yet. Snap turned his head back towards the portal. He narrowed his eyes. They still had some work to do. Things weren’t over yet. He looked back at his friends, his eyes still narrowed, and nodded his head once. They did the same thing in return. They turned back to the portal. It was time for them to return to ChalkZone, and take the steps necessary to try to counter Von. They were all aware that he was still a threat and they needed to do something about him, before he could expose ChalkZone and let in who knows how many creators into this world.

Snap was about to go through when he realized that Penny and Mrs. Sanchez hadn’t approached the portal yet. He wondered why. He turned his head and noticed that Mrs. Sanchez was staring at the portal with wide eyes, filled with fear and uncertainty. Penny looked as if she was trying to reassure her mother, but nothing she was saying was getting through.

“Mom, it’s okay. You will be fine. You just step through the portal and you’ll be in ChalkZone.” Penny said, making a few gestures with her hand as she explained it to her mother.

Mrs. Sanchez bit her lip as she stared at the open portal. She took a small step back, shaking her head once. “No, I... I am not sure if it’s safe...”

Penny widened her eyes at this. “Not safe?! Mom, I’ve been using these portals for a while now! I can guarantee you that they are safe!”

“Yeah...” Rapsheeba said. “It’s just a portal.” She spread her hands out. “It’s not like it’s going to hurt you or anything.”

“I went through the portal multiple times before. And I haven’t gotten ripped apart by it.” Howdy pointed to himself as he spoke.

Penny stared at the zoners, and then looked at her mother. “You see, mom? It’ll be fine!” She grabbed onto her mother’s hand and started to pull. “Now, why don’t we just...”

Mrs. Sanchez grunted as she yanked her arm back. She looked down at Penny, her eyes still tinted with that fear from before. Snap wasn’t sure if he was imagining it or not, but it almost seemed as if she had gotten more afraid, more determined not to go.

Snap narrowed his eyes slightly at this. What was the woman afraid of? Just what did she think the portal was going to do to her? How could the portal hurt her? It was just air. Nothing more. Well okay, it was more complicated than that. Still, it was more like walking through a door or crawling out of an open window. It wasn’t like the portal had sharp teeth and was going to rip her to shreds or anything.

He tried to calm himself down. He reminded himself that Mrs. Sanchez was new at this. She didn’t know what to expect. She didn’t know how these portals worked, or just what was waiting on the other side. He couldn’t be angry at her for that. Not everyone is so adventerous and willing to just jump out at something they never seen before.

Snap took a few steps towards the woman. He stared at her sympathetically, his narrowed eyes relaxing. “Miss...” Penny stopped talking while she and her mother looked down at him. Snap did his best to smile at the woman. He set his anger aside for a moment. “The portal isn’t going to hurt you. All you have to do is step through it. That’s all.”

“What about the dimensional travel? How does that work?” Mrs. Sanchez replied. “What about any side effects? Anything that could go wrong?”

Snap shook his head. “You just step through. There’s nothing there. No wall or anything. You just...step through.”

Mrs. Sanchez stared at him for several seconds. Her eyes widened, and the narrowed. She tilted her head slightly to one side. “You’re...kidding, right? It can’t be that simple...”

“Oh it is.” Snap folded his arms against his chest and smirked. “Trust me on this.”

Mrs. Sanchez put a hand to her head. Her eyes were wide and almost wild. Her head might as well have smoke coming out of it as her thoughts raced. This clearly went against everytihng she knew. She darted her eyes from left to right. “It...can’t be... That would...”

Penny put a hand on her shoulder. “Mom, he’s right.” The woman stared down at her daughter. “I’ve used a portal plenty of times. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah...” Rapsheeba said as she and Howdy walked over towards her. “You will be okay. Trust us.”

Howdy nodded his head, smiling the best he could. He held his hand out towards her. “If we knew the travel was dangerous, we wouldn’t even ask you to go.”

“So can we please stop wasting time and go?” Penny asked. “We don’t have time to just stand around here.” She focused her attention on her mother. “Please, mom. Let’s just go. Don’t be difficult like before. Just step into the portal and you will be fine.”

The woman still appeared reluctant. Not like Snap could really blame her or anything. This was clearly a new thing for her after all. This might be normal for him and Penny, but that was only because they frequented portals more. Well more so Penny, but Snap had used them a few times himself. He knew they were safe, and he knew if the woman would just try it, she’d know this as well.

Snap narrowed his eyes slightly when he thought about what Penny said. Yeah, they really couldn’t stand here for long. He looked at Mrs. Sanchez. He hoped that she would at least give it a try. He didn’t think Penny would feel comfortable with leaving her mom behind, and forcing the woman to go through this building alone would have been cruel. And what if the cops show up and think she was in cahoots with Von? That would be horrible.

But still the woman stayed. For the past two minutes, she did nothing but look at the portal. It felt much longer than that, as though time itself was stretching out, making the minutes feel like hours. It was getting to the point where Snap felt it was best to just grab her and shove her into the portal. The temptation was too great. He took a step forward.

As soon as he did, the woman finally made a move. She straightened herself up as she looked at the chalkboard. The opening was staring back at her, the light from Day Zone shining on her face. She took a step towards it. She paused and looked back at them.

“You are sure it is safe?” Mrs. Sanchez asked.

“Yes, it is! Now go through it before Von discovers us here!” Snap said to her sternly. He hadn’t meant to be that loud with her. But they really did have to get going. If Von caught them there...

Mrs. Sanchez bit her lip. She looked at the zoners, and then to Penny. They all watched her, waiting for her to make her move. She looked back at the portal. She eyed it up and down slowly. Her teeth gritted in nervousness. She took a small step back, causing Snap’s stomach to swell in frustration. They didn’t have time for this. They...

Then Mrs. Sanchez let out a sigh, causing Snap to freeze, stopping what he was about to say. “All right then...” She said. “Let’s...get this over with.”

The woman sucked in a deep breath. She moved closer to the portal. She stared at it intently. She looked back at Penny and the zoners. Then she returned her gaze to the portal. She licked her lips nervously as she lifted up her arm and moved it towards the portal slowly. She turned her head away, shutting her eyes tightly as she moved her hand slowly towards it, as if afraid she was going to hurt herself.

Soon her hand went into the portal. The woman nearly tripped when she realized there was nothing solid there to keep her steady. She whipped her head around, stumbling forward as she struggled to keep her balance. Her eyes widened when she saw her hand through. Her eyes seemed to shine of many different statements as she moved her hand in and out of the portal, as if to test it and retest it.

Then, giving them one more glance, she turned to the portal and she climbed into it. After Mrs. Sanchez went through, they all followed suit. Soon, they were all in ChalkZone, standing next to one another. Penny turned, grabbed an eraser, and destroyed the portal. Only empty air remained after she erased it.

Snap noticed the shocked, almost horrified look on Mrs. Sanchez’s face as the portal was erased, but he didn’t pay too much attention. Instead, he focused on what was around him. In a cave, the portal facing towards the entrance, fragmented light shining through the sharp trees. Outside, they were to be greeted by a rather disturbing land, where even the ground hisses. The Pencil Sharpener was a spooky place and normally, he’d rather be as far away from it as possible.

But today, he was just glad to be back in ChalkZone. He took in a sharp breath, smelling the chalk air all around him. He smiled softly, feeling elation build up inside of his stomach, resisting the urge to jump up and down in joy with his friends. Being back home felt wonderful.

But he did not celebrate. He reminded himself of what needed to be done. He turned to the others, watching as they proceeded to leave. He looked back at the space where the portal had been. Then he followed his friends as they began to trek into The Pencil Sharpener.

sss

Tilly stood there in silence. Her heart practically stopped beating. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She was tempted to pinch herself, to try and make herself wake up. This..this couldn’t be real, right...? This was some kind of sick joke or something, wasn’t it? No way that Rudy could have been...

But her eyes were telling her different. She looked down at the hospital bed, seeing Rudy lay there in silence, save for a couple ragged breaths he’d give once in a while. She looked over a little higher, seeing that Rudy’s parents were there. They were huddled together, Joe’s arms around Millie as they watched their son sadly. The sight of this not only twisted her heart, but made her realize just how real this truly was.

She looked down at her daughter. She watched as Sophie tried to nudge Rudy gently. She was trying so hard to wake him up and play with her. She could hear her daughter constantly shout at him to get up out of bed. She felt so bad for her. Sophie clearly didn’t understand the gravity of what happened.

When Sophie started to climb up into the bed, Tilly immediately reached. “No, dear! Don’t do that!” Tilly grabbed her daughter and pulled her away.

Sophie squirmed in her arms. “Why not play? I want play!”

Tilly held her daughter to herself as Joe and Millie glanced over sadly at them. Tilly cradled Sophie gently in her arms. She whispered softly to her, “No...Rudy can’t play right now.. He’s hurt...” Tilly said softly. She closed her eyes, feeling a few tears form. “He needs to recover first.”

Sophie looked at her mother with slightly widened eyes. “He covered in owies?”

Tilly nodded her head. “Yes, dear. And these owies are going to make it hard for him to move around for a while.” She said gently. “So you will have to be gentle with him from now on. If you are too forceful with him, he might...” Her voice trailed off. She found herself unable to finish. She could only stare sadly at her daughter.

Sophie seemed to get the gist of it. She looked over at Rudy. She bit her lip and reached out towards the boy. “R-Rudy...?” Tilly’s heart nearly shattered at the little squeak her daughter gave. She looked up at her mother and she latched onto her.

Tilly held onto her daughter tightly, rubbing her back gently as she rested her head against her hair. She could feel Sophie cuddling close to her and begin to tremble. She could hear her daughter start to cry softly, and she realized that Sophie finally understood what was going on. Hearing her daughter cry like this stung Tilly’s heart. She wished she could do something to help her feel better.

As she held her daughter, she thought about the circumstances that led her here. It had been a short time ago that she recieved a call from these two. She had been so surprised and happy to hear their voices. Never more before did she went to jump through the phone than at that moment.

However, her elation was quickly shattered when she was informed that something terrible had happened to Rudy. He was hospitalized with a hole in his abdomen. As soon as she heard that horrible news, she took Sophie and rushed to the hospital.

As soon as they had arrived, she practically ran to the room where Rudy was being held. She spoke with Joe and Millie on what had occurred. When they told her that he had been attacked by Von, her heart nearly stopped and turned into ice. And the nature of the attack they described made it even worse. Tilly put a hand against her chest, feeling it thump. She couldn’t believe that such a thing had happened. And when she learned Penny was hurt as well...

Perhaps it was a good thing that she had told Inez, Joe, and Millie after all. If they didn’t know about this, Rudy and Penny might still be trapped with that awful man, with no way out. With Rudy so badly hurt, and Penny injured as well, how would they have gotten out? Suddenly, she no longer felt bad about spilling the beans.

But this was still not over yet and she knew it. She looked over at Rudy. She watched as he took in shaky breath after shaky breath. Bandanges were wrapped around his body. He had a pale complexion to him. He looked so sickly and weak, and yet somehow...peaceful.

“When I get my hands on that scientist...” Millie growled softly. She clutched her hands tightly, making a twisting motion. “I’m goin to wring his neck!”

Tilly and Joe stared at the woman in shock. Normally, she wasn’t a violent type. In order to get her into that state, one must try really, really hard to tick her off. And Von succeeded in just that. By harming her son, he had crossed the line.

Joe put his hand on his wife’s back, rubbing it to try to comfort her. “Now, Millie.. That won’t do us any good. All it will do is land you a trip into prison. And I know you don’t want that. Rudy will need you and if you’re in jail...you can’t provide for him.” He held up his hand in gesture as he listened to his wife’s snarls. “Come on, Millie. Let’s let the police handle it.”

Millie turned to glare at her husband. “But Joe... look at what he did to our son.” She motioned her hand towards the sleeping child. “Don’t you think he deserves to pay for that?”

Joe nodded his head. “Absolutely! And he will. Don’t worry.” Joe moved his hand until it touched her face. He gently caressed it back and forth. “He will pay for what he has done. I promise you that.”

Millie’s face softened up at this. She let out a soft sigh, lowering her head. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry that I..”

Joe cupped her chin, gently tilting it upwards. “No need to apologize, Millie. I understand.” He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. “Everything will be fine. You’ll see..”

Millie smiled at her husband. It didn’t last long as the two adults looked back at their son. Worry filled their eyes as they pressed against one another. They watched their boy, their only child, and waited for him to wake up.

The sight was very sad, and Tilly found it hard not to cry with Millie and her husband. Rudy may not have been her son, but she still loved him like one. Rudy didn’t deserve what he got. He had always been such a good kid. Okay so he screwed up once in a while, but that was okay. He was still so young, had so much to learn...

And yet that disgusting man still came and hurt him. He had took a rusted nail, of all things, and pushed it through his body. Then he had the gall to yank it out, causing more damage. Thanks to that awful man, Rudy was probably going to be stuck in the hospital for a long time. He was going to be cut off from his friends and family and just being a kid, and had to just lay here while the doctors treated him the best that they could.

The only thing that consoled her and prevented her from going on a rampage was the fact that the man would indeed get what was coming to him soon. He could try to run and hide from justice, but it would catch up to him soon, and it would force him to face the consequences of what he had done. He was not going to get away with this. She swore it.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door open and the sound of footsteps filled the air. She turned her head and there she saw the doctor standing. He was holding a clipboard in his hands as he approached them slowly and somewhat cautiously.

“Hello. I hope I’m not intruding.” The doctor said.

Almost right away, Millie spoke up. “How is he, doctor?”

The doctor furrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Not too well. The good news is that it could have been a lot worse. But considering what is going on...that might not seem like much.” He held up his clipboard, looking at the pages as Tilly, Millie, and Joe waited eagerly and hesitantly for the answers. “Rudy has massive infection in the wound itself. We’re doing our best to clean it out and disinfect it. But I’m afraid that some of the germs already spread too quickly, and we will have to keep him on antibiotics for a while to try to counter any development of disease.” The doctor looked down at the boy sadly, shaking his head. “There’s also been some puncture in at least one of his organs, from what we were able to find so far. His liver and part of his colon had been punctured. We’re going to need to perform surgery on him to mend the damage. But he’s going to have to stay here so we can run more scans on to be sure that we didn’t miss anything.”

Millie put her hand to her mouth in horror as she listened to the details of what happened to Rudy’s insides. She took a small step back, a few tears moving down her face. Joe didn’t look too much better. He swallowed ahrd and tried his best to keep his composure. He was trying to be brave in front of Millie, but Tilly could tell it was taking all of his strength to do so.

“Do you know how long he will be here?” Joe asked softly.

“We aren’t sure yet.” The doctor replied. “We need to gather more information before we can decide what course of action is best. I can promise that he’ll be in here for a long time, especially with that colon injury.”

Tilly bit her lip at this and looked over at Millie and Joe. She watched as they lowered their heads slightly in sadness. She felt so sorry for them. She wished she could say something to cheer them up. But what could she say? There was really nothing any of them could do...except just accept what fate had given them.

The idea of surgery was terrifying. So much can go wrong there. Something could happen and Rudy’s condition might worsen. Or worse, he might wake up during the surgery and... She shuddered at the thought. She tried to calm herself, reminding herself that such a thing might not happen as the chances of waking up during surgery were so remote.

Yeah, Rudy was going to be okay. He might be stuck here for a while, but after all was said and done, and after everything was taking care of, he’d be able to come home and everything will be fine.

But Von was still out there.... Something needed to be done about him and soon. She clutched her hand into a fist, shaking it. She turned her head and peered out of the window. As the doctor continued to speak with her sister and husband, she just stared, looking at the city below them. Von was out there somewhere, probably laughing his ass off at what he had gotten away with. That would come to an end. She was sure of it.

sss

Blocky struggled against his binds. He twisted his body left and right as he tried to get away. He looked up at Dr. Von Doktor in horror. The man was sneering excitedly down at him, coming ever closer with that tube.

Blocky had no idea what was inside of it. But judging from the man’s expression, it couldn’t have been good. He jerked himself from side to side as he tried to do something to loosen the cuffs that held him down. Unfortunately, nothing was working, and he was left still strapped to the table. He pulled one of his limbs too hard and he let out a yelp and collapsed onto the table.

He shivered as the man now stood next to him. Blocky would have tried to speak to him, but he was too afraid. He gritted his teeth as he looked up at the man, waiting to hear what the man had in store for him. He had nowhere to run or hide. This fact caused adrenaline to rush through his body, desperate to get away. What was the man going to do with him now?

He had no idea how long he had been strapped down here. He had no idea where the man had been recently been or what he was up to. He thought he heard some noises before. Thumps and possibly grunts, and some squishiness, which made his skin crawl. The look on the man’s face made him not want ot ask what he was doing.

“Are you hungry, little one?” Dr. Von Doktor asked. That same, creepy smile remained on his face. “I do have zomezing for you. If you’re ztarving, let me know and I will give it to you.” He raised the tube up slightly at this.

Blocky rested his eyes on the tube. He couldn’t tell what it was from here. The tube was kind of opaque. Clear, but not enough to tell what color the stuff was inside. It was dark, but that’s about all he could tell from that. Well that, and it had a sort of...chunky texture. Soup, perhaps? But then...why did it have a strange odor to it? It wasn’t horrible, but it was...strange and unusual.

Blocky looked back up at the man. He knew he was going to regret this. But curiosity finally got the better of him. He sucked his lip for a second and then said, “Wh-What is that...?”

“Oh juzt zomezing I zink you will enjoy. You probably didn’t have ziz before, but...zere iz a firzt time for everyzing, right?” Von tilted his head to one side, his smile ticking slightly wider. The sight of it made Blocky cringe back, turning his head to the side, or rather he tried to, failing miserably. “Zo open wide....”

Blocky watched as the man leaned in even closer. The man’s hand reached down and touched him on his head, gripping his jaw tightly. Blocky immediately squirmed, trying to get away. His limbs banged against the metal bands violently, his desperation increasing with each second.

He tried to bite down on Von’s finger, but the man’s strength was too much, and he successfully kept the zoner’s mouth pried wide open. The tube was brought ever closer. Blocky’s eyes were glued onto it, watching as the mystery substance was brought ever closer to his opened mouth. He let out grunts and whimpers of protest. This just made the man chuckle harder and the tube was brought over at a swifter pace.

Soon it was right in front of him, above his mouth, and slowy it was tipped over to allow its contents to spill out. Blocky’s eyes widened in horror when he realized that the stuff was red in color. Very dark, but still having a reddish hue in it. The smell was stronger now, and it made him start to feel sick. And the chunkiness... At this close up angle, staring at it, he could tell what it was now.

Raw flesh.

His whimpers soon turned into loud, albeit distorted, screams. His struggling increased in vigor, each movement even more desperate than he was before. The tip of the tube now touched the top of his tongue. He tried to shake his head as he stared up at the man pleadingly. But all the man did was continue to smile as he tilted the tube up even more, and soon the bloody, gruesome contents touched his tongue.

He immediately screeched in horror, the sound muffled by the man’s hand. He could feel the horrid tasting stuff fill into his mouth. His taste buds went on fire as the iron blood, intermixed with small pieces of what he guessed was bone or cartiledge and pieces of flesh, lathered over his tongue.

Then the man closed his mouth. The zoner let out a series of whimpers, tears flowing down his face, as the wretched, disgusting chum-like substance sloshed around in his mouth. He tried to spit it out, but Von held his mouth shut tightly, preventing him any chance of forcing the flesh out of his mouth.

Blocky whimpered loudly. He looked up at Von, begging him silently not to do this. The taste rapidly filled his mouth, making him feel sick the longer it remained in his mouth. He wanted to throw up so bad.

Unable to do anything, Blocky succumbed to what the man wanted him to do and he swallowed. He nearly gagged as he felt the the liquified flesh slide down his throat and into his stomach. Only when he had completely swallowed the flesh soup did the man let go of his mouth.

Immediately, Blocky opened his mouth and started to cough and splutter and retch. He spat out as much of the flesh contents still remaining as he could. He wanted to scrape his tongue off in order to get rid of the taste. He wanted to rush to the nearest toilet and vomit up his contents, forcing the flesh out of his mouth, where it didn’t belong. He stared up at the man in confusion, letting out a series of whimpers.

How could he do something like that? How could he force him to eat another zoner? How could he murder a zoner just to fefed it to someone else? Blocky wanted to yell at the man as anger rose up inside of him. He wanted to chew the man out for what he had done.

But he couldn’t. Emotion weighed down on him, and as the reality of what happened struck him in full, all he could do was allow tears to fall down his face. He closed his eyes and started to cry softly. His body trembled hard as his cries filled the air. Nausea swept through his stomach, his noise getting stuffy, and his cheeks stinging.

“I zee you enjoyed your meal. Zat iz good! I knew you’d love it!” Dr. Von Doktor said, his smile still there, looking more twisted to Blocky the longer that he stood there. “It waz a good zing zat you ate it all, Blocky. It wazn’t eazy getting zat prepared for you. Removing a portion of the leg waz difficult, and don’t get me ztarted on zee blending.”

The man took a moment to grimace, as if remember something rather unsettling about the whole process. This shudder only lasted a second and the turned back to grin at Blocky.

“I zink it waz worz it in zee end, don’t you zink zo? I’m sure zat waz juzt deliciouz!” Von said as he listened to Blocky’s whimpers. “Tell me, what did it tazte like? Were you completely zatizfied? Waz it better zan you ever hoped?”

Blocky didn’t answer. He just closed his eyes and started to cry. How could the man be this cruel? Forcing him to eat flesh from one of his own, and then act like it was something that he had enjoyed? Did he not notice his distress? His gagging? Possibly, but he was obviously ignoring it.

He felt a cold shudder move through his body as he wondered if the man planned on feeding him more of that stuff. If he did... No, he couldn’t be. No.. That was just.. His body’s shaking increased, his mind racing with thoughts of the poor zoners that would surely be targeted by this cruel man if he did go through with that. Tears streamed down his face at the thought of more zoners dying because of this man’s sick desires. And knowing that he himself may be forced to consume more zoner flesh just made him feel all the sicker.

Dr. Von Doktor tilted his body back. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I wonder... Zinze you enjoyed ziz ‘zoner zoup’ zo much, maybe zelling zoner flesh would be a great idea.”

Blocky tried to shake his head. “N-No...” His voice cracked at this. “Don’t..please...”

Dr. Von Doktor stared down at him. The fact that he was still smiling after all this was eerie. “Don’t worry. I might not do it anyway. Zoner meat would tazte like chalk anyway, right? I don’t zink too many of my future clientz would want that.” Blocky let out a sigh of relief, but he did not relax, knowing that the man probably had something else in store. “Bezidez, zere iz anozer reazon I gave zat ztuff to you.”

Blocky licked his lips nervously. “A-And what is that?”

Von’s smile broadened, his eye brow raised up slightly. “I am curiouz to know if you zonerz are like humanz, and cannot digezt raw flesh wizout the rizk of infection. The lack of zertain...enzymez zat kill zee germz. Tell me, Blocky. By eating the raw flesh, are you at riz of getting a disease? Are you going to get zick? Let me know. I’m really curiouz.”

Blocky’s face paled at this. “What..” His voice trailed off, his body shaking in horror.

Von tilted his head slightly. “If you can’t anzwer, zat iz quite all right.” He gave a chuckle. “I zuppoze I can juzt wait until it takez effect.” He took a step closer. “Time will tell me.” He reached forward and touched Blocky on the face.

Blocky let out a yelp as the man started to caress his face. All Blocky could do in response was close his eyes and start sobbing.

sss

Inez followed closely behind Penny and the three zoners. She looked left and right, taking everything in. She hunched her shoulders up nervously, her body filling with tension as her mind struggled to take all of this in.

She found it hard to believe just where she was right now. A part of her mind thought she was just dreaming. But countless attempts to pinch herself proved otherwise. Yeah, this was real, no matter what her scientific-mind was telling her. The land she was walking on, the air she was breathing, the things she was seeing..it was all real. As much real as she and her daughter were.

This world..it really messed with her mind. The way it looked... It was clearly drawings. Children drawings mostly. She looked from left to right. In spite of how spooky the previous place was, or how beautiful and alive these plains and rolling hills were, they still looked like 2D drawings that she'd find on a chalkboard. And yet they still retained a 3D essence and still looked real and they still looked as though she could reach out and touch them.

This..this was so foreign to her. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Her brain was sending her multiple signals and her mind was aching. She rubbed her head from side to side, trying to fight off the confusion. She wasn't sure what to make of this place and she wasn't sure how long it would be before she could get used to this.

Her daughter didn't seem to be as affected. In fact, she was walking through as if nothing was wrong. This did not surprise her. Penny had been coming here for a time, right? She knew this place better than she did. She knew how this world worked and what to expect. Of course she would not be as frightened.

But if there's anything that Inez had learned from being in...what did they call it... Pencil Sharpener, she knew that not all places in this..ChalkZone were so pristine and safe. Even Penny admitted there were dangers.

Inez had to wonder just what other dangers there could be. What else could this world be hiding? She looked left and right, half expecting some hungry animal zoner to jump out and try to eat her. Even though nothing has happened in the fifteen minutes they had been walking, she did not want to take that chance. She had a feeling that there could be some really dangerous animals here, capable of things that no Real World animal was. The thought was terrifying.

A small part of her did find some comfort in Penny being rather calm. Her daughter did know this place well and had apparently visited much of it. While Inez was nervous about the unknown, Penny was not since she had more knowledge. So logically, if Penny wasn't nervous about walking through here, neither should she.

But still, Inez couldn't help but be fearful. Didn't Penny tell her about how this world are things that are erased from a chalkboard? She was certain she mentioned that as they walked through the dark and twisted forest. This meant that ChalkZone was unpredictable. One minute, a land would be open, empty, peaceful. The next, it could be transformed with a huge gladiator stadium filled with dangerous beasts.

The thought was certainly unnerving, causing the vet to remain cautious, despite Penny's reassurances. It was hard for Penny to comfort her for something even she could not predict. How could Penny know when something is about to be erased?

And just how were the zoners themselves? How would she know for certain if there wasn't going to be any unfriendlies on the way? Penny and her zoner pals did reassure her that most zoners were peaceful and would leave her alone. But they did also say that some of the zoners would be more dangerous, but that they were a small percentage.

That did little to comfort the woman. Especially given the fact that zoners could be created with special abilities that test and go beyond scientific expectations, she couldn't help but remain terrified of what they might encounter.

What if they met a zoner that could melt their guts from the inside out? Or a zoner that could shoot lasers from its eyes? Or a zoner that could crush them easily under its massive weight?

"Mom, it will be okay." Penny said, probably for the third time since they had gotten out of the forest. "I'm taking you to where the hospital should be after we stop by the Chalk Mine to get a new piece of chalk."

"Didn't you say it was guarded by something?" Inez asked, her voice wavering on caution.

Snap nodded his head. "Yeah, Biclops. A giant." He spread out his hands as he said this.

Inez widened her eyes in horror. "A giant?!"

Snap chuckled lightheartedly. "Oh don't worry about him. He's pretty nice." Snap waved a dismissing hand. "The only thing he wants is for you to stay out of the Chalk Mine. The only humans allowed in there are Rudy and Penny." He paused and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well that's mainly because...they're the only humans Biclops permits in ChalkZone..."

This did not sit well with Inez. She couldn't stop the horrible images of a giant zoner running after her and trying to crush her. She shivered, unable to stop herself from imagining such a scary scenario.

And if Rudy and Penny were the only ones permitted in ChalkZone, what was the giant going to think of her? How was he going to react? Even if he didn't chase her, she'd still be terrified of him. Would he be upset with Penny? It was possible. Would he turn against her? Chase her, too?

Penny seemed to almost read her mind and spoke up. "Don't worry, mom. He won't hurt any of us."

"Yeah, that's not Biclops's style." Rapsheeba said.

"He might have done that years ago, but after he met Rudy and saw how nice he was, he had mellowed out quite a bit." Howdy said, giving her a reassuring smile. "He will be upset, but he wouldn't try to hurt you or anything."

"So just relax. He'd be more suspicious of you if you act too nervously. Just be calm and relaxed and he would be more open to you." Said Penny.

Inez attempted to relax. But it was a difficult thing to do. How could she fully relax with the idea of a giant being present? One that would not be very happy to see her? One that could easily crush her if she so much did anything that would upset him?

Before she could completely regain her bearings, Penny made a shout to caused them all to stop for a moment.

"We're here!"

Inez immediately looked out ahead. There was a slight dip, and down further, she could see a river that curved and moved around a large, rocky structure. She could see a large opening in it, and darkness within. There was some kind of sign that said 'Magic Chalk Mine'. Yeah, they had arrived.

Inez watched as Penny and the zoners started to head forward. She thought about going with, but she hesitated. No, it would be best if she stayed back here and waited. She didn't want to screw anything up. She didn't know how to act around the giant, and she didn't want to cause any misunderstandings. So she waited and watched as her daughter headed towards the cave structure.

She took a moment to look at it in full, tilting her head up. The whole place seemed to set on an island, or a near island. From this angle, she couldn't tell if the water ran all the way around. The cave itself had a purplish tint to it and appeared pretty jagged. Almost foreboding in a way.

She couldn't tell if the cave systems headed downward, but that was a possibility. And if it did, she wondered how far down it went. Would Penny get lost going through? How many rooms did it have? What else did this mine contain? Several questions ran through her head.

Then she felt a slight vibration in the ground. No shaking, but..something that kinda moved. Enough to let her know something was there. She could see a shadow coming out of the mine, stretching out to cover Penny, Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy. None of them tried to run away or showed any signs of fear. Yet Inez herself couldn't help but bite her fingernails nervously.

And then she saw it. The huge zoner had made his appearance. Moving slowly, staring down intently at the group of four children, the giant stood. The sight of him made Inez cringe in horror. Even from this distance, she could practically feel how massive he was.

The giant was pale yellow and wore a green scottish outfit and had curly red hair. His eyes were unnaturally positioned. Vertical instead of horizontal. His mouth was huge and looked like he could easily swallow them all in a single gulp if he wanted. His arms and hands were large and she couldn't help but imagine him crushing them easily under his massive power that he must possess.

Inez felt her body shaking, her mind racing. So much of her wanted to run down and get Penny out of there. Despite the fact that her daughter said that Biclops wasn't dangerous, a part of her still wanted to save her and get her out of there. How could she just stand around while her daughter was a few feet from a giant monstrosity?

But..no..she had to stay put. Despite her better judgment telling her otherwise, she had to take the risk and stay here. Penny had told her it will be all right and she had to learn to trust her. So against her will, she managed to keep her feet firmly planted as her daughter conversed with the giant. She waited there for her daughter to return. And then it was off to the hospital.

sss

"Penny Sanchez? What are you doing here?" Asked Biclops as he stared down at the girl. "I thought you were grounded from coming here."

"I was, but there's been a change of plans." Penny said. She took a step forward. "I need some magic chalk. May I have a couple pieces?"

"Sure but...where's Rudy Tabootie?" The giant inquired.

Penny felt her heart sting at this. She wasn't prepared for it. She should have known that Biclops would want to know that. She lowered her head slightly, shutting her eyes as she remembered the boy's screaming and writhing. She shook her head from side to side. "I'm afraid he isn't coming..."

Biclops's eyes widened slightly at this. "What happened...?"

"We don't have too much time to explain everything. So we'll have to be quick about it." Howdy said.

Snap took up the mantel of explaining. "A long story short, your tips for us didn't work because the zoners acted rashly and on their own, and all of them except us got killed by Dr. Von Doktor." The giant gasped in horror at this. "Then the creepazoid tried to experiment on Penny so he can create more magic chalk on his own, and he impaled Rudy and he tried to kill Penny's mom before he skedaddled away with Blocky."

"In other words, Dr. Von Doktor is in ChalkZone and I need magic chalk to try to stop him, and Rudy is unable to help because he's in the hospital." Penny said.

The giant was silent at this. He looked down at them in utter horror. The idea of another human in ChalkZone was unthinkable, especially one that had proven to be dangerous. Penny could only imagine what the zoner was thinking right now.

And Rudy being in the hospital, not able to do a thing to help ChalkZone, that would certainly scare a lot of zoners. Not that they didn't trust her or anything, but it was often Rudy they looked up to, and if something happened to the Great Creator, their morale can drop dramatically. She needed to get Von out of here quick, before he could do any major damage.

She had thought about informing the giant about her mother being here, but unless it comes up, she decided it was best not to tell. With Von being here, the last thing Biclops needs to hear is there being yet another human in ChalkZone. At least it will only be for a short time anyway.

"So all those zoners are...dead?" Biclops whispered softly. As in..not alive anymore..?" Biclops whispered softly. Penny and her friends shook their heads solemnly, their heads bowed in sadness. Biclops lowered his own, his eyes averting away. "I see..." He closed his eyes and sighed. "That's exactly what I was afraid was going to happen. Some zoners just don't listen and they..." His voice trailed off. The group stared up at him silently, their eyes shining in understanding. "Unfortunately, we can't do anything about it. We have only one option and that is moving on and doing what we can to prevent another tragedy."

At this, Penny nodded in agreement, as did Howdy, Snap, and Rapsheeba. It was true, what the giant said. They could only keep moving forward and do what they can to help the ones that were still alive. They might have failed to save those other zoners, but they still had a shot at helping the ones still alive.

Hopefully, they will be able to pull this off with as little casualties as possible. They realized that the odds of them pulling this off without anymore deaths was low. It would be unrealistic to think that way. So lessening the body count would be the next best thing. But first, they'd have to figure out where Von was hiding.

"I'll go get the magic chalk for you, Penny Sanchez." Biclops said in a solemn, quiet gone. It was clear he was still shaken by the deaths of so many zoners. "I will be right back." He turned and began to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" Penny reached out towards him. The zoners looked at her in confusion. Biclops stopped and stared down at her. "Did you happen to see anything strange around here? Anything out of the ordinary?"

Biclops turned his body a little and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. After a few moments, he shook his head. "No..I can't say I have."

Just what Penny thought he was going to say. Disappointing, but she could hardly blame him. "Thanks anyway."

So they were going to have to figure this out on their own. As Biclops turned to go down the caverns, she turned to her friends. They would need to discuss how they were going to do this, and just where they would most likely find Von hiding out.

"What do you guys think we should do?" Penny asked.

The three zoners looked at one another. Their expressions held uncertainty, their teeth gritted to show this. Penny remained quiet, watching as they silently communicated with each other, trying to figure out a plan.

"Well..we could always..." Rapsheeba started to say when something caught her attention. She turned her head. "Your mom is coming, Penny."

"What?" Penny whispered, her heart clenching. She swerved her head over and indeed, there was her mother coming over quickly. Her feet pounded the ground, her mouth open as she took in heavy breaths.

Questions ran through her mind. What was her mother doing? Why was she coming over? And why did she look so panicked? The sight of her mom's horror-filled eyes made Penny hunch her shoulders and look left and right. Had Von launched a sneak attack on them?

A few moments later, her mother reached them. She stopped in front of them. Her hands were placed on her thighs and she bent forward. Her eyes were wide in fear as she took in more heavy, raspy breaths. She almost looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Mom? What is it?" Penny asked.

"Yeah, why did you run over here so fast?" Snap asked, curiosity spilling out of his voice, along with confusion. "I thought you were going to wait back there for us." He used his hand to point at the spot where the woman had been just shortly before.

A part of Penny was worried about how Biclops will react to seeing her mom here. He was likely not going to be too happy about it. But right now, she was more worried about what had her mom so spooked.

What had frightened her so much that she would rush all the way over here? It must have been something terrible or something incredibly important to make her do something like that. Her mind tingled uncomfortably at the thought of what it could be.

Her mom began to speak. "Z-Zoner...found...me..." Her speaking was heavily hindered by her trying to catch her breath. "Told me...that...they..." She stopped for a moment. She held onto her chest and breathed in and out quickly. "Important news..."

Penny stared at her friends when her mom said this. The tone her mother used was urgent, but not necessarily terrified. Perhaps her mom was breathing heavily due to being excited or anxious, not necessarily terrified. "What news would that be?"

Her mother's wide eyes stared at the group. Her mouth stayed open and she breathed in a few more times. She then swallowed hard and said, "They had seen where Dr. Von Doktor had gone."

Penny's eyes widened at this. Her friends did likewise. Then they all narrowed into slits, determination filling their core. With a voice more stern than she was used to, Penny said, "Where is he?"

sss

The small, rectangular zoner didn't seem to be showing too much change. Outside of the whimpering and crying, he didn't really do much else. Although expected, it was a little disappointing. He had hoped for something to happen that would be worth noting. Writing about how the zoner pleaded and cried did not suit well with him.

But what else could Dr. Von Doktor do? What else could be done? He couldn't just speed up the effect, especially if he didn't know there were going to be any. He could only stare at the zoner and wait for any side effects from eating fellow zoner flesh. He was curious to see just how durable their stomachs were, and to see if they would be able to digest raw meat or if they, like humans, would get sick in the process.

So far, nothing has really come up. Blocky cried a whole lot, a few times asking him why he did this. Von would ignore him and just sit there and wait for something to happen. He had pulled up a chair and was currently sitting down on it, his head resting on his hand as he stared with an almost bored expression on his face.

He was glad that he had chosen a more underground location this time. He had lied to Blocky about where they were. He was able to do this since Blocky had been unconscious for a time while they were in ChalkZone. Why he lied to him, especially since he can't get out, he didn't know. Perhaps it was the feeling of control that he got with it. Should Blocky escape, he'd be in for quite a surprise.

Being underground also meant that, even if he allowed his test subjects to scream, they would not be heard that far or wide. The thick walls of the caverns would prevent them from being heard.

This was also a good location for another reason. It wasn't just a cave. There were hallways, not just tunnels. There were actual rooms here, like in a building. This place almost felt like a hybrid of a house and a cave then a full on either of them. This made it easier for him to travel through and designate different areas for different things.

He had rather enjoyed the dissection of his first creation. A little messy, but he felt it was worth it. He had gained some knowledge of zoner anatomy. The brain especially was quite fascinating. He never knew that zoner brains were constructed so... uniquely and yet similar to human brains. He looked forward to creating another zoner for more anatomy study, as well as some chemical and poison as well.

But first, he wanted to complete this experiment. He needed to know how well their stomachs could handle raw flesh. Depending on the reaction, he could use that and apply that to one of his next test subjects.

He wasn't sure how many he wanted to experiment on. It did feel a little awkward creating zoners just to experiment with them, but it was easier than just capturing them. And it did help him keep control. He could keep designing the zoners with child-like minds, using that innocence against them, making them want to do what he asked of them. Then by the time they realized anything was wrong, they were strapped down and ready to go.

But the zoners' screaming...he could do without that. Good thing he thought of the muzzle. Despite the fact that nobody would hear them, he still did not want to be distracted from his work. Of course the loud whimpering and crying did get annoying, but at least that was more manageable and he could ignore it better.

"How are you feeling?" Von asked after a few more minutes of silence. He was getting tired of waiting. "If you're hiding anyzing, don't bozer. Juzt tell me."

Blocky shut his eyes and bared his teeth in an almost defensive manner. This display was almost amusing to Von, but he didn't have time to waste.

"Tell me right now, Blocky. Are you feeling zick? Nauseouz? Anyzing?"

Still the zoner did not answer him. Blocky just kept giving him the silent treatment, holding his mouth shut tightly. Von narrowed his eyes at this. He thought about striking the zoner or tearing off a piece of his skin to make him talk. He thought better than that and he refrained from the gruesome act.

Perhaps Blocky was just trying to be brave and defiant in what might be his final moments. How admirable... Maybe he thought that by not telling him, he believed that he would deprive him of gaining any information that he could use to his advantage. A noble attempt, but alas, it would not work.

Even if Von didn't get any new information from him verbally, he will always be able to figure something out visually. He can just simply watch Blocky and wait for anything to change. Blocky could not hide his bodily functions that well. All he'd have to do was stand here and wait for something to happen. If nothing happened and the zoner keeled over from his wounds, both present and future, he can just dissect him and look at his stomach for any signs of food poisoning.

Yeah, Blocky was not going to be able to hide anything from him. No matter how hard he tried, somehow, someway, Von would get exactly what he wanted.

Still, he kept trying to pry information out of the zoner. He hated sitting here in silence, waiting. He didn't want to leave and start another experiment until he figured out how Blocky was feeling.

"Come on now, Blocky. You can tell me." Von said in a calm tone. "All I want to know iz how you are feeling. Zat shouldn't be too hard to tell me, right?" Blocky, despite his fear, shot him a glare. Von raised an eyebrow at this. "Zat izn't going to work on me, zoner. I know very well zat you cannot hurt me. Even if you were free, you're too weak to do much of anyzing."

He got up from the chair and walked towards the table. He listened to the zoner's soft, pitiful yet desperate growling. He thought he heard a groan or two of pain, but it was difficult to tell.

He circled the zoner slowly, eyeing him up and down. The zoner tried to follow him the best he could. With his head strapped down, he could not turn his head to see where he was going. He could almost sense some panic in the zoner's groans when he went out of sight.

As he continued to circle him, he said, "Come now, Blocky. Don't be ziz way. I juzt want to gazer zome information zo I know more about you and your kind." When the zoner still didn't reply, he held his hand up in gesture. "Zink of it ziz way. If I knew what you were feeling, zen I would know I cannot feed ozer zonerz raw meat. Zee more I learn about you all, the more knowledge I could zpread, and the more protection you zonerz could rezieve."

"H-How...?" Blocky managed to say, his voice cracking. "How would..that..help us..?"

"Quite zimple. I can make sure zat nobody doez anyzing zat would cauze great harm." Von wasn't sure how willing or how well he could keep that promise. But perhaps if he tried to butter up a little to the zoner's better side, he could get him to be more cooperative without having to use violence. "Doezn't zat zound fair?"

Blocky gritted his teeth at this. "How do I know you won't turn your back on your word?"

"Good point. But..do you want to take zat chanze?" Von stopped on his right side. He looked down at the zoner, his face likely unreadable to the little guy. "Zink about it, Blocky. Even if you don't tell me, I can juzt wait until you die and get zee anzwer myzelf." Blocky's eyes widened at this. Von smirked. "Don't you zink it would be better if you juzt tell me now and get it over wiz?"

"I..." Blocky fell silent. His lips pressed together as he sealed his mouth shut. He turned his eyes away, the only thing he could do to avert his gaze.

Von narrowed his eyes at this. He disliked the lack of cooperation. He would have thought that the zoner would find possible protection for his species to be something of interest and worth getting. But instead, he was choosing to remain stubborn. How foolish. Perhaps he should figure out a bigger incentive.

But what was he going to do? How could he get the zoner to speak? The only way he could think of was to leave this hideout and grabbing a zoner that knows him, or going back to the Real World science facility and taking Snap back with him. Blackmail would most certainly work, he'd imagine. But it was a little risky. Maybe something else would do.

That's when something come to his mind. Something that he couldn't believe he didn't think of before. It was perfect. It should do the trick. But first, he was going to need to run another experiment. He was going to need another zoner.

This made him frown in concern. He didn't have that much left. So perhaps a smaller zoner would do for this one. His last zoner was a little large. He had come up to his shoulders and that required a bit of chalk. He'll make a zoner smaller this time.

He wouldn't have to clean the table off. He already took care of that. He washed down the blood and sterilized it for his next test subject. Save for the small part he had sawed off, the rest of the body had been placed in a thick, black bag for later transport. He would have used Real World water to clean it off, but that would have been a disaster. The last thing he needed was to create an abyss here. And there was no way he was eating dusty old chalk.

At least a smaller zoner should be more easily taken care of. He just needed to make sure he didn't do anything that was incredibly messy. He didn't want to have to waste time and chalk drawing another bag and having to clean up another gore-riddled mess. The last time he had to use up, the better.

Just when he was about to turn and leave, he heard the sound of retching. He turned his head to look down. As his eyes settled upon the zoner, he took notice that Blocky's body was convulsing. He was jerking up and down, mostly in the stomach area. His face looked pale, and his eyes were wide in terror. The man stared in confusion at this for a few moments, and then he smiled.

"Ah I zee..." The man said callously as he watched the zoner whimper and writhe. His mouth opened up and then closed a few times as the zoner was fighting against the inevitable. "Zo the rezultz are now finally showing up." His eyes narrowed slightly as a twinkle came off of them. "You cannot eat raw flesh...can you?"

Blocky did not reply. He just continued to wheeze and lurch and retch as he struggled to keep himself from vomiting. He was trying so hard. He could see the zoner's face practically turn a mixture of red and white as he struggled with all of his strength.

But the attempts were all in vain. The zoner's cheeks began to puff up slightly as his esophagus was struggling to get everything out. A bit of drool began to spill out from his lips, a signal of what was about to come. Von merely watched and smiled as he waited. And soon it happened.

With a loud retching sound, the zoner reluctantly opened his mouth and his stomach contents spilled out. It was mostly a diluted red color with some bits of chunks here and there. With no where else to go, it began to ooze down the sides of his mouth rapidly, a bit of it getting on his chest. Some of it started to go back into his mouth, making the zoner whimper and cough. Von, not wanting the zoner to choke on his own vomit, went over and unstrapped his head. He lifted it up, allowing gravity to relieve Blocky of that unpleasant situation.

After a few seconds, the zoner had stopped vomiting and he soon laid there, coughing and crying softly. The man just stood there, staring down at him, listening to his raspy breathing. Well that answered that question. Zoners, at least sentient ones like him, could not eat raw flesh. One more weakness he needed to keep note of.

Well now seemed like a good time as any to begin a new experiment. He wanted to try out his idea he had a few moments ago. He quickly cleaned up Blocky so that his own vomit didn't stick to him or the smell overwhelm him to make him want to throw up more. Then after he was done, he bid Blocky farewell for the time being and left him alone. He walked down the hallway, disappearing out of the zoner's sight.

sss

No...no this couldn’t be happening... Not again...

The rectangular zoner stared down at his strapped down body, noting the stains that still remained. He could still smell that wretched odor, and it made him lick his lips slowly in anticipation. He expected that, at any moment, he’d throw up again.

Thankfully he didn’t, but that did not stop the feeling of nausea from filling up inside of him. He tried to push it back, but each time, he kept failing. Waves of chills moved up and down his body, making him shiver in response. It felt almost as though the temperature had dropped dramatically, but he knew that wasn’t the case.

Blocky couldn’t believe that he had thrown up again. The memory of it filled him with horror and he was unable to get the image out of his head. The vomit, it tasted so awful. He could still taste the after bit of it. And just what was in it was enough to make him want to throw up again.

As much as he despised emptying his stomach out for the second time today, at least this got out any possible germs that were in that meat. His stomach still hurt him, but at least the worst bit of it was over. He took in a few ragged breaths, coughing a few times. Trapped here, all he could do now was lay down and rest and hope that his stomach feels better soon.

Not a chance. After throwing up twice, his stomach felt as though it was on fire. He wondered if he did any damage to it. Probably not, yet he couldn’t help but remain paranoid over the idea.

He struggled a little, hoping that the cuffs had somehow loosened. How, he wasn’t sure. But he still felt as though he should try. He tugged on it once. He let out a yelp and stopped. He had no idea why he felt compelled to keep trying to free himself after he had proven to himself time and again that he was not going anywhere. These cuffs were too strong and he was too weak. Even if he were at his full health, he would stand no chance to get himself free. All he could really do was lay there and hope that the man slipped up and he was able to get out.

The odds of that were slim. Dr. Von Doktor was not a stupid man. He was not going to take any chances with him. That was why he had him strapped down and secured, rather than just letting him roam around in a cage or a locked off area. He was not underestimating him. He might be injured, but Von was treating him as if he were healthy and able.

Blocky was still in pain. It hammered in his head and it radiated like a beating drum. At this point, he had learned to live with it and move with it, allowing him to better able handle the pain to some extent. That didn’t mean that he didn’t feel the pain in full still, and he still flinched and winced and seethed in pain. He did his best to hide it around the man, but he knew he was hardly fooling him. He knew the man could see right through his pitiful attempts to disguise his pain.

Blocky felt his stomach twist and this time, it wasn’t because of the nausea. It was guilt. Even though it wasn’t his fault, he felt a sense of guilt for throwing up in front of the man. He felt as though he had given the man information that he shouldn’t have gotten.

He didn’t believe the man’s words for a second that he was going to use this information to prevent patrons from accidentally hurting zoners. He knew the man was going to use it for himself, to hurt zoners that were disobeying or becoming rowdy, whose definitions would definitely change to suit the man’s wants and needs.

That man had no concern over zoners. He didn’t care what happened to them. All he cared about was making a quick buck. And he was going to try to do that as soon as he exposed ChalkZone.

Whenever that day came, it would be rather dark indeed.

The zoner let out a soft whimper as he recalled all the horrible things that would happen whenever the man did unlock the gateways into ChalkZone. In his pain and agony, he couldn’t help but imagine zoners being put through torture and hell all just to satisfy some sick creators. His lower lip quivered and he started to shed tears.

He felt so useless. He wanted to do something to help stop Von. Despite his fear of the man and despite the pain that he was in, he realized he had to do something to try to stop him. But...what could he do? What could he possibly accomplish against that horrid man? There wasn’t really too much that he could do.

But...he had to try something. Maybe there was a way out of this contraption that he wasn’t thinking of. He attempted to lift up his head, but just like before, he couldn’t. The man had put the strap back on, partly because his hands were pretty much attached to his head. Keeping his head unstrapped would pretty much mean leaving his hands free.

He looked left and right, struggling to see something, anything in the room. He moved his eyes until he could feel them begin to ache in his sockets. He could see nothing of great interest. Mostly just ceilings. And looking left and right didn’t do him much good. If only he could turn his head a little, then maybe he could find a way out of here.

But no matter what he tried or what he thought of, nothing seemed to work. He continued to only being able to lay down on the table, unable to move.

No, there had to be a way out of here. He just..he just had to think harder. Maybe if he tried to pull his hands and arms a different way, twist them around, he could get one of them free, and then begin to remove the cuffs off his other limbs. Yeah...that could work...

Blocky wasted no time and he attempted to free himself. He jerked himself to one side only. He twisted his arm around, trying to get it to pull out from the tight cuff.

sss

“Hold ztill, you little pieze of shit!”

The zoner muffled a terrified response. She shook her head from one side to the other, her eyes shut tightly as tears flowed down her face.

Von snarled at this. “If you hold ztill, it will go faster!” But still the zoner did not comply and just kept moving her head whenever he attempted something. The man resisted the urge to strike her, not wanting to cause any more damage than necessary. “You are really trying my patienze...”

The female zoner, who was dragon-like in appearance with ears, merely hissed at him before turning her head and baring her sharp teeth. Not like she could do much to him. Her jaws were sealed shut with the muzzle. But her head, he had forgotten to strap it down and now any attempts to bring the drill over were fruitless. She was squirming around too much, he feared that he’d cause too much damage. Perhaps that is what she wanted?

Regardless, he was not going to let her get out of this that easily. He had drawn her specifically for this test, and she was going to fulfill it. He just needed to drill a hole in her head for it to work. It was a very delicate procedure, and if she would just hold still, there wouldn’t be any sort of problem.

But no, she just had to be difficult. He growled to himself. Well he should have strapped down her head when he had the chance in the first place. Well perhaps now is a good time as any to take some liberty into that. His experiment can’t continue unless he did something about her thrashing head.

Setting down the drill, he grabbed her mouth and held it down. She still turned her head and it was difficult fighting against her strength. He slung his arm around the mouth completely, encasing it in the crook of his arm, and he steadied it so that her snout was facing straight up. He grabbed the strap for the head and stretched it over so that it pressed against her forehead, right above the eyes. With a click, it was in.

He took a step back and looked at his captive. He folded his arms against his chest and smiled in pride. He had to hand it to himself, he was a pretty good artist and an excellent planner.

The zoner he had drawn was quite pretty. Shiny green scales and something like hair growing down her ack. Her body was a little long and her wings, which took the place of her front legs and currently cuffed down, was curly. Her overall design had an innocent charm to it, reflecting the child-like mind he had given her.

He watched her try to free her head. She jerked it from side to side, whimpering loudly, in desperation. He could only smile down at her, satisfied that she was unable to get her head to turn a sigificant distance either way. A part of him wished that he had brought some kind assistance with. If he had kept Terry around, maybe she could help hold this dragon more still for him.

He shook his head. No, Terry was too much trouble. She had tried to poison Blocky without his permission or say. He was better off with his original plan that he had went with, and got rid of her. Blinding her should definitely make the lesson stick to her head. She would never forget it.

He approached her again, moving slowly and deliberately. She looked up at him with wide eyes, whimpers of protest filling the air. She shook her head in desperation. He could hear her try to speak to him, begging him for the answers of why he was doing this to her. He just smirked down at her, his expression showing her a window of the cruel intentions he had in store for her.

“I need to tezt ziz zing out. I need to hook it up to you firzt.” Von said. He raised the drill up for her to see. “Ziz will only zting for a little while. Zen, it’ll be over, and we can really begin.”

The dragon zoner tried to shake her head rapidly. It was no use. She could barely move it a centimeter, the straps being on so tightly. The man began to move the drill closer to her. He watched as she tried to squirm harder, tears raining down from her face. She stared up at him pleadingly.

He hesitated for a brief second, his eyes widening. He again wondered if he should do this. He mentally slapped himself in the face. He shouldn’t let some little sad expression stop him. He grunted, showing his teeth as he moved faster. He aimed the drill in the center of her head. It made contact, and he immediately turned it on.

The sound of a whirring, tube-like blade and muffled screams and bone beginning to give way filled the air. It was absolutely bone-chilling to listen to. But he pressed on. It took only a second for blood to ooze from the woudn. He kept pressing down, the drill sinking in as if it were a hot knife on butter. He didn’t attempt to speak, as the loud drilling sounds would muffle out anything he tried to say.

The zoner squirmed wildly, letting out constant, muffled screams. Her body twisted and trembled in pain, and as the seconds past, these grew stronger. The drill was still part way into her skull. Just a little more and he would have gotten through, to the point where he wanted it to be. Just a bit longer...

Out of nowhere, there was a sudden force against his jaw. Something firm and yet soft. He let out a scream of pain as he was suddenly jostled to the ground. He landed against the hard surface on his face. The drill dropped down beside him. It sliced into his arm, creating a long gash. He let out a scream of pain and held his arm against him. He could feel the blood spill down his arm. He turned his eyes towards who had attacked him.

His eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It couldn’t be possible, right? “Y-You...” That was all he managed to say as he climbed up to his feet.


	41. Struggles

The best strategies will always include an escape.

sss

Everything had happened in such a blur to Snap. His rage had enveloped him, trapping him in its addictive glow. As soon as he saw what Von was doing, he had to take action. He never thought he'd so something like this to another living being, but here he stood, his fist formed, glaring down at the collapsed man on the ground.

His fist ached from the impact of the punch. He had hit him so hard, he was honestly shocked that he didn't break something in the process. His fist had collided with Von's jaw, causing him to fly backwards and onto the ground. He glared as the man stared back at him in shock, his mouth open and panting.

The two stared at one another for several moments, neither moving their gaze from the other. Snap did not dare turn his gaze away, worried that the man might try something if he did. And he had a feeling the man was feeling the same way regarding him. Snap sharpened his glare, silently telling Von that he would take action if he dare try to do something else. This caused the man to curl his lip upwards, but he did not attempt to make a move.

Though Snap did not move his gaze, out of the corner of his eye, he could see swift movement and he knew that Penny, Mrs. Sanchez, Rapsheeba, and Howdy were moving in. His zoner friends took position beside him, spread out a little, stared at the human. Penny and Mrs. Sanchez were likely tending to the zoner.

Snap could feel a pang in his chest as he thought about that poor zoner. He hadn't much time to see it, but the sound of the drill going into her skull...her muffled screaming and crying... It was so horrible. Even now, he could still hear it. Her desperate cries to get away, the pain overflowing even with that wretched muzzle on her face... Snap wished he could help, but he had taken the duty of keeping Von away. To distract him... bait him.

After all, wouldn't the man be very interested in trying to test him or Rapsheeba, both of him were some of the more humanoid zoners? Knowing this man, he would most certainly take interest in something like that.

"Y-You..." The man said again, staggering on his feet. He stared down at Snap, his eyes widening further. "How did you get here? H-How did you find me...?"

Snap narrowed his eyes. He had no intention on telling Von that. He did not want to put the Smooch or her little friend in trouble. No way was this man going to target them, or any more zoners. That was all going to stop here and now.

Snap took a step forward, narrowing his eyes into slits. "How about you tell me where you found that zoner? What areas have you plundered? How many zoners did you kidnap?"

The man took a small step back. His eyes narrowed slowly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't kidnap anyone!"

Snap could feel his blood heating up from this. How dare the man try to lie to him like that... Did he really think he was going to get away with this? Did the man really believe that he would fall for such a stupid and obvious lie like that?

Of course he'd think that. Von didn't understand as much as he might like to think. He simply couldn't comprehend it. To him, the only thing that mattered was results. Screw everything else. He didn't care a damn about zoners. To this twisted man, zoners weren't even completely real, and were nothing more than mere tools for him to wield. It was absolutely disgusting.

"Don't you dare lie to us." Rapsheeba growled, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't try to tell us that you didn't kidnap Blocky... Do you really think we're that dumb? That we would just forget something like that?"

"Yeah! You and that Terry woman also had me captured as well! Are you going to try to tell us that I was never in any danger, that I just made the whole thing up?" Howdy asked, angered by the man's words.

"No, zat iz not what I meant!" Von said quickly. This caused the zoners to stare at him in confusion, their eyes still narrowed. He looked over at where the dragon zoner was for a brief moment. He then looked back, staring down at them with a look of seriousness. "I didn't kidnap her."

Snap snorted at this. "Oh, you didn't?! What, did she willingly strap herself down and was just waiting for someone to come by and free her?" He made a few quick gestures with his hand, his teeth bared. "Do you think we are that stupid, Von?!"

The man shook his head. "Well, if you honeztly zink I got her from zome random zity...zen yez." He ticked his mouth into a small smile and took a few steps forward. He folded his arms behind his back. He looked from Snap, to Rapsheeba, to Howdy, one at a time. "Zere iz anozer, better way for me to obtain zonerz here. I am quite zurprized you didn't figure zat out on your own zooner."

"What are you talking about?" Inquired Howdy.

"Zink about it harder." The man said with a smirk. "It will come to you."

Snap exchanged looks with Howdy and Rapsheeba. Their eyes and faces were contorted in confusion. What was the man talking about? If he didn't kidnap the zoner, then how did he get her? What else could he have done?

Oh no... It couldn't be...

The man did not.. he wouldn't...would he...?

Snap tried to keep his body from shaking, but it was impossible. He could feel himself quivering as the reality began to strike him in the head, giving him an ache through his skull. He gritted his teeth, his mind racing, unwilling to believe such a horrible thing. How..how could the man do something like this?

But as horrible as it was, there was only one thing that he could have done. It was an act so cruel and incomprehensible... He never dreamed he would find someone who would do something like this. And yet, here he was, standing right in front of one such human.

The dragon zoner...it must have been one of Von's creations. That evil man had created life, only to perform terrifying experiments on it. A zoner created for the soul purpose to be tested was horrific. He couldn't begin to imagine the confusion and pain that poor dragon zoner had been put through. To come to life, to try to explore the world she had been brought into, only for her to be strapped down and have drill go through into her skull...

The whole thing made Snap's blood nearly boil from his body. He felt a sharp pain throughout as his core body temperature seemed to rise up extremely. His body shook harder as emotion swept through him. His teeth pressed against each other so much he though he was going to crack them. He shot a glare at the man. If looks could kill, he'd imagine the man would be keeled over with knives stuck on his body.

"You...how could you...?" Rapsheeba whispered softly. She glared hatefully at the man, one of her hands locked into a fist while the other pointed at him accusingly. "How could you use the magic chalk in such a horrible fashion?!"

"The magic chalk was meant to create! Not find ways to destroy!" Howdy yelled. Tears stained his face, making it appear a little red.

Snap couldn't speak yet. With all the emotion rushing through him, he was worried that if he opened his mouth, he would spill out profanity, or he would simply roar and rush towards the man. As much as that was tempting, he knew he couldn't do it. He kept himself standing, his body continuing to shake.

His brain swirled with different thoughts as he tried to comprehend this. The idea of creating life to be used in such a way... it was cruel, dark, and twisted. He wondered if any creator before in the past had done such a thing. He wondered if that was part of the reason why Biclops hated humans so much. If so, he couldn't blame him. This was...this was just inconceivable.

Suddenly, the whole situation with the dragon zoner became much darker than before. He looked over at her, watching as Penny and Mrs. Sanchez tried to do what they could to help her. Naturally, she was resisting. But he couldn't blame her for that. Her first experience with humans was spent strapped down, with a human hurting her with a drill.

After a few seconds, Snap could no longer remain silent. He took a few steps forward, baring his teeth at the evil man. A part of him felt so enraged, almost feral, that he would just rush over to the man and bite or punch him. His logical side did have some control, but his more emotional side was still managing to partially cloud his judgment.

"You're a monster..."

The man looked down at Snap as the blue and white zoner managed to squeeze those words through his clenched teeth. The scientist merely raised an eyebrow at this, almost curious at his words. Snap wasn't entirely sure if he could pinpoint why, but the man's expression just made him angrier.

"You think you can just waltz in here and do something like that?! Do you think that just because you're a human, you get to toy with life in such a horrible way?!" Snap pointed a rounded hand towards him, his voice growing a little darker as the seconds passed. "Of all the sick, twisted things I've heard in my life, this is the worst!"

Although Rapsheeba and Howdy looked at him in surprise, neither of them made a move to disagree or calm him down. Like him, they were both feeling the rage in their bodies, manifesting in the form of quaking. Snap was honestly surprised that they were able to keep themselves from lunging at the man. But then, he could say the same thing about himself.

It was so tempting to tear this man a new one. The only thing holding him back as that he knew it wouldn't do much good. The man likely had a piece of magic chalk in his pocket right now, and he could wield it at any time. It was best to hold back and just make sure the man's gaze and attention remained on them.

But if they allowed their emotions to get the better of them, if they lose control and attack...

...well that was going to cause some problems right there.

"I don't know why you are upzet." Dr. Von Doktor said. He tilted his head to one side. "Don't you zonerz have zome kind of...immortality going for you?" The zoners stared at him in confusion at this. "Or zome kind of fail zafe?"

"What are you getting at...?" Rapsheeba asked. Her voice was a hiss, a testament to how angry she was.

"I mean, can't you zonerz juzt be redrawn?" The man held up his hand. "You are all made of chalk and you were all created zrough drawing. Zo wouldn't it make zenze zat you all could be revived the zame way? I can eazily revive that ozer zoner and it will be like nozing happened." He turned his head the other way, looking at them with a single eye. "Right?"

The three zoners didn't answer right away. They stared at the man in horror at what he had said. They couldn't believe it and wondered if it was at all possible that they misheard.

It wasn't just the bit about revival. They had already deduced that the man would think like that. It didn't lessen their confusion or disgust for it, however. To use something like that as an excuse to hurt and kill zoners was deplorable.

But the fact that this man had actually done this more than once... That he had actually created life earlier only to extinguish it... It made their blood burn like ice, their stomachs churning and their chest swelling in rage. It was bad enough to even think about doing such a horrid thing, but to do it more than once...? They could all feel their blood practically melting out of their vessels, feeling as though the underneath of their skin was getting charred.

Snap tried to control himself. He tried to keep himself still, to not have his will broken and rush over. He tried his best to keep himself firmly planted where he was. His job was just to keep the man distracted and nothing more.

But the emotion...it was too great. His logical half was rapidly losing hold, and when it no longer could influence him enough, his emotions immediately took over. His body quaking in rage, his temper overflowing, he let out a yell and he charged towards the surprised man.

"Snap! Wait!" Rapsheeba called out.

"Get back here!" Howdy shouted.

Snap didn't listen to them. His eyes, they could barely see anything except Von. He continued to rush forward, his fury preventing him from even speaking anything. As soon as he got close enough, which only took a few seconds, he lunged at the man and collided with him. The two crashed into the ground and immediately began to wrestle with each other. Snap pulled back a fist and struck down.

sss

“No! Please! Let me go! Get away from me, you monsters!” The dragon zoner yelled as she struggled against her binds. If it weren’t for the straps holding down her head, she would be trying to bite them as her teeth were bared. “I’m warning you!” She glared at the two humans, her eyes wild in a mixture of fear of pain. “I’ll bite your heads off!”

Penny felt her heart twist as the zoner said this. She was not used to encountering aggressively fearful zoners. Most of the ones she met in the past were more willing than this. Then again, they also weren’t in this much pain. She wanted to reach over and try to help, but though the zoner’s head was still strapped down, she was still fearful of getting bitten.

The only thing she and her mom managed to do so far was remove the muzzle that held her mouth shut. Nothing else. The dragon zoner had immediately started to curse and try to thrash at them, snapping her mouth a few times. The sight was both depressing and horrible. Just how much pain was this zoner in that she would act this way? How much did that horrible man do to her? How long had she been stuck this way?

Penny bit her lip when she stared at the hole in the dragon’s skull. Thankfully, it didn’t seem as deep as she originally thought. But that didn’t make it any less gruesome. Blood was trinkling down its sides, some of it getting on the table. She could see some of the bone and tissue underneath. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized if she, her mom, and the zoners had been late, this poor zoner would have been dead. That drill was getting dangerously close to her brain.

It was a good thing that the Smooch and a zoner pal of hers, whom she did not know the name of, had found them. The pair had apparently spotted Von fleeing earlier, holding something green and rectangular in his arms.

It took her and her friends only seconds to realize that it was Blocky. They asked the two zoners some more to try to figure out a specific location. And in the end, this is where they ended up. An underground structure, like a buried building. Quite a clever choice. Penny could see why he’d choose to go underground. Who would think to look here for him?

Well now his luck had run out. They found him, and the zoners would spread the word about the man’s presence. He had nowhere to go this time. He might have been able to fight a group of zoners, but he sure won’t do too well against a city filled with angry zoners.

Penny turned her head to glare in the man’s direction. He was still surrounded by the zoners. It appeared that he was on the ground, probably because he got too riley. She didn’t care at the moment. Her blood was coming to a boil as she remembered what he had said earlier.

He had experimented on this dragon zoner, or at least tried. That much she could gather. But the fact that he had done this to another zoner, but killed him...

Her mind was having a hard time accepting that reality. So much of her wanted to open her mouth and scream. She wanted to rush over there and demand to know why the man had done such a thing. Yet she knew what the answer was going to be. So why bother asking? The man was only going to say something to make her even more infuriated with him.

For now, all she and her mother could do was try to settle down this poor zoner. She looked back down at her, letting out a long, soft sigh. She winced as she thought of all the horrific things this zoner must have been through while she was here. She hoped from the bottom of her heart that the drill thing was the only form of torment she was forced to endure. She hoped that she didn’t have to suffer long, and didn’t have anything else wrong with her.

The zoner was continuing to struggle, snarling and snapping her jaws. Part of it was definitely out of pain. She was clearly in agony, spreading through her skull and leaving her in a constant state of torment. She was trying so hard to get away from the pain. It made Penny’s stomach twist at the sight of her in so much agony. And the other reason was due to fear. This zoner thought she and her mom were going to hurt her, and how could she blame her? She was confused, uncertain of why she was being hurt, and she had no way of knowing what to expect from her and her mother.

Penny flinched when she saw just how hard she was struggling. They needed to calm her down quick. All this struggling might end up causing the poor zoner to hurt herself. She needed to relax.

But how were they going to do that? How were they going to succeed in settling down this zoner fast enough to be able to do something? She didn’t know how long Snap, Rapsheeba, and Howdy were going to be able to hold Dr. Von Doktor. It surely wouldn’t be too long before he made a move and...

“Hey...calm down... It will be all right. Just please..calm down.”

Penny turned her head and noticed her mother had moved a little closer to the zoner. The woman reached out and started to stroke the zoner’s cheek. This surprised and impressed Penny. Her mom was taking a huge risk doing this, as the zoner could get free and bit her. The sharp teeth shining... they looked like they were ready to rip her mom’s hands to shreds.

Yet her mother still kept her hand there, whispering soft words of comfort. Despite the fact that her mom didn’t know too much about zoners and was pretty reluctant, she was still treating the injured dragon zoner like she would with any patietn. Penny found her mouth ticking into a smile at this.

“Don’t touch me!” The dragon zoner shrieked. “Get away from me! I didn’t do a thing to you!”

“And we didn’t do anything to you. We aren’t here to hurt you. We want to help you.” Penny’s mom whispered softly, never once raising her voice. She continued to stroke the zoner’s cheek. “You will be fine. We promise. I promise. You will be safe.”

The zoner shut her eyes. Tears flowed down her face. “How can I tr-trust any of you? The l-l-last human I met was my creator..and he..he did this to me...”

Penny looked at her sympathetically. She took a few steps forward. “We know...we know... He hurt you real bad. But we aren’t with that horrible man. He’s being taken care of right now...”

Penny couldn’t really be sure how true her words were. She didn’t know if Snap and the others could hold the man for long. But she still needed to speak what the zoner needed to hear, even if it turned out not to be true. The zoner needed to relax, and the more she squirmed like this, the more she risks hurting herself more.

Penny took a chance like her mother and she reached over to touch the zoner. Her skin contacting the scaly hide of her arm made the zoner let out a shriek and hiss. Penny’s heart sped up as the zoner struggled. She managed to relax as she told herself the zoner can’t go anywhere. Then she began to caress the arm a little, trying to be as comforting as possible. She moved her hand down lower and touched the zoner’s hand. She pulled away when the zoner tried to grab her.

Keeping her hand on her shoulder, she turned her eyes down the arms, watching as they extending out into wings. She noticed at the joint where it connected to the body, there was some dark bruising there, and small cuts. She gritted her teeth, her blood feeling as though it turned to ice, as she realized just what had happened here.

“Her wings are broken.” Penny whispered softly.

Her mom looked down. Her eyes widened at the sight of them, but they soon relaxed. She shook her head slowly in disappointment. “Of all the things....” She turned her attention to Penny. “She will need to go to....” Her voice trailed off, her eyes turning left and right as she tried to think of a response. “Do...they have hospitals here?”

Penny nearly slapped herself in the face until she reminded herself that her mother was not used to this world. She nodded her head up and down. “Yeah.” She looked down sadly at the broken limbs. “Do you think there’s anything we can do?”

Her mother shook her head. “Not about her front limbs, though. They need to be mended professionally, and we just don’t have the tools to do that.”

“I could draw them.” Penny offered.

“But we will still need someone who could...” Her mother started to say.

“You treat animals all the time, don’t you?” Penny said, interrupting her mother. “Well you can try helping this poor zoner here.” She narrowed her eyes softly as her mother looked at her as if she were crazy. “Mom, I know you can do this.”

“I’m not saying I can’t. I’m just..” The woman paused and stared down at her daughter for a few moments. She let out a sigh as she gave up trying to argue with with Penny. “All right then... Let’s...get started.” She paused for a moment. “...I take it you can draw supplies?”

Penny nodded her head. She was glad her mother remembered that detail. She had almost forgotten about it herself. She raised up her magic chalk and stared at her mother expectantly. “What do I need to draw?”

Her mother proceeded to give her a list of items to draw.

sss

Inez did what she could to keep the zoner calm and quiet. This task was rather difficult, harder than she ever thought it was going to be. She wished she could do something to help make this task easier. But there was no easy shortcut. All she could do just keep trying the best that she could.

The dragon zoner was still squirming. She was still trying so hard to break free, and in the process, she was getting herself more hurt. If this kept up, the woman was certain that the zoner would pull one of her limbs out of its socket, or create a new injury on top of the ones she already had. She did hold her down, trying hard not to make the zoner feel trapped. But the zoner, despite her small size, was showing some incredible strength. It was amazing just how strong someone could get when they were frightened enough.

The woman turned her head towards Penny. She watched to see if the girl was creating the items that she asked for. She looked down and she was pleased and relieved to see the items that now rested on the ground. They were a little crude compared to Real World versions, but they would do the trick just fine.

After Penny finished drawing them, the woman reached down to grab the first item. A tranquilizer. Normally, she would try to avoid this, due to probable complications that can arise. But this zoner needed to be calm before they could free her and give treatment. Origianlly, she wasn’t going to go this route, with how little time they had, but it was either do this now, or they had to spend the entire time trying to control the zoner, and potentially make themselves an easier target for Von.

Speaking of which, she wondered what was going on with him right now. The woman turned her head to take a look. Her eyes shifted around and it didn’t take her long to find him. Her eyes widened briefly.

Snap was wrestling with him, along with the other two zoners. She had never seen Snap that angry before. Then again, she hadn’t known him long. She flinched when she saw him deliver a punch to the man’s jaw. The other two zoners sounded like they were trying to settle Snap down while at the same time, trying to restrain Von. And Dr. Von Doktor himself wasn’t making the situation any better, hurling threats and trying to attack the zoners.

The woman’s mind swirled with thoughts as she wondered just what Von had done to anger Snap so much. What did he say that sent the small blue boy off the deep end? She had been so focused on this zoner that she didn’t pay attention to anything else.

“Mom! Hurry up and inject her!” Penny cried.

Shaking the thought out of her head, the woman looked back down at the dragon zoner. She realized she hadn’t injected her with the tranquilizer yet. She looked around, trying to figure out the best spot to put it in.

She realized quickly that she didn’t know the exact spot. This zoner was something she had never dealt with before. She wasn’t sure of the anatomy, where everything was, where the best spot for needles would be. She looked all around, but the unfamiliar design of this zoner made things a little difficult.

Penny looked up expectantly at her. She turned her head from her, to the zoner, and back again. Then, after she seemed to realize what the problem was, she said, “Imagine she’s a big crocodile or alligator!”

At this, something clicked in the woman’s mind. Of course. Why didn’t she think of something like that before? It was so obvious. Looking down at the zoner again, she did take notice of how the zoner did, in fact, sort of resemble a gator or croc. At least below the surface, as if she were related to them.

With that in mind, she felt confident enough to make her move. She turned her attention to the zoner’s neck. She put her hand against it, keeping it a little more steady, and she pressed the needle against her neck. The zoner let out a loud screech and her struggles increased. The woman didn’t let go, and she didn’t try to move the needle away until after she had pushed all of its contents inside.

Then she moved back and waited. She wasn’t sure the precise time this tranquilizer would kick in. And she knew it would be best if she and Penny just waited for it to work before they proceeded with anything else. The zoner would be too dangerous if freed beforehand.

She turned her head and looked over at where Von was. So far, he was still struggling with the zoners. She didn’t know how long that would last, and at any moment, he could break free and rush over towards them. This wouldn’t bode very well for them. She had to think of something to prevent Von from coming over and causing them any problems. But what could they do?

There was Penny... She turned her head towards her daughter. Penny was standing there, unsure of what to do. She was looking at her mother expectantly, down at the zoner, and then towards Von and her friends. It was clear Penny wasn’t sure which course of action was best, and the squirming zoner and Von’s shouts were making it diffcult for her to make up her mind. She couldn’t blame her. Everyone gets stressed at some point.

So she decided to make the decision for her.

“Go over and help your friends.” Inez said sternly.

“Are you sure?” Penny asked. “Don’t you want me to stay here and help you?”

“I can handle the zoner on my own. Once the tranquilizer kicks in, it shoudl be a breeze.” Inez said. She narrowed her eyes. “But right now, your friends are going to need help. Go! Get to them before Dr. Von Doktor can gain the upperhand!” She pointed towards where the man was still wrestling the zoners.

Penny hesitated for a second. Then she nodded her head, turned and ran towards where the zoners were. Inez watched her for a few seconds, and then turned her head towards the zoner. She hoped that she made the right decision.

sss

“Let go of me! Releaze me at onze!” Von snarled as he pushed against Snap. The zoner wasn’t relenting, his anger lasting much longer than he had expected it. It was almost as if the zoner had eaten some kind of power ore or something. “If you don’t let go of me now, I’ll...”

Snap responded to this by delivering another punch. The man let out a yelp of pain. It was almost amazing just how strong the zoner was, despite his small size. Well that and terrifying. He didn’t know how far Snap was going to carry this. If he didn’t get him off soon, he had no idea what was going to happen.

Von squirmed, trying to kick away Snap with his foot. But no matter how hard he tried to aim, something happened to stop him. Either one of the other zoners would halt him somehow, or Snap would just move around, getting out of the way of the punch, much to his frustration.

Von gritted his teeth at this. “Why don’t you juzt hold ztill?!” He cried as he tried again to get at Snap. But again he missed, and again he found himself in the same situation.

This was getting ridiculous. He should be able to get out of here just fine. Why was he letting the zoners hold him down like this? He was a human. He was a creator, wasn’t he? Zoners shouldn’t have any power over creatings, yet here he was, on the ground, struggling to get three puny zoners off of him and failing. Of all the embarrassing ways to get defeated, this was one of the worst.

He couldn’t see what was going on with his test subject. He guessed that Penny and her mom were taking care of her. He was initially angry at this. He wasn’t done with the dragon zoner yet. He still had more to do with her. His current experiment wasn’t done yet. But for now, he decided to just ignore it. He could always create a new zoner after he escaped and went somewhere else to hide out in. It was no big deal. It wasn’t like in the Real World, where if he lost a test subject, he’d have to go searching for it, or find someone else to take its place.

But right now, that wasn’t going to do him much good. He needed to get to out of here, and worrying about Penny, her mom, and the zoner wasn’t going to help him. He tried again to strike against Snap, but to no avail. The little guy was just too quick for him.

It wouldn’t last forever. He was certain of that. Sooner or later, Snap was going to slip up and he was going to allow himself to get struck. All Von had to do was wait for an opportunity. Snap was using up so much of his energy right now, and that energy was limited. If he waited long enough, then Snap was going to wear himself down, and that’s when he could strike.

Then it happened. After a few more minutes of struggling, he noticed the zoners, especially Snap, were starting to slow down a little. Von did his best not to smirk. He slowed his own movements down to conserve his energy, and to give the zoners a false sense of security, tricking them into believing that they were gaining the upperhand.

Soon the zoners, thinking they were winning, started to pin him down. They were panting heavily at this, their mouths wide open. They started to hold onto him, trying to keep him on the ground. Von made a few jerks, getting the zoners to use more of what remained of their strength. He waited for the right time, and when he found it, that’s when he made his move.

Without warning, he yanked his leg back and he kicked Snap, this time his foot colliding with his small body. The force was enough to send him flying through the air, rolling and crashing along the ground. Howdy and Rapsheeba looked on in horror, their eyes widened. Then they tried to react, but he yanked his arm free, grabbed onto Howdy, and threw him against Rapsheeba. The two zoners tumbled to the side, allowing Von to get up onto his feet.

Von whipped out what remained of his magic chalk. He knew he was risking using whatever was left, but at the moment, he really didn’t have much of a choice. He quickly began to draw with it. The lines formed in the air swiftly, and soon he was wielding a weapon in his hand. He turned and pointed it at the trio. The three zoners immediately froze in horror.

Howdy was the first one to speak up after a long silence. “Th-That’s...” There was a strong glow of recognition in his eyes.

“Why yez it iz.” Dr. Von Doktor said with a smile. “But ziz iz twize az ztrong.” Howdy gulped at this and took a step back. Von pointed the sparkling end at the three zoners, causing them all to jump and move back further. “It iz untezted, of courze. I don’t know how well it will perform.” He narrowed his eyes at them. “Maybe I should tezt it on you zree. What do you zink?”

Howdy shook his head. “No...please!”

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” Rapsheeba shouted, her eyes looking at the bag, wide and filled with terror.

Von chuckled at this. “Oh I zink I do. I don’t know why you inzizt zat I don’t.” He steadied the gun, leveling it so it aimed right at all three of them. “Now if you would kindly hold ztill...”

Snap took a few steps in front of the other two. He glared directly at Von. Though there was fear, he was hiding it behind a mask of courage. “No you won’t...”

Von lowered his electric gun slightly. “Oh no...?”

“Snap...what are you doing..?” Rapsheeba whispered in horror.

Snap didn’t bother answering her or Howdy, no matter how many times they called out to him. He simply glared in Von’s direction, his eyes narrowed into slights and his lips curled back into a snarl. This look might have been a cheap attempt to scare him, but all it did was make Von laugh. It was just so amusing seeing this pathetic little zoner try to defend his friends against the face of great adversity. He didn’t know whether he was actually brave or just really stupid.

He and Snap stared each other down for a few moments. It was almost like a staring contest, and they were waiting for the other to back down. Neither would. The air filled with tension, thick and almost difficult to move through. There was no sound for him. The only things he could do was see Snap, as if he was the only thing in the world that mattered to his brain.

Then, finally, Snap made a move. He shut his eyes and he took in a deep breath. He exhaled slowly, his expression softening up almost as if he had gotten sick of the whole thing. He then looked back up at him, his eyes becoming slightly narrowed.

“How long do you think you can keep this up, Dr. Von Doktor? How long do you think you can go on doing these horrific acts without catching the eye of someone?” Snap clenched his teeth. “You might be a creator, but if you piss off enough zoners, you’re going to have a swarm. Tell me, just how fast can you run?”

Dr. Von Doktor frowned at this. As much as he hated to admit it, the zoner did have something of a point to make. He likely wouldn’t be able to stand up to too many zoners on his own. They could overpower him with numbers, weaken him, and capture him.

What he needed to do was figure out how to get around that. He didn’t say a word to Snap. He spent his next few minutes in silence, trying to analyze the situation and figure out what to do next.

Snap took this as an opportunity to continue, likely thinking he was getting through to him. “You should really consider the consequences of your actions more, Von. You may find that simply surrendering is the better option. When you cooperate with others, you can reap the rewards. But when you decide to go against what others tell you...”

“Oh don’t try to lecture me, boy.” Von cut him off. He took a step forward, reaiming his electric gun at Snap. “You zink you know anyzing? You’re juzt a zoner!”

“Yeah, that’s right. A zoner that knows more about this world than you.” Snap said. The two remained staring at each other in silence. Then he continued, “All three of us..” He spread his arms out, indicating his two friends standing behind him. “We’re quite well known across ChalkZone.” A smile spread across his face. “What do you think will happen if one of us is killed? How do you think our fellow zoners in ChalkZone City will react?” Von widened his eyes at this. “What are you going to do if you slip up and get us hurt, Von?”

Von stared at Snap for a few moments, his eyes remaining wide. He thought about what the zoner said. He let it all sink in. He looked from the gun and then to the zoners. He lowered it slightly.

But that only lasted for a few seconds. Determination filled up inside of him as he reminded himself of his position. His teeth were bared as he raised the electric gun once more, the end coming alive with electrical sparks as his finger pressed against the trigger. Snap’s courageous face fell immediately as Von began to pull the trigger.

“I will wing it.” Von said as he prepared to shoot.

“No!”

Von froze at that voice. No...it couldn’t be... He was injured. He was trapped. He couldn’t have...

Then something slammed against him and gripped onto him tightly. He immediately dropped his gun as he reached over and tried to grab his attacker. His hands scrambled to reach, his body whipping around as he continued to struggle to get himself free.

The three zoners took a step back and stared on in shock. Despite all his struggling and squirming, the man could see their expressions. He would have thought they planned this, but no. They couldn’t have. Somehow, someway, this zoner had escaped his enclosure and had attacked him. His surprise soon melted away to rage. He was not going to let this zoner get away with this.

“Blocky?!” Snap cried out in shock. “What are you doing here?!”

Blocky tightened his grip on the man. He was seething heavily, and Von guessed he was trying to fight against the pain and nausea. “Get out of here! Run! I-I’ll hold h-him!”

“Blocky! No!” Snap screamed loudly, accompanied by his friends.

Von ignored the shouts as he jerked himself from side to side. He was amazed and shocked at how well the zoner was hanging on despite his pain and injuries. He gritted his teeth as he swung around, using more force, trying to dislodge the zoner. He could hear the zoner grunting as he struggled to hang on.

Soon he grabbed Blocky by his leg and yanked him down. He held the zoner upside down for a few seconds, snarling at him in rage, feeling his blood heat up as he realized that this zoner nearly caused him to shoot himself with his own gun.

Tightening his arm, he thrust Blocky into the ground. There was a loud thud as Blocky collided with the rocky surface. He let out a soft ground, his teeth gritted as he seethed. Von took in a few heavy breaths as he stared down at him. Blocky looked up, returning his gaze. One eye was shut tightly and the other twitched. Von felt his body quake in anger as he lifted up his foot.

“You little worm!”

“N-No..please...I-I’m sorry...” Blocky whimpered.

Von just snarled in response to this. Positioning his foot above Blocky’s stomach, he struck down.

“Blocky!” Snap shouted in horror, reaching his hand forward. “No!”

sss

Penny’s eyes widened in horror, staring out ahead as she watched Von throw Blocky into the ground. She flinched as she heard the impact all the way over here. She felt her heart twist at Blocky’s pleas as Von raised his foot over his body, preparing to stomp down on him.

No... Von couldn’t do that. Blocky was too badly hurt. He already had enough problems as it was. How could Von do something this cruel? How could he try to hurt Blocky more than he already was?

Penny picked up the pace. Everything around her became nothing but a blur. All that she could pay attention to was that evil man, his body hovering over her friend, his foot preparing to crush him under its weight. She was unaware of anything else going on around her. All she could think of doing was run over towards the frightened Blocky, her heart pounding inside her chest, threatening to burst out. She could feel herself becoming short of breath, but still she ran.

When she got close enough, she pulled her fist back and she struck the man in his stomach. The shock of her doing this didn’t click in right away. Only after the man gave a grunt and stumbled backwards did she realize what she had done. Her eyes flew open in horror and she took a step back.

“I...” Penny stammered, her body trembling from the shock.

Dr. Von Doktor gritted his teeth, showing themto the girl almost like he was a wild animal. He didn’t say a word. He just stared at her, all his attention and aggression now focused on her. Penny could feel the weight of his glare and she took a few steps back.

She quickly regretted her rash action. She should have thought things through more. She should have planned more carefully what she was about to do. Now she was finding herself being backed up by this man, each step bringing him closer to her, closer to danger. She looked left and right as she tried to think of what she was going to do.

The man suddenly reached forward and he grabbed onto her arm. Penny let out a help when she felt his hand squeezing her bite wound. Her eyes opened up wide and she struggled not to let out a scream.

“You....! I’m getting really tired of....”

Von didn’t get a chance to finish. He suddenly let out a grunt and he stumbled forward. He still gripped her tightly and he pulled her forward as he tried to regain his balance. Penny flinched, shutting her eyes tightly, as the man used her as a counterbalance. After he steadied himself, the man turned and looked down at who had dared to intervene.

Penny’s eyes filled with terror when she saw that Blocky had made another move. The zoner was grabbing onto him, his hands gripping him around his ankle. Von lifted up his foot, scowling at him in contempt. He started to shake his foot, trying to dislodge the zoner. But Blocky only tightened his grip, his teeth clenching from the effort.

“Pezt!” Dr. Von Doktor snarled as he threw Penny aside so he could grab Blocky. He lifted him up, holding him at both ends. He soon began to pull him. “I’ll finish zee job!”

Penny’s heart skipped a beat as she listened to Blocky’s screams. The man was pulling him too hard at both ends, and she could see his body stretching out. She took in a sharp intake of air when she realized what Von was trying to accomplish.

“No! Don’t!” Penny rushed forward. “Leave him alone!”

She jumped into the air and she collided with Von. She wrapped her arms around him as she knocked him away from Blocky, forcing him to let go. She and the man fell into the ground. She landed on top of him and for a few moments, she remained dazed. Unfortunately, this gave Von enough time to grab her by her neck and pull her onto her back.

Penny looked up at the man fearfully, unable to turn her gaze away from his enraged eyes. He looked like he was ready to tear her apart. In his unhinged state, would he go that far? Not wanting to find out, she began to struggle.

“Let my friend go, you creepazoid!” Penny heard Snap call out as the blue zoner grabbed onto the man. “Leave her alone!”

Penny, as she used her hand to push back Von, watched as Snap and Rapsheeba grabbed onto the man’s arms and tried to pull him back. The man hardly paid attention to them. His eyes remained focused on her, as if she was the only thing worth doing anything about in that moment.

Forcing her pupils to look away for a moment, Penny noticed that Howdy had rushed over towards Blocky. He was attempting to lift him up, supporting him by his arm. Blocky winced as he was partially steadied, his body bent forward. Howdy began to lead him away, towards the exit. But unfortunately, it didn’t take Von long to realize what was going on.

Von turned his head and looked behind him. His eyes narrowed into slits when he saw that Howdy and Blocky were making a run for it. Penny, Rapsheeba, and Snap held on tighter, hoping that they could keep Von’s attention. But in a sudden display of strength, powered by his anger, Von merely thrust his arms from side to side at full force, flinging her and the two zoners away from him.

Penny groaned as Rapsheeba and Blocky hit against her back. She laid there for a few seconds, moaning in pain. She lifted her head and looked over towards where Von was.

“No! Don’t!” Her pupils shrank into dots.

She, Rapsheeba, and Snap shouted at Von to stop, but the man refused to listen. He rushed over towards where Howdy and Blocky where. The two zoners looked on in horror, too terrified to move. What was the point? Even if they did run, they wouldn’t be able to get away quickly enough. All they could do was remain frozen, eyes clinched tightly.

But, much to their confusion, Von didn’t try to capture them. Instead, he ran around them, and he continued on his way down the hallway. They all stood there, frozen in shock, listening to the man’s footsteps as they faded away. They looked at one another, each mentally asking the same thing: just what the heck had happened...?


	42. Shatters

And so sayeth the enemy and the friend, “I will keep on trying!”

sss

Dr. Von Doktor never stopped running. Not for a long time. He didn’t care what turns he made. He didn’t care what corridor he had run thrhough. He didn’t care that his lungs felt like they were on fire. Right now, there was only one thing he truly cared about.

And that was escape.

He pushed himself to his limits. His feet pounded the ground, his mouth split open wide, heavy pants escaping from it. His eyes were wide with a mixture of emotions, seemingly swelling up even more the longer that he ran. He wasn’t even sure if he was being chased. That didn’t matter to him. All that did was finding a new place to hide out, to backtrack on his plans and figure out what he’s going to do next.

He didn’t even realize he had gotten out of the network of caves until it was far too late. When he started to notice some zoners left and right, he realized that he was out of the caves and running in the open. But none of the zoners made a move, possibly too shocked by the presence of an adult human to do much of anything.

The man ignored them in regard. There was little he could do against them. He had used up the remaining of his magic chalk. All he could do now was run and hope he would find shelter, and a rogue piece of magic chalk.

Never before had he felt this afraid and vulnerable. Before, he didn’t bat an eye with this place. But that was when he had the magic chalk. Without it, he was at a disadvantage. Without it, the zoners could easily crush him if they so saw necessary. His heart clenched and raced as the emotions tangled around it, tightening around like some kind of rope. And this only seemed to get worse the more he continued to flee.

Up and down the hills, he ran, through the forest, through parts of the city, all the name of getting away. After a time, some of the zoners did attempt to catch him, but many shouted words like ‘leave him alone’ and ‘he might be dangerous’ halted most of the attacks.

How ironic... Normally, he’d say those words were true, that the zoners should fear him and stay away from him. But now, today, it was so the opposite. Yet he couldn’t speak this out loud. If word gets out to these zoners that he was vulnerable...

The only thing that made him stop was when he suddenly collided against something large and hard. He let out an ‘hmph’ sound as he stumbled backwards. He groaned and rubbed his head. He could feel an ache spread through it, making it feel as though a drill had been placed against his head. He shook it and he looked at what had stopped him.

His eyes widened as he pulled his head back and stared up at the structure. It was massive, much larger than any individual building he had seen, here or in the Real World. It shined in the light of the sun above, glinting, the sharp edges twinkling. Pale white in color, with a hint of blue. It was both something he had never seen before, and yet was very familiar with. His mind had a difficult time wrapping around this, but there was no way he could deny what he was seeing.

It was some kind of huge diamond. It looked as though it grew out of the ground, the grass and dirt seeming to indent around its shape. The diamond appeared to be upside down, with the broader part stuck in the ground while the sharp tip pointed towards the sky. He had to turn his gaze away when the tip almost seemed to glow, almost poised to strike anyone to dared to look at it for too long.

He looked left and right, taking note of just how out of place this diamond appeared to be. He thought, at first, maybe it was part of the landscape. Maybe this was the land of huge diamonds. But when he looked around, there was nothing. Just open fields and hills, some sparse trees. But no other huge diamonds like this one. It was all alone.

How strange... This seemed to be rather jarring. Well this was ChalkZone. Maybe something like this was considered...normal? Maybe random stuff like this was just part of the norm and no one really paid attention to it. This seemed to make the most sense to the man and he would have left it at that, if it weren’t for another thought.

If it was so normal, then...why weren’t there any zoners nearby..?

It took a little while for the man to fully realize this, but..there wasn’t anybody around for miles. It was dead silent here. Not a single zoner was here, not even in the skies. It was as if this whole place was abandoned, like it held some kind of terrible secret or something.

This, alone, made the man feel nervous. Despite being willing to perform experiment on others, he himself didn’t want to be part of one. He was not interested in getting himself injured, and if the zoners were afraid of something, of some location, then perhaps he should to. He began to move a little aways from the huge diamond, darting his eyes around as he half-expected some kind of monster to jump forward from it.

Then he paused. He stared at the diamond for a few seconds. His mind raced, and soon one particular thought came to the forefront.

If the zoners were afraid of this place, what would happen if he were to..make use of it? What if he were to harness this place and use it to provide himself some protection? If the zoners wouldn’t dare touch it, maybe he could use parts of the diamond to guard himself. Maybe the diamond was enchanted or something. ChalkZone and all.

He frowned at this. If it was...would it be safe for him to use it? What if he cursed himself? Or..then again...maybe he would be immune to it. The curse might only afflict zoners. If so, he could transform himself into his own security system.

His mouth ticked into a smile. Without any way to defend himself, this was exactly what he needed. He walked over towards the diamond and placed his hand along it. He could feel how cold and strong it was. Oh, if only he could take parts of this out and fashion it into a set of armor... Then he’d feel safe.

But first, he was going to need something to cut away parts of the diamond. He wouldn’t be able to do it himself. His spit would take way too long and it wouldn’t be very preferable. He was going to need another piece of magic chalk. He turned his head towards the direction he ran and frowned deeply. Maybe if he found the location of where all the magic chalk typically came from...

His body suddenly gave a jerk and froze. He turned his head and stared at the diamond with wide eyes. Was that a roar he heard? Or a loud crash? It sounded was if there was something on the other side of this diamond wall, just waiting for him...

He shook his head. Nah, it was probably nothing. Just a trick of his mind. He turned his head away and stared back off into the distance. He had more important things to worry about anyway.

sss

Penny panted heavily as she exited the building..or cave, whichever. That detail didn’t matter to her. That didn’t change the fact that she was standing outside the man’s short-lived hideout, her eyes wide and mouth open as she panted. She had to stop and catch her breath as she looked out ahead, looking for any signs of the man. But there was no one.

The girl felt her chest sting in horror as she realized that they no longer had any idea where Von could be. The man ran quite fast for an old man. She was frozen in shock when he ran, but only for a few moments. She bolted off towards the direction he ran, ignoring the pain radiating in her arm from when the man grabbed her. She didn’t know if Snap or any of the other zoners followed her. She only paid attention to what was ahead of her. Just walls, rock, places to turn, and now light.

And when she had become enveloped in it, as she stepped out and was in the open, she was able to look around and see if her efforts had been worth it, if she could catch up t othe man and stop him before he went too far.

And now that she was here.. She couldn’t help but feel the sting of disappointment. She lowered her head, her eyes narrowed and fists clenched tightly. She wanted to slap herself in the face. She would have kicked herself if she could. How could she have let him get away? He was right there. She could see them much of the time when she was running. And yet..she still failed to catch him. She had failed.

Now all she could do was just stand there, staring out in the distance in shock. Her body trembled, the news of her failure hitting her hard, making her want to scream at the sky. Her body was overwhelmed with emotion, evident by the shaking and by the tears starting to form.

She realized it was pointless being this way. She knew that if she allowed emotion to take her over, she would not be able to do what was necessary to stop Von. But she just couldn’t help it. The self-pity still managed to get a hold of her, and keep her in its grasp for a few moments. It took a little while before she could push those thoughts aside, and try to refocus them on what was important: figuring out a new plan.

She realized she shouldn’t be shocked at herself for reacting this way. It was inevitable, with all the stress, with what happened between her and Rudy, with the threat that Von posed, her mind could only take so much. Perhaps a bit of that negative spell she was in did her some good.

Rechanneling her thoughts, she straightened herself up and looked out into the distance. Her eyes narrowed as she stared ahead, her mind rushing around as she tried to think of just which direction the man could have gone in.

There were a number of directions that he could have gotten to. So many opportunities, so many things he could have tried... It left Penny with little idea on where to start first. The only thing she was certain of was that he’d likely run off somewhere that he could hide in. But just where could that be? Where would Von end up? Where would he hide? Would he choose a place that was rather obvious, such as a forest? Or would he choose a more...unexpected route? Like the city?

Penny clenched her teeth in frustration. She didn’t know if the man still had magic chalk or not. She didn’t know what kind of threat he still posed for the moment. If he did have magic chalk, then what was he going to do with it? Would he preserve it, or attack with it? And if he didn’t have magic chalk...

...would he go out and try to get some? Would he go and try to find it going as far as try to interrogate the zoners to...

Maybe not. It was possible that Von would try to avoid the zoners if he had no magic chalk. After all, he would be vulnerable, unable to do much against them. So maybe he would just hide out and bide his time. That would give her and her friends some time to find him.

But ultimately, in the end, it was difficult to say. There was no absolute certainty, and he could still strike back without warning, regardless of what he did. It was crucial that she and her friends find him.

But where could they even begin to look?

“Penny!”

Penny nearly stumbled forward when she heard her name called like that. She managed to regain her footing and she looked over to see Snap rushing towards her. She looked around and noticed that it was just Snap that followed her. Rapsheeba, Howdy, and Blocky were staying behind. Snap himself had a look of fear on his face as he ran towards her.

Soon, the zoner was right in front of her. He stopped, having to take a breath for a few seconds before he could actually speak. Penny listened to the wheeze of his breath and she felt her heart sting. Had he been chasing her the whole time? Had he really been trying that hard to catch up to her?

Snap at last opened his mouth. Even after catching his breath, his voice still sounded a little raspy. “P-Penny... Did you catch him...?”

Penny narrowed her eyes slightly at this. Did Snap really not notice that there was no one around here? Then again, he had just arrived onto the scene. She shouldn’t be too surprised with this question. She turned her head away. “No... I’m sorry. I couldn’t catch him.”

She waited for Snap’s reaction. She waited for him to ask why she couldn’t catch him, or show signs of anger or frustration towards her failure. She had failed to catch a dangerous...criminal. He deserved to get angry with her. She should have tried harder to stop him. She kept her head lowered in shame as she waited for him to speak up.

But instead of being scolded like the more worried half of her was, she was greeted by a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked down, staring at Snap in surprise and confusion. The zoner merely looked up at her, giving a soft smile of comfort.

“We’ll catch him somehow.” Snap said. “Don’t worry.

Penny felt her mouth tick into a small smile in return. A part of her felt so foolish for being afraid of what Snap would think of her. He was her best friend. Of course he wouldn’t waste time being angry at her at a time like this.

But she couldn’t remain smiling for long. Regardless, they still had a crisis on their hand. Von was out there somewhere, hiding, waiting to strike. If they didn’t catch him soon, who knows what kind of disaster will befall ChalkZone? Who knwos what kind of dangers that evil man will unleash upon this world? He was more dangerous than Terry. More brutal, more calculating, more threatening. If he so decided to, he could find a way to eliminate them as an obstacle.

Penny had never felt this afraid of anyone before. Not even Skrawl resulted in this kind of reaction, not even when he had her kidnapped. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest, threatening to rip out and spill onto the ground. She clutched her chest, feeling each beat grow stronger and stronger as the time passed. At least Skrawl was a zoner and could be easily countered, but Von... He was a human, another creator... Any attempt to go up against him was going to be a rough ride. And he was a scientist, and an older human at that. How much of a chance did they stand against him?

She could feel her legs grow weak and she wanted to collapse. She wanted to drop down and let out her rage and her emotion...yet she did not do it. The only amount of emotion that she allowed to crawl to the surface was a frown, a formed fist, and a slight bearing of teeth.

Snap stared up at her, his eyes shining with sympathy. He nodded his head slowly, having been silent most of the few seconds they were standing there. And when he did speak, he only further reflected on how she felt.

“I understand, Buckette. I’m just as angry as you are that he got away. But let’s not waste time standing here. What is the plan?”

Penny stared down at him, her eyes widened slightly. She stared into his eyes, and she could see just how serious he was. The fact that Snap put so much faith and trust in her was both heartwarming and confusing. She felt as though a ton of burden was being placed upon her shoulders, and she felt like she had grown several pounds. She had to wonder if this is what Rudy often felt when he tried to do his job as ChalkZone’s protector. Rudy could no longer pull off that duty. Now it was up to her.

But could she do it? Was she competent enough to do this on her own? She normally didn’t try to self-doubt herself too much. She had been able to pull off some pretty impressive things, like stopping that taffy, and fooling Skrawl.

Yet that fear of failure still remained. It grew in the pit of her stomach, twisting around, making her feel sick. She struggled to keep it under control, but it was a difficult and stubborn emotion to get rid of. She could practically feel it crawl along her back and spread along her skull, filling her with an incredible chill. She again had to wonder if Rudy put up with this all the time.

“I’m...I’m not sure...” Penny felt ashamed to have to admit that. But she didn’t have much of a choice right now. How could she tell Snap the plan if she hadn’t developed one yet? “I’m...still working on it.”

Snap nodded his head once. “Well don’t take too long.” His eyes narrowed as he looked out at the fields and trees that lay before them. “We need to stop that creepazoid...before he..”

“I know... Don’t you think I’m aware of that?” Penny spoke up quickly. Snap looked up at her, surprised by her tone of voice. Penny let out a groand and she gripped her head. “Look, I’m...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to..”

“It’s okay. You’re just frustrated. So am I.” Snap paused for a moment, as if realizing he had made a mistake. “All of us.”

Penny stared down at Snap and couldn’t help but smile. She was glad that he was being so understanding during a time like this. With all the stress that this was providing, it was very easy for tempers and tension to boil over, reaching a climatic point. And yet Snap remained in control of himself in spite of the tension she could detect in his body language and tone of voice. She was grateful for that.

Snap continued, “But we will figure something out together. I’m sure of it.” He turned his head and looked at where they had run out from. He bit his lip for a second, his eyes flashing with brief guilt of having left his friends behind. He looked back at Penny. “What do you think we should do? Should we head back to the others, or should we go after Von?”

Penny thought about this. She couldn’t figure out at first just which way would be correct. They could go after Von now, and try to catch up to him and capture him, but..how much would she and Snap be able to stand up against him? How long would they last before something woud happen, and their luck would run out?

On the other hand, they could go back and speak with the others, even help the injured zoners get to safety. Blocky and that dragon zoner both needed help, and the sooner they got to the hospital, the better. She wasn’t sure how long they had before complicatons would arise, and Blocky would certainly have less time. But was it really a good idea to leave now, to let Von get away and they end up losing track of him? Was it really right for her to tend to two injured zoners while countless others might get hurt?

Decisions... They were often so hard to make. She clutched her head tightly, gritting her teeth. Her head started to hurt as she struggled to figure out the answer. Which path should she take? Which one would make the most sense? Which one would result in the least collatorial damage?

She reopened her eyes, narrowing them into slits. There was only one answer she could come up with now. She just hoped that the others would forgive her for it.

“Come on, Snap.” Penny said. Snap looked at her expectantly. “We’re going after Dr. Von Doktor...”

sss

“So...this is where Terry mentioned she had been last... I hope this is worth my time.”

Taking in a deep breath, exhaling slowly, Vinnie tilted his head back as he stared at the large facility before him. It was so late at night, and he had little reason to believe that it would be open. But Terry had insisted he go right now to figure out if anything here could help lead to the discovery of what happened.

The short man struggled to keep himself from rolling his eyes, from criticizing the red-haired woman’s choice of working with Dr. Von Doktor of all people. He had never liked the man all that much, and he coudln’t fathom any reason for Terry to get involved with him. But oh well. Whatever floats her boat, he guessed. He took in a deep breath and he moved towards the building.

It was a little eerie, coming here when it was so silent. Going to any place that’s too quiet sometimes left him with a nervous feeling. Maybe it was because he was used to the loud and ‘obnoxious’, used to communicating with someone. The idea of being somewhere that had a distinct lack of people was not something he endured often, and it was almost foreign to him.

He was also rather nervous about potential trespassing. If there was someone here, that would be different. He could just knock on the door and ask if he could come in. But with no one here, the only way to get in was to trespass. Considering his stance with the police after the incident with that bag, he’d rather not give them another reason to arrest him.

The memory of that stupid bag made his stomach burn, his teeth clenched. He had been so close to getting access into that chalk world... He was so fucking close... But that stupid fucking kid just had to ruin it all for him.

The man had no idea why the boy was so defensive regarding that place. He didn’t know why he had tried so hard to keep him out of there. Didn’t Terry suffer the same thing, too? He thought so. He remembered her mentioning it once. And just like with him, Rudy hadn’t bothered to explain to Terry just why he wanted her out. He just..expected her to surrender without any kind of explanation.

The thought filled him with rage. How dare that kid act this way.. What gave him the right to hog that world all to himself? What gave him the right to deprive the people of being able to enjoy it like they should be able to? He did his best to try to keep himself calm, but the realization of just how far this kid was willing to go to keep that place a secret just burned him up on the inside.

He had thought about trying to talk to Rudy, but he never found the time, and if Terry couldn’t get him to speak in an interview, what luck did he have? He’d probably just lie or tell him to get out of his face and walk away. Him being a kid made things a lot more difficult, and it prevented him from being too forceful.

He did still wish the kid would at least give some kind of reasoning behind his actions. If he could just understand the why, maybe he could try to figure a way around it. If there was something troubling the kid, he could try to better negotiate. He normally hated such things, but if it meant getting his chalk world theme park, then he’d swallow his pride and do it. It would make him rich in the end.

But for now, Rudy wasn’t talking and he was left in confused frustration, wondering just what was going on in that kid’s mind. He growled softly, his lips curling up. He swore, sooner or later, he would figure out a way to open that world up to the public, with or without Rudy’s help.

He shook the thoughts out of his head, realizing that he had wasted too much time on them. Staring out at the building in front of him, he took in a deep breath and he started to quicken his pace.

The building did look as if there was no one here. He didn’t see any lights, but maybe there were some on, deep within the building itself. There were no cars here, but maybe some peope walked to work. He wouldn’t know unless he went inside.

And a few moments later, that’s exactly what he did. Or at least, tried to. He pushed against the front door, only for it to remain firmly planted where it was. He took a step back and growled softly. He looked at the door up and down. It didn’t seem locked. The door knob turned like it normally would. But it wouldn’t budge. Something was preventing it from opening. A security system perhaps?

Vinnie hissed in frustration. He was tempted to just turn around and leave, and just tell Terry he couldn’t find anything out. But a part of him was still compelled to look, to try to break in and find whatever information that he could. Although he hid it really well, he was genuinely shocked by Terry’s condition, and he was worried it could happen to him. So the sooner he figured out what happened to Terry, the faster that he would be able to defend himself from whoever was on the prowl.

He looked towards the side of the building. He narrowed his eyes softly. Perhaps this place had another way in? He began to walk around the side of the building. He headed down the side, his eyes scanning the side for any sign of a door. This didn’t take that long, and he was soon able to confirm that two of the other three sides had no door, and he ran out of hope that there would be one. But turning around to the third side, he was in for a delightful surprise when he saw there was a door there. His eyes widened slightly, he rushed over quickly.

He looked at the door carefully. Was this one going to be bolted shut as well? No... Upon closer examination, it was slightly open. His eyes twinkled and a smile spread across his mouth. Finally, a way into the building.

He didn’t go in right away. He paused for a few moments, trying to figure out if he really wanted to do this. Was he going to risk getting arrested all just to try to find information that might not even be here? There was no proof that anything happened to Terry while she was here. This was just the last place she recalled being in before she woke up in the hospital.

He narrowed his eyes. If he wanted to keep himself from getting hurt as well, there was little choice. As he reached for the door, he knew there was no going back. He gripped it and, with a single thrust, he yanked the door wide open. He stepped inside, letting the door bounce back as he headed down the hallway.

As he headed in deeper, he couldn’t help but feel some kind of weird sensation in his stomach. He turned his head from one side to the other. There was something wrong with this place. Well it was Dr. Von Doktor after all. But...just what was causing this feeling?

He recalled that the man was obsessed with perpetual motion. Most people left him because of this, right? Just what had that man been doing since then? Doing more experiments? Had he been here all by himself doing that? Is that why he had the front door barred closed? The scientist was already creepy enough before, but to do all this in the name of something that does not exist...it was quite eerie.

And when he tried to open up one of the doors into one of the roms, realizing it was locked, he could feel his heart do a sharp twist, skipping a beat. He took a step back, staring at the door. Just what was Von up to?

There was only one way to find out. It was against his better judgment, but he just...he just had to figure out what was going on. He had no idea if Von was at all involved with what happend to Terry, but he was doing something, and he had to figure out what it was.

He turned his head and looked down the corridor. In the distance, he noticed that there was some kind of wall blocking further entry. He narrowed his eyes into slits as he realized that this wasn’t normal. Something was going on here. And he had to dig in deeper to know what it was. If there was a chance that the man went off his rocker and...

Vinnie didn’t waste anymore time and he rushed down the hallway.

sss

Sometimes it was amazing just how one could have such a big stroke of luck without expecting it. It wasn’t everyday that anyone would accidentally stumble upon something that was not just flammable, but would cause an explosion as well.

Setting it up wasn’t too difficult. It looked to be a stereotypical bomb. Only larger. Each of the tubes, attached together by coils, were about three and a half feet long, and weighed...oh he wasn’t sure just how much. Maybe ten pounds, but he might be way off from the mark.

But once he got past carrying them to where he wanted them, setting them up was quite easy. He just had to make sure they were placed properly on the ground as he did not want to spread the blast out too much. They needed to remain focused on one part. All he needed was to blast away some of this diamond, and then he was in business.

Once he was finished, Von took a few steps back to admire what he had been able to accomplish. He couldn’t help but smile as he stared at the coils and tubes filled with explosives. His eyes moved up towards the diamond shield that covered the ground. Surely diamond wouldn’t be able to withstand the force of enough TNT, especially in a single, focused location. Now all he needed was some kind of lighter.

Unfortunately, he didn’t find any. While he searched around, he did find a few things, though most were useless to him. He was lucky to have found that zoner transporting the TNT. Chasing him off was a snap. But surely that zoner was rushing to get help, so he had to make sure he got this done before the zoner brought back help. He was almost ready. If he could only just find some kind of match or lighter...

There was nothing around here. He could see some sticks, rocks, dirt, and grass. That was about the extent of the variation in this spot. He couldn’t just get up and walk away either. If he did, some zoner might snag the bombs and get away. No, he would need to find something in the immediate area to help him. He just had to wing it. There was always multiple ways of looking at a problem. He just had to come at it from a new angle. A way he didn’t think of before.

He looked down on the ground. His eyes scanned around at what was near him. He soon focused them on the sticks that laid, unmoving. He narrowed his eyes in determination. Yeah...that just might work... He did attend scouts when he was a wee little lad. He could just reapply what he learned and then he would be back in business.

He lowered himself to the ground and grabbed a long piece of stick. He broke it in half and he started to rub it together. He kept doing this for several moments, applying more pressure, trying to get the friction to heat up and catch the stick on fire. He kept going, kept rubbing. Almost there... Just a little more...

Suddenly there was a snap sound. His eyes widened as he stared down at what remained of the stick. He took in a few breaths, staring at the shattered stick in disbelief. He shook his head slowly, unable to believe how quickly bad luck had descended upon him. He slapped himself in the face and scolded himself for using too much pressure. He tossed the useless sticks away and tried another, this one thicker and more durable. He repeated the process.

As he did this, he took a moment to look out at the horizon, scanning it for any sign of activity. He hadn’t taken notice of anyone coming, but that didn’t mean there was no one there. Someone might be sneaking up on him, waiting, ready to strike.

Then there was that girl...

He didn’t know if Penny chased him or not, but he knew she would be the one obstacle in his way. The one person who could stop him. Mrs. Sanchez was comparatively less of a threat if only because of her lack of knowledge of this world. But Penny...she knew this world much better and likely has a lot of allies. Rudy might not be a threat anymore, but he could not discount Penny.

He wished he had done something when he had the chance. He should have tried to do something against her to make sure she couldn’t interfere with him. Even just injuring her leg would be enough to make it harder for her to come after him. But breaking her arm would have been the more sensible choice...

He turned his head back down to the sticks. He couldn’t do much about Penny for now. But as soon as he blasted this thing open...

His eyes widened as there was a flicker, a spark, and then a small flame appeared on the sticks. He started at them, a smile spreading across his face. At last, he had a flame. Now to put it to good use.

Moving quickly, not wanting the flame to spread to his hands and burn him, he rushed over to the TNT. He lowered his arms and reached over towards the fuse. He hovered them there and waited for the fuse to catch on fire.

“Stop! Wait! Don’t do that!”

Von’s eyes widened as he gave a sudden jerk. The shock of the unexpected voice caused him to loosen his grip. The sticks flew out of his hands and landed on the ground in front of him. A split second later, the flames on the sticks began to spread, setting the ground in front of him on fire. Von’s eyes filled with horror and he began to back away from the growing flames.

Von stared at the flames for a few seconds. Then he swerved his head around to see what dolt had caused him to drop the fiery sticks.

With his eyes growing big with contempt, he hissed out, “You...!”

He hunched his shoulders when he saw that it was Penny and Snap that was rushing towards him.

sss

Penny ran was fast as she could. She opend her mouth and started to pant heavily. She wasn’t sure how long she had been running. It felt like forever. Her lungs were burning, striving for oxygen. She could hear her friend panting beside her as he tried to keep up.

They had run quite a distance. Across a few landscapes and through the city, and now back out in the open again. Penny didn’t bother to look around and see if this territory was familiar in any way. All she was concerend about was running fast enough to catch up to Von. She and Snap had no idea just how far away he was. The faster they moved, the better.

And now here he was, out in the open and plain for anyone to see. He was glaring back at thim, his body hunched defensively, his hands forming into fists. Penny’s eyes immediately darted around, looking for any sign of a piece of magic chalk. She felt some relaxation when she saw there was none. But that calmness only lasted a fraction of a second. Her pupils shrank whe nsomething more urgent caught her eye.

The flaming sticks that Von held had fallen into the ground. Now, racing through the field were lines of flames, growing as it fed on the vegetation. In a matter of seconds, the ground was set ablaze, smoke rising high into the air. Penny froze at this, grabbing onto Snap to stop him from going any further. The two friends took a moment to look at the increasingly tall flames, and noticed how dangerously close the man was standing to them.

Although Penny still hated the man, she couldn’t help but take in a sharp breath when she realized just how close he really was to the fire. She puth her hands to her mouth and called out to him. “Get out of the way! Run!”

While the man did move, he didn’t run away in a random direction. Instead, he was running towards her. Penny, at first, thought he was just trying to get away from the rapidly spreading heat. But instead, as she came to realize seconds later, he rushing in towards her with the full intent on actually attacking.

Snap quickly realized this a few moments before her. He jumped in front of her and spread his hands out. “Stay way from her!”

Von did not listen to the zoner’s warning. Penny raised her chalk to try to draw something. But the man was too fast. Before she and Snap had time to react, the man gripped the blue zoner by his cape. The zoner gagged as he was hoisted off the ground. He was tossed away like some kind of bag of trash. Then he gripped Penny by her shirt collar. The girl let out a grunt and tried to push the man back to no avail.

“Do you have any idea what you have done?!” Von yelled at Penny. He put his face close to hers, his glasses giving an ominous glint. “Ziz iz all your fault!”

“My fault?!” Penny cried back. She started to struggle harder, her feet kicking at the ground, scraping it almost like a bull ready to charge. “You should talk! You’re the one who thought it was a bright idea to try to blow up....”

Von shook Penny hard before she had a chance to finish. “Who azked you?!” Von mustered up as much strength as he could in his arm. Penny could see, for a split second, his arm muscles bulging slightly even through the cloth of his scientist uniform. He then threw her into the ground. “I wouldn’t have dropped it if you hadn’t ztartled me!”

Penny let out agrunt as she hit the ground. She moaned as she crawled back up, her hands placed firmly on the ground. She felt a rush of air go by her as Snap, who had recovered from the fall, attempted to hinder Von. She widened her eyes and reached out towards him, trying to call out for him to stop. The man reacted before she could even begin uttering the word.

As soon as Snap jumped into the air to grab onto Von, the man grabbed onto him. With his hand holding onto Snap’s arm, the man yanked him upwards with a quick, swift motion. Penny couldn’t help but gasp in horror as the man brought his leg back and slammed his knee against Snap’s stomach. The zoner let out a screech as he was sent flying across the ground, landing in a heavy thud. Snap started to push himself back up slowly, and immediately began to wheeze and cough as the smoke grew heavier.

“Snap!” Penny started to rush towards her friend. She didn’t get far before she was jerked back, a hand wrapped around her wrist and twisting it painfully. She shut her eyes and hissed as she found herself uncomfortabley close to the vile fiend. “Let me go!”

Von curled his lip back into a snarl. “You come here and try to zet me on fire and you dare demand zat I releaze you?!” He shook her hard once. “Juzt who do you zink you are?!”

Penny struggled against his grasp. “I didn’t try to murder you! If you hadn’t had that stupid fire stick in your hand, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“And if you didn’t try to ztop me,” Von hissed back. “I wouldn’t have dropped it in zee firzt plaze!”

Penny didn’t bother trying to reply back. What was the point? There was nothing that she could say that would convince the man to let her go. There was nothing she could tell him that would make hi msee reason. All she could do was struggle and hope that she would be able to untangle herself in time. She placed her hand against his shoulder and pushed back.

The two began to wrestle with each other. The old man held onto her, doing what he could to subdue her. Penny pushed back. She jerked herself a few times, trying to muster enough force to get free. The man couldn’t hold onto her forever. If she could just get herself enough leeway and squirm enough, the man would be forced to let her go. From side to side she went, twisting herself around almost violently, her teeth clenching tightly from the effort.

Then, after twisting herself around some more, loosening the evil man’s grip on her, she managed to yank herself free. She winced as she felt the man’s fingernails graze along her skin. Without the man’s grip, she tumbled over and fell into the ground.

She lifted up her head and looked over. She could feel the heat of the flames against her face as she saw how close the orange and yellow fire was getting to her. She was about to draw something when she realized that she didn’t have the magic chalk with her. Her heart pounding, she immediately sat up and looked around for it. The smoke got ever closer, and she accidentally began to inhale of it. She coughed, detecting the taste of burnt chalk in her mouth. This prompted her to search faster, her hands grazing along the grassy ground.

A second later, she soon saw the magic chalk on the ground. It had been broken into two pieces, laying a little ways apart. She jerked herself, turning her body around, until she was now on her knees. She pushed herself forward and tried to grab onto the chalk. She managed to seize one, but when she tried to reach the second, a sudden weight came down onto her arm.

“Ahhh!” Penny felt pain spread through her arm as Von slammed his foot down onto her arm, putting pressure once again on her bite wound. She thought she felt something burst inside of her and she could feel some blood start to flow from that wound. She looked up, her eyes meeting Von’s narrowed, anger-filled ones.

“I’ll be taking zat!” Von reached down and grabbed onto the second piece of the chalk. He pulled it to himself as he started down at Penny with contempt. “Maybe I should do zomezing about your interferenze!”

Penny flinched when the man lifted up his own magic chalk. She desperately tried to free her arm, but the man simply applied more pressure. She hissed in pain and shut her eyes. She did the only thing she could do at the moment, and that was wait and struggle.

Suddenly, the man’s foot was lifted from her. Confused, she opened her eyes and looked over. She widened her eyes at what she was seeing.

Snap, who had recovered from the blow earlier, had jumped onto the man’s back. With his legs wrapped around him, the zoner grabbed his neck and yanked backwards, applying pressure. This caused Von to stumble backwards, coughing and struggling to catch a breath. The man’s grip on Penny was removed as he turned his attention on Snap.

After a few moments of struggling, the scientist was able to grab onto Snap’s leg. He thrust him into the ground. There was a sickening thud as Snap crashed into the ground, letting out moans of pain. Von raised up the magic chalk as he advanced on the zoner.

“You juzt don’t know when to quit, do you?” Dr. Von Doktor growled softly. He tilted his head to one side. “Perhapz I should give you a better reazon?”

Snap scrambled up to his feet and started to back away. “N-No...please...” The zoner’s eyes widened like saucers as he turned his head and looked at something behind the man. “We need to get going! The fire! It’s getting closer!”

Von and Penny both swiveled their heads and looked behind them. Sure enough, the fire had gained a lot of ground, some of it arching around them in a circle. This caused their eyes to widen in horror, both realizing that they only had a matter of moments to get away before the fire would get to them. But that wasn’t the only thing that worried Penny. There was another detail that just made this situation much more dangerous and lethal.

The fire had gotten to to the explosives that the man had set down.

Penny took in a few quick breaths at this, her heart racing against her chest. No.. Oh no... Not this... No... She turned her head to the man and her friend. She opened her mouth and screeched out a warning.

“Run!”

Seconds later, as they tried to run away, the flames ignited the TNT tubes. Then, only a fraction of a second later, there was a loud boom. The ground shook, and the three were pushed away along the ground. Penny let out a scream, which was cut short when her skull crashed against the ground.

She soon laid there, stunned. She looked around at what was going on. Her vision was blurred, and confusion settled on. She was unable to identify the sensation caressing against her, nor the strange orange and yellow shapes dancing all around her. She coughed a few times, but made no real attempt to get away. Then darkness descended up on her and she shut her eyes.

As she shut her eyes competely, before she completely fell into the darkness, her ears registered the sound of something shattering.


	43. Alliances

Conception of reality is only what you allow yourself to accept as reality.

sss

“Penny?”

The girl let out a soft groan. She was greeted by darkness all around her. Even as her eyes fluttered open, she couldn’t see much of anything save for a few shadows and shapes.

“Please..speak to me!”

Huh...? Snap..? What was he going here? Where was he? Penny blinked a few times, but no matter how hard she tried, her eyes just felt so...heavy. She just wanted to close them once more and go to sleep. Yeah, some more sleep would be good. She must have stayed up late and...

She soon felt pressure on her shoulders. She groaned softly as someone or something began to shake her. Her body being jostled around made it hard for her to go to sleep. Reluctantly, she forced her eyes open further. She tried to ignore the stinging pain that she felt as a light entered them. It was nearly blinding, and it felt as though it was moving across slowly.

“Will she be okay?”

Penny recognized that voice. It was her mother. “M-Mom...?” She managed to croak. She let out a hiss of pain as it felt like something sharp was being scraped against her throat.

“Don’t speak, Penny!” Her mother hissed at her worriedly. “Your throat is damaged!”

Damaged..? How..?

Penny struggled to try to remember what happened. Her mind was drawing a blank, and she could feel a dull ache spread through her head. It caused her to groan again. She wanted so much to lift up her hand and rub it against her head. She found even this task way too hard. Her arms felt as though concrete had been poured on them. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t lift them. Then she felt something cool against her skin.

Straps? She was strapped down? This barely registered fear in her, more just confusion. Why was she strapped onto the table, bed, wherever she was? Just what had happened within this time and...whenever else time she was awake?

She could feel thoughts swirling about in her head. She could random noises, words, saw some brief glimpses of stuff that may or may not have happened. Her brain was unable to take these and make a coherent scene out of them. She tried to piece everything together, but other things echoed in her head, distracting her, and she found herself unable to discern what was reality and what was just the result of her tired mind’s imagination.

“She will be okay, right, doctor?” Snap asked, sounding more worried and frightened than Penny ever heard in her life.

“Well she was very lucky. And so were you, Snap. Luckily you had gotten far enough away from the blast that you escaped with much less injury. Penny on the other hand...well I might be a zoner doctor, but I know enough to say that Penny will have some...complications for a little while.”

Penny felt a quick jolt in her chest at the word ‘complications’. She could feel her heart begin to tighten a little as some ounce of terror started to register with her. “Wh-What...?” She whispered softly.

“Please, don’t try to talk, Buckette.” Snap said gently as he listened to her pained coughs.

“Indeed, I wouldn’t talk if I were you, Penny Sanchez. You may cause more damage to your voice.” The zoner doctor said. “You need to try to relax. Stay calm and quiet. Don’t make it worse than it needs to be.”

Penny wasn’t sure just how relaxed she could be about this. A part of her just wanted to scream, yet her mind was still partially muggy and that part didn’t fully understand why she wanted to do that. It was a confusing, conflicting state and that alone was enough to make her hold still and quiet on the bed, like the doctor had asked her to be.

“Now as I was saying..” The doctor said, picking up where he left off. “I was able to learn a few things of what is wrong with Penny. She still needs to head to a Real World hospital for a more definite diagnosis, but at least this way, you’ll have something of an ide aof what is going on.”

Snap said, “Please just tell us what’s wrong with her.”

The doctor replied, “Yes, sorry. Your friend’s throat was partially burned in the fire. It’s not terrible. But the inhalation of the burning smoke, even though it was chalk-based, caused some internal damage. She’ll have a pretty bad cough for a while as it heals. It shouldn’t be permanent, though I would still recommend that she take it easy, and go to the hospital for further examination to make sure it’s not more serious.”

“What about her eyes?” Rapsheeba now spoke. “Will she be able to see again?”

Her eyes? Was that why her eyes hurt when she attempted to open them earlier?

The doctor gave a soft sigh. “Well that I’m not entirely sure about. I don’t think it will be permanent. Her eyes seem to only be irritated. Puffy and red, but no signs of cuts or burns. I would assume that in a short time, they will be fine. But...again, I can’t tell you too much. She has to see a Real World doctor for anything conclusive. But...I do hope that what I’ve told you will be helpful enough.”

“Yeah..it is. Thank you.” Penny heard her mom say.

Now Penny was more confused than ever. A burned throat? Irritated eyes? Just what had happened to her? And why couldn’t she remember any of it?

And..oh...ow.. Why did her head hurt so much? The side of her head made it feel as though she had been struck by a lightning bolt. A singular location of sharp pain that radiated out further. It was worse than her headache, and was the most pronounced pain that she was feeling at the moment. She tried again to move to touch it, but her strapped down arms wouldn’t allow her to do it.

Again, why was she strapped down? Though her mind was getting a little sharper, she still couldn’t think clearly enough to come up with a reason for this. All she could think of doing was struggling. But the more she did, the more she seemed to tighten her own binds.

“Penny, no. Don’t struggle. Please...we don’t want another incident like what happened before.” Her mother said in a soft, gentle voice. Penny nearly jolted at the sensation of fingers moving along her hair. “You will be fine. You just need to relax.”

“What...what...happened...” Penny found herself saying. She would have said more, but she felt her mother’s fingers against her lips. A signal for her to stop talking.

“Shhh... Don’t talk.” Her mother was a little more forceful this time. If she could open her eyes and look, she’d likely see that her mother’s eyes were narrowed. “You need to rest.”

“Yeah, Penny. You were caught in a blast earlier when we were trying to escape Von’s explosion.” Snap said. “You took the most force out of the three of us. You need to...”

“Please don’t give her too much details. She isn’t in the right state yet to know about what happened. We should give her some rest.” Rapsheeba suggested, her voice cutting off Snap’s.

Snap didn’t try to argue with the female zoner. He said, “Yeah, you’re right, queenie.” Penny felt warm hand on her arm. “You will be okay, Penny. Just try to get some more rest. We’ll fill you in on the details after you wake up, okay?”

Penny would have nodded her head if she could. The only thing she was able to do in response was open her mouth and let out a yawn. She coughed a few times before smacking her lips twice and her eyes shutting completely, not being a crack open like before.

She didn’t drift off to sleep right away. The doctor had begun to speak again, and she tried to listen in on what he had to say before her muddled mind shut down.

“We will need to make sure to transport her to the Real World as soon as possible. The blow to her head is going to be problematic. She did go a little nuts earlier...” A pause. “Well okay. Insane. She seems stable now, but it’s best to get some kind of medication just in case, to try to reduce the chances of that happening. We don’t want her to hurt herself more.”

“And Dr. Von Doktor?”

“Yeah... What are we going to do about him..?”

A sigh from the doctor. “Well we haven’t had any word yet of where he could have gone. And then the thing with the t...”

Penny didn’t get a chance to hear that last word. Tiredness had taken her over again. She took in a deep breath and let out a sigh. As the darkness came over her, she couldn’t help but wonder why it felt so familiar. Had this happened to her before?

In seconds, she was out cold.

sss

Snap stared down at Penny’s sleeping form sympathetically. He couldn’t help but feel a sting in his chest as he watched her breathe in and out shakingly. He couldn’t believe that things had come to this. He couldn’t help but feel horribly guilty about what had happened.

If only he had been fast enough... If only he had warned them quicker.. Then none of this would have happened...

Instead, he was an idiot, and he actually froze in terror before actually making any kind of move. Because of this delay, he nearly caused the death of his best friend. A part of him wished that he had been the one to take most of the force. He hated the idea of being in this much pain, but at least Penny would be fine.

For the time being, Penny was not in much pain. Mrs. Sanchez, thankfully, had some powerful painkillers with her, which helped out a lot. It was not as good as morphine, but it still got the job done. At least Penny wasn’t squirming violently around. He shuddered, still feeling terror at the memory of that incident.

Not long after bringing Penny here to have her looked at, Penny seemed to freak out. Her eyes were glazed over in addition to being puffy, and they looked almost...deranged. Her psychotic behavior was terrifying, the way she’d scream and flail her hands out as if to attack...

According to the doctor, this was a night terror episode, and may have been triggered by the blow to Penny’s head. While that helped them understand why it happened, that didn’t help them feel much better, as Penny had still been freaking out. She did eventually calm down. Snap could not even remember how that happened. He had been so worked up and stressed out and scared, he was unable to recall just how Penny was finally settled down.

He did feel some relief that Penny was now in a relaxed state. But that was only for the time being. The drugs could wear off soon, and when it does, Penny would feel the full force of the pain. He and the others were horrified at the idea of Penny having another psychotic episode. What if it ended up worse and she hurt herself more?

But it wasn’t just Penny whom he was concerned about. As worried as he was about her, and the damage the smoke may have done to her, Penny was at least in a recoverable state. She didn’t seem as if she was going to have any permanent damage to her, and if any, they would be relatively mild compared to what happened with Blocky.

The green rectangular zoner had been brought in earlier. While he and Penny were chasing Dr. Von Doktor, Mrs. Sanchez, Rapsheeba, and Howdy had transported both the dragon zoner and Blocky to the hospital. Snap hadn’t heard much of the dragon zoner except that she was in surgery, the doctors trying to mend the hole in her head. He hoped she would be okay. As for Blocky... It was a different story.

Poor Blocky... The doctors were still working on him. He hadn’t gotten out of the emergency room since they arrived, nor did they have a concrete idea of his condition, other than it was really bad. Snap recalled how he had placed his face in his hand as he listened to the doctors speak earlier. He could remember the gasps of horror that his friends had made as they learned more about the fate of their friend.

Just from looking at him, the doctors were able to determine a few things that were wrong with him. His pale complexion indicated the loss of a lot of blood. There was signs of infection on the wounds he had been given, particularly in his side where it looked like some flesh was torn away. And just over all the way he looked, he knew there were other things wrong with them. Most of them were internal, where he could not see them. It was these wounds that caused everyone the most anxiety.

They were waiting for the results of that. The doctors had to take the green zoner to the emergency room, where they will perform a series of tests and scans to figure out what had happened to him exactly. Snap already had some ideas, but though he knew some things, he didn’t know everything.

He hoped that Blocky will be okay. The poor little guy... It was still hard for the blue zoner to comprehend how this had happened so shortly after the guy’s creation day. His birthday. Of all the times for this to happen... It was unbelievable. Blocky was supposed to be having the time of his life. He was supposed to be part of a marching band or..whatever Rapsheeba had in mind. He was supposed to be having the time of his life. But instead, he was cooped up for a few days with a madman, and had gone straight to hell. And most of that time was spent alone...

Snap put his hand against his head, rubbing it gently. He wished there was something he could do to try to make things better. He wished he could reach towards Blocky and take away the pain he was feeling. Heck, he wished he could do that for all his friends. Those that had suffered at the ends of Dr. Von Doktor...

Like Rudy...

The thought of his name twisted his heart. Rudy was gravely injured as well. He didn’t suffer as many injuries as Blocky did, thank goodness. But that nail through his body, how the man had skewered him... Snap knew that there was potential for a lot of damage there. Some even lethal... And that wasn’t even getting into the infections.

Snap could only hope that Rudy was taken to the hospital in time, before there was any irreversible damage. He hoped that the doctors would be able to stop the spread of infection before it got really bad. He could only imagine what Rudy must be feeling now. Laying in bed in so much pain. And all because of some greedy human being who couldn’t handle the idea of being defeated.

Snap gritted his teeth as he turned his head, looking towards the side. He swore, if they found Dr. Von Doktor... He would make sure that he paid for what he did. He knew such things were petty, and that he should be more concerned for his friends. But he just couldn’t help it. The desire for justice and closure was there. He could feel his insides heating up, and he felt as though any slight stimuli would be enough to set him off.

A single hand to his shoulder make him jerk forward, his body straightening up. He whipped himself around, baring his teeth, as he tried to face his would-be attacker. He immediately froze and stared wide-eyed at who it really was.

“Rapsheeba...?” Snap whispered. He then let out a sigh of relief. He rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Please don’t sneak up on me like that again. I almost had a heart attack!”

Rapsheeba nodded her head slowly. “So I see...” Snap wasn’t sure what to make of her tone. It evaporated quickly when she spoke up again. “I’m worried about her, too. I’m...worried about everything.” The female zoner closed her eyes softly. “Everything has been happening so fast. Just a few days ago...everything was normal. Now, there’s this, and that, and so much.”

Snap listened to her sadly, his expression softened up into sympathy. A quick glance to his left showed that Mrs. Sanchez had also stared over at Rapsheeba for a moment.

“I just..don’t know if everything is going to be the same again.” Rapsheeba said.

“How can it?” Snap spoke softly. He moved a little closer to Rapsheeba. “Even if we stop Von that’s another human enemy we have, in addition to Terry and Von. Then there’s Rudy’s aunt and Penny’s mom that know about ChalkZone..and then Rudy’s parents, too...” Snap paused for a moment as he thought more about just what this means. It was an uncomfortable thought, filled with hidden potential for either improvement or disaster. “We cannot change that. We’ll just have to embrace it, and figure out how we are going to handle it.”

Rapsheeba nodded her head. “I know. You’re right. We’ll..figure this out somehow.”

Snap gave a quick smile of reassurance to his friend. Rapsheeba responded by giving him a hug, which Snap gladly returned. They pulled back and looked into each other’s eyes. Then Snap said firmly, “But for now, we need to focus on stopping Dr. Von Doktor. We can worry about the situation with ChalkZone after that.”

“Yeah...good idea.” Rapsheeba turned her head back towards Penny, who lay sleeping in the hospital bed. “Do you...think we can beat Von without Rudy or Penny, though?”

Snap froze at that question. He hadn’t really thought of that before. At least, not as much as he felt he should have. This was a situation he wasn’t prepared for. It was something he never thought he’d have to face. Rapsheeba did have a good question. Would they be able to succeed on their own, without help from Rudy or Penny?

Well they did have Mrs. Sanchez potentially...but he wasn’t counting on it. He doubted that Biclops would bother granting her permission to use the chalk. She was an adult after all. And Biclops did say he had more to fear from adults than children. Why Biclops would even consider giving Mrs. Sanchez a piece of chalk was beyond him. More likely, Biclops was going to be pissed that she was even here.

But Snap couldn’t worry about explanations right now. For the time being, it was more important to just stop Von before he did more damage. But again, would zoners really be enough to stop him? He may have indicated it earlier, but he realized that was a blunder. He may have caused Von to go into an extra cautious mode, and the end result would be a much more dangerous opponent. Why did he have to open up his big mouth?

What should they do? What should be the course of action to take? What would be the best route that they should journey through? How many should be involved? How would they be able to combat the man without causing too much risk to himself or the others?

This and many more questions flooded his mind. He could feel them crowd his head, nearly overflowing. He wanted to talk about them, but at the moment, he wasn’t sure how he could phrase it, or how he could start. But he had to at least try. They won’t get anywhere if he just remained silent.

Snap turned his head towards Rapsheeba and Mrs. Sanchez, who stood next to her daughter, stroking her hair. There was no one else here with them. Howdy had left earlier to inform the citizens of ChalkZone City about what was going on, both explaining his own actions as well as what Dr. Von Doktor had done to Blocky. This left only him, Mrs. Sanchez, and Rapsheeba to make decisions.

Despite the fact that he didn’t know how much she could help, Snap turned his head towards Mrs. Sanchez. She was the oldest one here. The adult. Biclops did say that adults have more experience than children. A larger internal database of ideas, thoughts, and experiences. Perhaps she would be able to figure out something.

“Uhm.. Miss...?” Snap said. He couldn’t hide the somewhat nervous tone to his voice. He recalled that the two didn’t always get along earlier, especially with the woman’s attitude towards zoners. However, now wasn’t the time for that. “Are there any...suggestions you could give?”

Oh that sounded so stupid. Snap resisted the urge to slap himself in the face. He should have worded it much better.

Mrs. Sanchez stared at him for a few moments. Her expression was a mixture of blank and sorrow. Snap could practically see the thoughts move in front of her face without her having to say a word. There was a whole host of things portrayed in just that instant. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then turned her head away.

Snap furrowed his eyes with concern. It would seem that sadness had finally hit the woman with full force. Just moments earlier, when Penny had woken up for a short time, the woman had been more eager to talk about the situation with Von. Now, all she seemed to want to do was stare at Penny and stay close to her. The weight of the situation, the full impact of what happened, it all finally struck her, leaving the woman in a stunned state. True, she was a vet and likely dealt with nerve-wracking situations before. But this time, it was different. This was her daughter after all.

Snap sucked on his lower lip, turning his head away, looking towards Rapsheeba. That settled it then. He was going to continue this discussion with just Rapsheeba. He would leave Mrs. Sanchez to grieve for now. She can join them later, when she felt she was ready.

“Come on, Rapsheeba.” Snap whispered softly. “Let’s go somewhere else and talk about what we’re going to do.”

Rapsheeba looked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong with...” A quick gesture of his head towards Mrs. Sanchez told her everything. “Oh...okay then.”

Snap was glad that Rapsheeba understood. For a grieving mother, the last thing that Mrs. Sanchez needed was to listen to plans on how to stop the person who hurt her daughter. They will fill her in later. Right now, the woman needed to spend time with Penny and come to terms with what happened to her.

He and Rapsheeba bid the woman a farewell, promising her that they would come back soon to tell her what their idea was going to be. The woman barely responded, mostly with just a small nod of her head. That was the most they were going to get out of her at that point.

The two zoners walked out of the room and headed down the hallway. They moved past the doctors and the patients being wheeled around. It took a little while, but they were soon able to get out of the hospital, and out into the open. They stopped and looked left and right, trying to figure out just where would be the best place to speak that was nearby. They soon decided that right where they were was as good spot as any.

“So...what are your thoughts?” Snap said as the two of them positioned themselves against the wall. He absent-mindedly watched as some of the zoners came in and out of the hospital. Most of them paid him and Rapsheeba no mind. He looked back at her and, when she didn’t answer right away, he asked, “Any ideas?”

Rapsheeba sighed and shook her head. “I’m just..not sure. I mean..we don’t even know where to begin looking for this guy.” She looked over at him, her eyes narrowed in confusion. “Are you sure you didn’t see anything?”

Snap shrugged his shoulders. “Wish I could say. There was so much dust and smoke in the air I couldn’t tell.” He lowered his arms at his side. “Besides..” He held up his hand in gesture. “I was too busy dragging Penny to safety. I wasn’t able to look around and see what Von was doing.”

Rapsheeba frowned softly. “I see... Well that is understandable.” She turned her head away and stared out into the distance. “I don’t get it. It should be easy to track this man down with that...that twister by his side.”

Snap felt a cold rush through his body. The twister... How could he forget it...? He might not have seen which way Von went, but he did get a brief glimpse of the twister from days ago. Von’s actions freed it, and now that thing was back in ChalkZone. It had shown itself to be quite smart as it immediately fled into hiding, as if afraid that Rudy was going to show up at any moment to apprehend it again.

“Yeah..that twister...”

Snap remembered all too wel how he and his friends narrowly escaped that monster. He remembered how he had gotten tossed against a three, how the others were nearly crushed to death, or tossed away. He remembered how the twister had destroyed parts of ChalkZone City, which were still in repairs as he spoke.

It brought back memories of what happened with the kid drawing tornadoes of his own. Granted, they were less dangerous in that they were at least non-sentient. But they were still quite dangerous. Then the rainbows... He shuddered, not wanting to remember that.

Snap turned back to Rapsheeba. He was about to continue speaking when he took notice of her expression. Her eyes were wide and her mouth partially dropped open. This caught Snap’s attention immediately.

“What is it, queenie?” Snap whispered softly. “Did...did you think of something?” There was a tinge of hope in his voice. If Rapsheeba thought of something....

Rapsheeba nodded her head slowly. “Yeah...”

Snap did his best not to jump up with joy. In such a dire situation, with so little options and difficulty with planning, the fact that Rapsheeba appeared to have one was cause for celebration. He managed to keep himself calm and almost professional as he almost excitedly asked the question. “What are your thoughts?”

Rapsheeba hesitated for a moment. She sucked on her lip and her eyes furrowed. It was clear that she was trying to figure out the best way to explain her idea. Snap remained quiet and gave her all the time that she needed.

After a few more silent moments, the singer zoner began to speak.

“Perhaps we could track the twister...? I know that sounds like a weird idea, but hear me out. Twisters can’t stop spinning. They aren’t twisters then, and they’d lose power. Didn’t Rudy and Penny tell us about these machines that are used to detect tornadoes? I am pretty sure they did. Maybe we could have Penny’s mother draw one of those for us. We can use it to track down where the tornado went.”

Snap stared wide-eyed at Rapsheeba when she said this. Of course...that did make sense. He didn’t know why they didn’t think of this earlier. He did recall such machinery. He didn’t remember if they were really all that accurate or not, or if it was just something Rudy and Penny were discussing for some invention product. But that didn’t matter. If a creator drew it, it could work.

But there was still something else. He folded his arms agianst his chest and frowned deeply. “But..what about Dr. Von Doktor?” He looked at Rapsheeba. “He is not going to be detected by some tornado detector.”

“But he’s likely with the tornado.” Rapsheeba said. “I know we don’t know exactly where he went. But is it too much of a stretch to say that he did? Maybe if we find the tornado, we will find Von.”

“Hmm...you might be right. That would explain why we haven’t found him yet. The tornado might have picked him up and taken him with it.” Snap rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he studied this idea in his head. He looked at Rapsheeba with one eye. “Let’s go talk to Mrs. Sanchez about this.”

Rapsheeba nodded her head. “Right.” With that, the two zoners went back into the hospital.

sss

What...what was going on...? Where was he...? What happened..?

Why was it so dark here? Why did it feel as though he was being restricted by freezing darkness?

And why was he in so much pain...?

Dr. Von Doktor let out a soft groan as he opened up his eyes. He rubbed his head and he looked left and right. It was so dark in here. He could barely see anything a foot in front of his face. Because of this, he dare not move, afraid he might run into something horrible.

He didn’t know this world that well. He had just come in here. Before, that only made him curious. He wanted to know more about this place, what it was like. But now that he was here, now that he was trapped somewhere, the full realization of him not knowing this place hit him hard. Now, at last, the fear of the unknown began to creep up inside of him, chilling him to the bone.

Who had brought him here? Where was his captor? Was he captured? Was he here alone? He looked left and right, but saw no sign of...whatever or whoever. He tried to stand up onto his feet, hoping to get a chance to walk around and explore a little. But a sharp pain in his ankle caused him to fall down. He let out a yelp in response.

He looked down at his ankle. He couldn’t see what had happened. He reached down and started to feel around his ankle. He hissed in pain when he felt something that was rough but indented. He had been injured. But with no light, he couldn’t tell the extent of the damage.

The skin, it felt kind of warm. Like a lighter had been placed near it. Then there was something kinda wet there too. He furrowed his eyes in concern. This was definitely a burn of some kind.

He gritted his teeth and frowned as he tried to think of what could have happened to him. The last hing he remembered was struggling with Penny and two zoners. Had they done something to him? Had they knocked him out? No..it couldn’t have been them. They would have sent him back to the Real World, probably in his own house or something, or at the police station, given his actions.

This place..whatever it was... He could tell it wasn’t a police station. It didn’t smell like one. It didn’t feel clean like one did, either. As he touched the ground he was on, it had a rough, almost rocky texture to it. He was in some kind of cave structure. But that was about as much as he could figure out.

He tried to make sense of his situation. He tried to think of what was going on, why he was here, why someone would bring him here. He knew he must have been captured. There was no way he’d come all the way into a dark cave on his own. He didn’t sleep walk. The children wouldn’t place him in here. The only option left was that he was...captured. But by what or whom? The lack of knowledge of this caused his heart to race, filling his chest with a sensation of dread. His eyes darted left and right as a sensation of someone watching him creeped over his body.

He gritted his teeth. He couldn’t take this silence anymore. He couldn’t take laying here, cooped up who knows where. He had to try to get out of here. But his ankle... Could he still walk..? He would have to make the attempt.

He crawled back up. This time, unlike before, he reached over and, flailing his hands in front of him, eventually found the wall. His ankle was practically on fire, and he stopped screaming in pain as soon as he touched the wall, allowing him to alleviate weight from his foot. He leaned against the wall, panting a few times. He took a moment to look around, trying to see if his captor was coming back. When he heard no one, when he saw nothing, he began his journey, and started to move through the twisted darkness that had him enveloped all around.

He didn’t know where he was going. He didn’t know how far he was traveling. He couldn’t even tell if he was going the right way or not. The only thing that he did know was just to keep moving forward. Keep on striving, keep on walking. Sooner or later, he would have to reach the end of something, right?

He inched his way across the ground. He gripped the wall as tightly as he could, which was quite a feat considering that it hardly possessed anything to hold onto. Each step he took felt like he was stepping on shattered glass. He drug his foot behind him, trying his best not to put much weight on it. This resulted in his other foot getting tired. The temptation to switch feet was there, but the man knew what would happen if he did that. He resolved with shifting weight onto his arms as he leaned against the wall.

This was how he spent his time for the next several minutes. He didn’t realize how much time had passed, and the minutes felt so much longer. He couldn’t tell if he was making any real progress. He just kept moving, hoping that, at some point in the near future, he was going to find his way out of this wretched cave. Or at the very least, find someone else here. Even a zoner. Just someone to talk to, to help him make sense of the room that he was put in.

But no matter how far he walked, no matter how much time he spent trudging through this place, it didn’t seem like he was getting any closer to freedom. Just a long, endless corridor, leading to what might as well be a horizontal abyss.

Then he heard something. It was low, deep, almost inaudible to his ears. But it was there, and he could feel it in his chest. It sent cold shivers up and down his spine, as if he had just heard the sound of a tiger roar, ready to strike.

Immediately, he stopped walking and he looked left and right. Nothing but blackness, a huge shadow with no speck of light. He tried in vain to see something. Anything... But there was nothing there visually. He could hear something and it was growing louder...closer... But he could not see a damn thing.

With the fear rising up inside of him, that was when the man finally noticed something. There was a strange sensation coming from his eyes. He reached up and touched them. He immediately recoiled and seethed. There was a dull yet burning ache around his eyes. The same type of sensation he would feel if he had looked into the light for too long. Seconds later, he became aware of another sensation. There were tears moving down his face, practically decorating his cheeks with the salty fluids.

Although he could not see, he took a guess and concluded that his eyes must have been irritated by something hot. Smoke from a fire, perhaps?

His eyes shot open in horror at that. Something tingled in the back of his head as he suddenly remembered something. He could see flashes in his head of the explosion. He could hear the loud boom clearly in his head, and the way it ripped through him, tossing him aside like a rag doll. Then the pieces of something sharp sailing everywhere...

He looked down at his leg, despite not being able to see, and he had to wonder. Was this the result of the explosion? Did his leg get ripped up by the heat and debris? Or did something else...

He wasn’t able to finish his thought when he heard a loud rash. The suddenness of it caused him to nearly jump out of his skin. He stumbled forward, twisting his leg in the process. His eyes bulged open and he let out a scream of agony. It echoed off the walls all around him, distorting it and increasing it in volume. It remained even long after he had stopped screaming.

But as chilling as that was, the man hardly paid attention to them. His eyes, though pained, were focused in the direction he heard the crash from. He still couldn’t see anything. Even if there was a light, with these eyes, he still could see.

But he could feel something. Pushing against his skin, lightly grazing it, almost caressing it. Almost like...

Moving air.

That is when he heard something sound out through the air. Something that distorted in a way he could not explain. Almost muffled, almost sounding like a regular gust of wind. But there was a hidden message that he was unable to ignore.

“Where go now?”

That’s when he felt something suck him forward. He scrambled to get away, his fingernails digging into the ground. It was useless. He let out a scream as he was ripped upwards.

sss

This place was really creepy. This was exemplified by the fact that he appeared to be the only one here. No surprise, considering this crazy scientist lost support months ago. That still didn’t change the fact that walking through this hallway was grating on his nerves, making him shiver.

And that wasn’t getting into the fact that he had to use the ventilation system to navigate through parts of the building.

Vinnie had no idea why the security system was still in place, or why it was still active. What was the point? There wasn’t many people who would come here to steal anything. Von was wasting his time on such a system. He’d be just as safe if he kept all the doors and windows open and just let people waltz in if they so decided. He could guarantee the man that nothing would happen.

But that didn’t matter right now. He had to focus on moving forward and trying to find anything that might help him figure out what happened to Terry. Surely there would be something here, right? The woman was waiting for him. He had spent so long in here, walking around, and still nothing. But still he moved on, haunted by the fact that he wanted to find out what happened to her so he could avoid the same fate.

So far, he was greeted with nothingness. Just corridor after corridor, and the vents that he had to crawl through to get to different points around this gawd forsaken building.

The smells... Oh gawd what were they? Just what was this man working on? He shivered as he kept walking forward. Something about the damn smell made this place feel much more foreboding, much more terrifying. And he couldn’t exactly explain why.

The deeper he went down this one particular hallway, as he moved past the white walls, creating a sort of whitish vortex, the stronger the smell seemed to have become. He found himself hunching his shoulders upward, feeling as though hair was raising on his back. He kept darting his eyes around, wondering if, at any moment, he was going to run into danger. Yet nothing remained. Nothing showed up. Just the smell, and nothing more. Yet he could not let go of this strong feeling that, somehow, someone was watching him...

After a while of walking, he finally stopped. He took in a few heavy breaths as he tried to make sense of the situation. Just what was that smell..? He leaned against the wall and sniffed. Nothing there. That smell was coming from down further into the corridor. He bit his lip for a second. Then, with curiosity getting the better of him, he started to walk down further, moving slowly and cautiously.

He soon came upon a room, where the smell was the strongest here. The room itself was dark, no light in it at all. He stepped inside and he fumbled around the wall for a light switch. He soon found one and flipped it. There was an immediate crackle and spark, and some of the lights went out. Vinnie hissed and turned his head in surprise. Gawd, he hated it when lights did that. He looked back and he began to explore around the room.

It didn’t take him long to notice something was different about this room. Unlike any of the others he had seen, this room had..something, a kind of structure, set forward. It was difficult for him to describe in words. It looked metal, or at least close to the substance, and it had some rings and cuffs, but its function...he couldn’t really tell at first. Cautiously, he walked closer to it, his eyes moving up and down, taking in its features.

As he examined it, he soon noticed something clinging to one of the cuffs. He tilted his head to the side, blinking in confusion. It didn’t look like it belonged to the machine itself. He moved in a little closer, peering at the object. When he got close enough, he was able to recognize what it was.

Human hair. Red hair. Could it be possible that...?

Vinnie pulled out a few strands of the hair. There wasn’t much. He didn’t know if he would get much information on it. Still, he raised to his head, and took in a sniff.

That smell... There was no mistaking it... It was definitelly Terry’s. He would recognize that perfume scent anywhere. Terry had been here. She had been hooked up to this thing. But...why...?

The man looked back at the machine, or whatever it was, and took a closer look. His veins filled with ice when he noticed that there was a light coating speckled a few places on the bar.

Blood...

Vinnie nearly screamed at the sight of it. He immediately recoiled, moving backwards as quickly as he could. His feet slipped up on the ground and he found himself losing his balance. He crashed into the ground and laid there, shivering violently as he stared at the machine in horror.

Von...he had been the one to hurt Terry... That scientist did...something...to her here. This was where she had been attacked. This was where her eyes had been assaulted...

But why would Dr. Von Doktor do such a thing? Why would he hurt Terry so badly and then just drop her off at the hospital? Questions filled the short man’s mind, practically booming inside his skull.

Vinnie wanted to get up and escape. He wanted to climb up to his feet and run. Yet something prevented him from doing so. Something was forcing him to remain put, to just lay there and stare out at the machine, at the blood, horror gripping him tightly. He couldn’t stop his shaking, no matter how hard and fast he rubbed his arms.

Suddenly, he felt very unsafe here. He felt as though that horrible man was watching him, waiting around the corner, ready to take him next. He...he had to try to get out of here.. If he didn’t leave soon...

Just what would that man have in store for him...?

sss

Inez wasn’t entirely sure about this. She didn’t know how much this was going to help or if it was going to work. But they had gotten this far. Why should she just stop? Wouldn’t that make her a coward of some sort? Wouldn’t that mean that all their work would have been for naught? No, she did not want to have their efforts wasted just because of her hesitations.

She didn’t like the idea of leaving her daughter alone. Even though the zoners promised that Penny would be okay and that they’d tend to her if she woke up, Inez still felt hesitation at the thought of leaving her behind. But after some encouragement, she did eventually go with Rapsheeba and Snap. They had wanted her to follow them. Apparently they had some kind of idea on how to locate Dr. Von Doktor.

She wasn’t sure how well their plan would work. And it wasn’t simply that Biclops fellow she was concerned about. She was also worried about whether or not the machine proposed would work. Despite the fact that they told her that things drawn in ChalkZone work as intended, she was still worried that something might go wrong and it just wouldn’t work. And even if they did find a way to track down the tornado, that didn’t even mean that they would find Von. He might have fled elsewhere, or even back in the Real World.

The zoners still insisted that she come with them and they use the magic chalk to find the tornado. Snap said that even if Von wasn’t with him, stopping the twister was really important. The twister was apparently sentient. The woman didn’t know how that was possible and it was quite hard for her to even accept it as reality. But the zoners insisted it being true, and they hurried her along.

Confronting the giant had been quite a scary experience. She remembered how he had glared down at her accusingly. She was certain that if it weren’t for Snap and Rapsheeba, the giant would have squashed her.

There was an argument that broke out, but thankfully, it was quite short lived, and they soon moved onto the task at hand. Snap had told Biclops about the idea. Obviously, the giant didn’t take too kindly to an adult human using the magic chalk. He insisted that Penny does it. Inez was the one who told the giant how her daughter just narrowly escaped a fire, and was unable to be of much help.

Biclops was horrified, and a few minutes later, he came to realize that she, Inez, was the only one at the moment who could use the magic chalk. Although it was clear he did not want to, he caved in, knowing that there was little other option that he had. He gave her only one small piece of magic chalk and told her to use it wisely. The tone of voice he used at that point sounded almost like a threat. She did her best to shrug it off and she and the zoners left.

They had now returned to the hospital, and were standing outside of it. She didn’t know how much time had passed. It could have easily been an hour. She could feel the back of her eyes growing weary, and she knew it was quite late. The temptation to yawn nearly yanked her mouth wide open. She shook her head once, trying to shake off her exhaustion, and she raised the piece of magic chak.

She hesitated. She wasn’t sure if she would be doing the right thing. She had no idea how to use this stuff. Was there a right way or a wrong way? Would she accidentally make things a lot worse? What should she expect when it came to actually using the chalk? She didn’t know. Biting her lip, she looked down towards the zoners.

Rapsheeba and Snap stood next to her. They looked up at her expectantly, waiting for her to draw. They motioned with their hands, gesturing for her to continue. But she remained still and nervous. She wasn’t sure what instructions came with the chalk, and she found herself staring from it, and then down the zoners, seeking their help. Surely they would know how to use it, right?

Snap took a step forward. “Come on, lady!” He held his hands out at his sides. “What’s taking so long?”

“Go ahead and draw. The longer you wait on this, the longer it will take for us to find the tornado.” Rapsheeba said.

Inez stared at the zoners and then locked her eyes on the chalk. She narrowed her eyes softly. This was such a mysterious little device. Although she had seen her daughter use it, she still couldn’t fathom just how it could work at all. But...if her daughter could use it... Well, here goes nothing.

Inez raised the chalk and she moved her hand forward. She imagined herself beginning to draw, and seconds later, she felt her chalk hit against something solid. Her eyes widened in shock at this. Slowly, she moved down, and she saw that a line was being created. Her strokes became quicker, and she began to move faster as the drawing quickly filled the once empty space in front of her. Faster than she ever imagined, there stood a machine in front of her, looking functional and ready to go.

The machine itself was pretty large. Metal and grey, almost box-like. It wasn’t very attractive looking. But she wasn’t drawing to win any design awards. The metal machine, with a small, round screen, a tall antenna, and a couple buttons, was created for a more important reason.

She stared at her creation intently. The realization of it actually materializing took a little while to fully register with her. She reached out and she placed her hand against it. Cold and hard, just how she imagined it. She moved her hand along it slowly, feeling how smooth it was. The magic chalk helped her create this thing. She just hoped that it worked.

“Well, you want to test this out?” Snap asked.

Rapsheeba frowned softly. The female zoner took a few steps forward. She stopped and looked at the machine up and down. “Hmm...is this safe to fire here?” She looked over at Inez. The woman could only stare at her in confusion. Rapsheeba went on. “When you were designing it, did you think of if it will be safe to use in close quarters?”

“I....don’t know. I was just drawing it. I didn’t think that...” Inez stared back at the machine. She bit her lip. What would happen if they fired it now? Would it work properly? Would it cause any problems? Perhaps she should have slowed down and thought a little more about what she wanted.

Snap cut her off from her thoughts. “I guess we are just going to have to find out.” He gave her a sideways glance. “I don’t want you wasting all the chalk on drawing this one machine. Save what you have. We might need it later.” He turned his attention back to the machine. “We don’t have much time. That tornado and creepazoid could be anywhere. We should just press the button and...”

“But Snap...! What if....” Rapsheeba turned and stared at Snap worriedly.

Snap held up his hand. “Yeah I know. Normally, I would be more on the side of caution.” He let out a soft sigh. “But queenie... We don’t have much time to test it. We need to use it now, so we can...”

As the two zoners discussed what to do, Inez moved closer to the machine. She stared at the screen, narrowing her eyes softly. She looked out ahead, towards the world where, somewhere in its midst, an evil man and some smart tornado were hiding out. If they didn’t do anything to try to find him....

Ignoring what the zoners were talking about, Inez turned her attention towards the buttons. She designed it. She should be able to operate it on her own. She reached over and she pressed one of the buttons, and with a blip, the screen flashed on, and she could hear its engines running. She thought she heard a confused statement from the zoners, but she ignored them as she stared to press other buttons to get the machine to work.

Then, after pressing a few buttons in a few particular sequences, the screen brightened up more, and she started to see a grid of some kind. The lines soon formed into shapes, creating the contours of the land around them. She scanned through, noting nothing at first. She adjusted a few of the controls and tried again.

Something changed this time around. She stared intently at the screen. She could see something on the monitor. Not a dot; but a change in the contours themselves. Something twisting around, creating some kind of strange shape. She frowned deeply, and she turned her attention to the zoners.

Rapsheeba spoke in a slightly horrified voice. “Why did you start using that before we could...”

“You know why.” Snap said. He gave Rapsheeba sideways glance. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter anymore. She used it.” He looked up at Inez. “What did you find? Anything?”

Inez nodded her head. She looked back at the monitor. She hovered her finger over the screen. “There’s something here. It appears to be at some sort of high peak. No...wait...” She took a look closer. “It’s underneath something large...”

“Well I’m glad you can read it.” Snap folded his arms as he frowned at the screen. “I can’t understand anything on that screen.”

Rapsheeba asked, “Do you know how far away it is? And what it’s under?”

Inez stared at the screen for a few moments. She bit her lip. She looked back at them. “Do you know of any mountainous regions nearby? Something really big, large, towering?”

Rapsheeba shrugged and shook her head. Snap looked uncertain as well. But then his eyes widened and he raised his hand up, almost like a student trying to get attention from a teacher.

“I think I know! There is a place that Rudy and I went to a few months back, when that one artist disappeared for weeks.” Snap said.

Inez blinked her eyes. “What artist?”

“It was that...I forget his name... Yerface or something.. He was trapped in a cabin and was freezing to death until Rudy was able to get him out of there using ChalkZone.” Snap explained. “Rudy was able to find the right portal thanks ot one of the guy’s drawings. Led us up Mount Yadda Yadda, a very cold and frigid place.” Snap held his harms against his body and shivered. “Brrr! You do not want to go there without warm clothing!”

“What? Mount Yadda Yadda?! Why would the tornado and Von go there?” Rapsheeba cried out, her eyes wide in shock. “It’s not exactly the most peaceful and calm place in ChalkZone.”

“Well right now it is.” Snap pointed out. “And if that’s where they are, we’d better get going.”

Inez nodded in agreement. She turned her head towards the direction the machine indicated this mountain was. There wasn’t really much of a choice here. They had to get to that mountain and search around. If this place was big enough, it could hide a twister, and if the twister was there...

..then there was a slight chance that so was Von. She looked back at the zoners and swung her head to get them to follow. No words needed to be spoken. The trio immediately began their track over to the mountain.

Inez realized how obvious a hiding spot it really was. From what Rapsheeba seemed to indicate, the place may be mostly inhospitable. If the weather was often bad there, then it would make sense if the tornado saw it as a good hiding spot, along with Von. Zoners wouldn’t try to go near that place. So that was where they were going to go. She just hoped they would get there in time, before either of them realized they had been found out.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor found himself being swung against the wall. The force that had grabbed him finally let him go. He let out a scream as he hit the hard surface and slid down. He thought he could feel some kind of popping in his back. Ow... He was getting too old to be tossed around like a rag doll.

He opened his eyes and stared out at what was before him. He felt his heart skip a beat, his blood chilling practically all the way down to his bones when he saw who had taken him.

Or rather, what had taken him.

This thing wasn’t human. Nor was it completely zoner. Or even animal. It was...a thing. He couldn’t see a completely solid surface. Instead, it was a vortex of air swirling around and around. He thought he had been mistaken before, that perhaps this was just controlled by whoever. But now that it advanced on him, and almost seemed to stare at him despite having no eyes, he couldn’t help but come to the chilling conclusion that this thing was his captor.

But how could a twister be sentient? How could this thing have spoken? How could it have room for any kind of brain to make rational decisions? How could...?

Wait, this was ChalkZone. He was located in the land where drawings come to life as intended. This place already broke the laws of physics many times before. So why not just add something else to the list as well?

The tornado seemed to, no..it definitely towered over him. It cast a shadow over him, covering him in looming darkness, despite the fact that it wasn’t a solid object itself. It seemed to watch him, stare right through his soul. The man couldn’t help but shiver in fear, unsure of just what this thing wanted with him. What did it have in store for him?

The tornado moved a little closer. The man could feel the air rushing against him. He took a step back, feeling himself press further against the wall. He put his arms against the wall, gritted his teeth, and stared up at the tornado.

“What are you going to do wiz me...?” The man managed to say.

The twister almost seemed to stare in contemplation. For a few moments, it did not speak, and the man half wondered if he had just been imagining the whole thing before. But then, without warning, a booming voice the same one he had heard before, spoke up.

“Plan with you. Not destroy. Do what say.”

The man couldn’t believe his ears. He found his mind reeling back from the realization that this thing could actually speak. How was it possible without a mouth? How.. No, again, this was ChalkZone. He had to remind himself of that. He narrowed his eyes softly and waited to see if it wanted to talk more.

The twister moved around him a little, appearing to study him. “Perfect use. Same target. We go. Boy is imprisoner.”

At the mention of the boy, Dr. Von Doktor wondered if it was talking about Rudy Tabootie. He was the only human boy to come into ChalkZone, far as he knew. Perhaps Rudy had done something to this twister that had gotten him upset before. If so...then maybe he could use that to his advantage...

“Rudy Tabootie, you mean?” The man asked. The twister gave a loud, angry rush of air. Like a hiss, but sounding more like a storm. “I’ll take zat az a yez.” The man smiled, despite his nervousness and fear regarding this....creature. “I have qualmz wiz zat boy, too. Perhaps we can help each ozer?”

The twister said, “Mutual hatred have. Agree.”

It was a little hard to understand the twister. The man could only hope that his interpretations of the twister wanting to help him were correct. But before he could continue, he needed to figure out more about this tornado. “Juzt out of curiozity, who created you?” Not sure what he’d gain from this, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt too much to ask.

The twister didn’t take too long to answer that. “Terry Bouffant.”

The man froze at this, his eyes widening in horror. Terry was its creator...? Terry had created this thing without telling him?

“Boy hurt creator. Know he did. Want pay.”

Dr. Von Doktor felt his heart start to beat a little faster. He gritted his teeth and he felt his shoulders hunch a little. He suddenly felt rather unsafe around this twister. Well more so than he did before. What would it do to him if it found out that he was the one who hurt Terry..?

Wait, he could still make this work. He just had to be careful of what he said. He needed to make sure that the twister remained on his side, and would not sway to the words of what the others said to it.

“Ah yez... I remember zat.” Von said. “Zuch a shame, too. I never zought zee boy would rezort to zuch a zing.” He shook his head and ‘tsked’ a few times. “What makez it even worze iz zat he iz not zee only one.”

“No?”

“Of courze not.” Von shook his head, giving the twister a fake sad look. “Let me tell you a bit about zat group he azzociatez himzelf wiz.”


	44. Awakenings

Final rule: Do not dwell on the past, for that is how you repeat your mistakes.

sss

Mount Yadda Yadda. One of the coldest places in ChalkZone. A place where the air can get so cold, that your own mucous could freeze inside your nose. Where your breath is always visible even at the lightest puff. Where you had to keep moving, otherwise you would freeze to death.

Most zoners avoided this place. It wasn’t that it never could be traversed. Some days were better than others. But these times were few and far between. Most zoners saw it best to just avoid the place completely, to run and hide at the very suggestion of going. Those who dare to venture here were considered insane.

Well, Rapsheeba would have to consider herself among one of those zoners.

She didn’t like the idea of coming here. She had actually initially wanted to say behind. She had never been here, but she had been told stories of the place. Snap had been here in the past, but his tales didn’t really help her, save for eliminating her fear of the yeti that lives in this place, one of the few zoners equipped to handle the extreme cold. But it wasn’t really the yeti that Rapsheeba feared the most, even if she were actually dangerous.

The weather was quite dangerous here. Freezing air everywhere, with almost no end in sight. Even the interior of the caverns were cold, barely any better than the outside. She knew that if they weren’t careful, they could all die here. This would become their grave site.

But she still opted to come with in the end, despite her reluctance. She felt that Penny’s mom and Snap needed her help. It only took one person to explain to Penny what happened when she woke up, but defeating Von, and the twister, would take more that just one individual. Even with a creator at their side, they knew it was going to be incredibly hard. They needed to exercise extreme caution when approaching.

She, Snap, and Mrs. Sanchez stopped as they reached the start of the path. There was an extreme shift in the weather. Nice, warm, sunny where they were currently, and then extreme cold and darkness as soon as they crossed this line. It was such an immediate shift that it was almost mind boggling.

And it certainly was for Mrs. Sanchez. The female zoner could see the look in her eyes, and tell that she certainly was not used to something like this. She was certain that extreme climate shifts were not common in the Real World as they are in ChalkZone.

“Okay..” Snap took a step forward. His foot barely crossed the line when he immediately reacted. He immediately wrapped himself in his own arms and shivered hard. “Yeah...” He jumped back to get back in the warm. He turned to Mrs. Sanchez. “Now would be a good time for those warmer clothes.”

Mrs. Sanchez nodded her head and she quickly drew two small yet warm outfits, made out of thick cotten and fur, and handed it to them. Rapsheeba felt really hot wearing this thing, but she knew she would be grateful for the warmth once they stepped into the frigid area.

Mrs. Sanchez was about to draw herself one but she soon hesitated. She stared at the chalk, biting her lip. She looked down at them. “Would it work for me?”

Snap nodded his head. “As long as you don’t get it wet with your spit, you’ll be good.”

The woman grimaced at this. “Are you saying I’m going to drool on it?”

The small zoner shook his head. “No, not really. Just letting you know.”

Rapsheeba pulled her head over her head. It was a nice, snug fit. She then slipped on her gloves and made sure to change her shoes into the thick boots the woman provided for her. She looked over to make sure that Snap was getting ready as well. She was pleased to see how quickly he had gotten all dressed up.

She then looked over at Mrs. Sanchez. A few moments after Snap had reassured her that it would be fine, she drew herself a fur coat similiar to what she had drawn for them. Except, of course, resized for her to use. The woman soon zipped it up and put her hood and gloves on. After that, she turned to them and nodded her head. She and Snap returned to this.

The group looked at the frigid cold in front of them. They hesitated for a moment, mentally preparing themselves for entering one of the most notoriously cold regions of ChalkZone. They sucked in a breath, exhaled slowly, and then they moved forward.

Rapsheeba immediately jerked forward when she felt the frigid cold strike her. Even with the thick coat on, although it made it a little better, she could feel the cold air seep through and practically turn her skin to ice. She took in a few shuddering breaths, rubbing her hands together frantically as she struggled to keep warm. Her movements became jerky and slow as she struggled against the blasting wind.

Snap and Mrs. Sanchez weren’t having too much luck either. They trekked through the snow slowly, each step taking more and more effort out of them, making them shiver harder. Rapsheeba felt so horrible for them. She could practically see just how much they were suffering when she looked into their eyes. The only comfort they had was the knowledge that they were all in this together.

A blast of cold air made them all yelp in surprise and move a little faster. Their minds’ desperation to find some warmth drove them to use more of their strength and energy, and they started to increase their pace. Their feet slipped a little as they walked towards the tall, white mountain. Rapsheeba let out a scream when she nearly fell into the snow. Snap was able to catch her. She gave him a quick, grateful smile before moving on, going further down the path.

Rapsheeba recalled how worse this place had gotten since another creator had taken over. The cold got worse, the storms became more frequent, and it had transformed into an all over worse place to be. It was hard to believe, but it was true. She looked at the slightly windy path, stretching so far it nearly went over the horizon, and then looked at the tall, pointy mountain, shrouded in the cold mist of the snow, and she took in an involuntary gulp. She hoped that there was some place warmer inside, somehow. Perhaps Von made a fire place or something. That sounded really good right about now.

They continued to walk, lowering their heads and turning them slightly as they tried to fight against the strong wind current. Some snowflakes hit their faces, hitting close to their eyes and making their skin sting with cold. Their teeth became bared as they used all their efforts to keep moving against the winds, getting ever closer to to the mountain.

After around ten minutes of walking, they all had to stop to take a rest. They dropped into the ground after Mrs. Sanchez drew them a bit of shelter from the wind. They huddled together, sharing one another’s body warmth. Their breaths were very shaky at this point, teeth chattering uncontrollably. The wind howling around them was nothing compared to their visual signals of how cold they were.

“S-S-So... D-Do you g-g-guys think we should k-k-k-keep g-g-going?” Mrs. Sanchez asked. Upon seeing the shocked and almost angered look she got from Snap and Rapsheeba, she quickly added in, “I-I-Is there a-a-a-a-another way?”

Now understanding what the woman was talking about, the two zoners looked at one another. Their eyes held a silent message to each other, both hoping that the other had some kind of idea on what they felt should be done. They did have very little choice, but there was still some option left. They could either continue going on foot, or they could figure out another solution.

But what could they do? The woman had already used some of her chalk to draw them some winter outfits. But despite her best efforts, these were still almost no match for the chill of this place. The temperatures were just too low. They needed something else, but what?

Snap rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The movements were slightly shaky, and it took a trained eye to see them. “W-W-Well, we c-c-c-could draw some f-f-form of transportation.”

“Transportation?” Rapsheeba stared at Snap in surprise. How did they miss such an obvious answer? “L-L-Like wh-what?”

Snap held out his hand in gesture. “E-E-Easy. B-B-B-Bucko told me about th-th-the r-r-r-races up in that place c-c-called A-A-A-Alaska. M-M-Mrs. P-P-Penny’s m-m-mom...” The blue zoner, who seemed to be getting more blue due to the cold, turned to the tall woman. “D-D-Do you m-m-mind drawing us a s-s-s-sled with d-d-d-dogs?”

Mrs. Sanchez said, “O-O-Okay. I’ll d-d-do my b-b-best. I a-a-am not g-g-g-g-good with d-d-d-d-dogs.”

“A-A-As long as th-th-they can r-r-r-r-run fast,” Rapsheeba gritted her teeth and shut her eyes as another strong wind struck. “I-I-I-I’m not c-c-c-complaining.”

Mrs. Sanchez didn’t waste any time, something that the zoners were grateful for. They watched almost longingly as the woman rapidly filled the land with lines, which arched and curved and straightened as she formed the sled. Then she went on working on the dogs. The canines rapidly came to life, whimpering and yapping as one by one they were formed. Then, after a few minutes, the woman was finished.

Rapsheeba took delight in that Mrs. Sanchez didn’t merely just draw a normal type of sled, but instead had drawn something more like a carriage. Small, but almost cozy-looking, and shielded from the outside. It looked so welcoming that she found herself moving towards it right away. The human and her friend had the same idea, and in a few moments, they were all inside. She sat down and leaned back, her legs feeling such relief after getting off the ground.

Mrs. Sanchez took the front, where the reigns where, while Snap positioned himself in front of Rapsheeba. The nice curve shape of the carriage made it that much more comfortable leaning back and relaxing, smiles plastered over their faces as they felt much warmer in here than they did outside.

But they did not smile for long. Their eyes frowned in determination as they turned their heads to look out the windows the woman had drawn for them. As the woman mushed the dogs and they started to journey forward once more, moving at a swift pace that they could not have accomplished on their own, the two zoners’ minds were rapidly filling with thoughts of what they were going to do once they arrived.

Or how they would even arrive. That was another issue they needed to address. Looking into each other’s eyes, they both could tell that the other thought the same thing.

“I wonder how we are going to get in there.” Rapsheeba said softly as she stared out at the landscape. The rolling hills and plans covered in white were almost beatiful, but they did little to hide just how dangerous this place was. “I mean, we know that it’s at the base of the mountain, but the opening might not be there. For all we know, it could be at the top.”

“Then if it comes to that, we’ll climb the mountain and then locate the network of caves and travel down.” Snap replied. “Or maybe have the yeti help us. She might know that place better than us.”

“That’s true. Unless something happened to her...” Rapsheeba’s voice trailed off.

Snap stared at her wide-eyed for a few moments. He shook his head slowly, giving a small smile of confidence. “I doubt it. She knows that place inside and out. She’d find a place to hide long before that man ever catches wind that she’s there.”

Rapsheeba hoped Snap was right. The last thing she’d ever want is for another zoner to be injured by Dr. Von Doktor. Thoughts of Blocky entered her mind and she gave a shudder. She would not wish that fate upon anyone else.

Turning her head back out towards the landscape, squinting so that she could see the approaching mountain coming towards them, she said, “Maybe we should search around the base first? Maybe we’ll find some kind of secret entrance?”

“Maybe. I’m not so sure if that’s a good idea, though.” Snap folded his arms against his chest, his eyes furrowing. “There might be...”

“I know it may not be safe. But it might be our best option. Do you really think we should spend all our time traversing through tunnels, hoping we’ll find the right one?” Rapsheeba lifted up her hand and gestured towards Snap. “We don’t even know if the yeti would have a clue if the twister and Von are there.”

“With all that howling, I’d be surprised.” Snap muttered, giving Rapsheeba a sideways glance.

The singer zoner let out a soft sigh. It was clear that this was something they needed to discuss later. They had to get an idea of what the base of the mountain looked like before they could get an idea of which path was safest. She crossed her arms and leaned back. She and the others remained quiet as the dogs continued to pull them towards the mountain, their barks and yips filling the air.

sss

It felt strange, giving information to something that, by all means, shouldn’t be alive. If anyone saw him now, they would really think he had gone off his rocker.

But the old man knew better. He couldn’t simply shun this twister away, even if it was a bit odd. He would have loved to study it more, to figure out exactly how it could exist in such a way. There had to be some kind of laws of physics in ChalkZone that enable this.

For now, he wanted to establish a relationship with it. The twister could be of some use to him. It was obvious that this twister was going to use him anyway. So why not return the favor? There was much that this twister could do for him. It could be the key he needed to unlocking his victory. He just had to make sure that the twister would never decide to align itself with his enemies.

Given what he had told it, however, this did not seem very likely. Though the tornado’s voice never seemed to register much, if any, emotion, the way it moved and behaved seemed to change, sometimes subtly, sometimes more extreme. He believed that these subtle changes were what gave away what kind of emotion it was feeling. If he was guessing right, then his words really had the tornado riled up.

“I do apologize for laying ziz on you. I juzt felt zat you had zee right to know.” Dr. Von Doktor said. He did his best to keep a calm, though remorseful, tone. Presentation was everything. “If you wish to zeek revenge on zem for what zey have done, you will need my help. I know zem better zan you. I know how you could get even wiz zem.”

The tornado’s body seemed to almost quake. Von could not tell if it was out of desire or rage. “Hurt creator. Hurt them.”

“Yez, I know you want to get zem back for what zey did to Terry. It iz zuch a shame what happened to her.” Von shook his head a few times, tsking. “I can promize you zat zey will not get away wiz zat. I, too, would like to get zem back for zat.”

“Go now. Find. Attack.”

Von narrowed his eyes softly and shook his head. “I’m zorry. But we need to plan firzt.”

“No plan. Time gone. Revenge. Pay.”

Von noted that the twister’s motions seem to be a little more aggressive now. The twister almost seemed to spin faster at that statement. The twister’s winds were so swift that if it tried to go towards one of the walls, it would more likely than not tear through it, shattering it into pieces. If that happened, Von would need to be as far away as possible.

He needed to think of something fast. He could not allow the twister to get too riled up. If he did, then the twister might go on a rampage without him. He did not want to kill his enemies. Not yet. He wanted to first thing if there was anything he could do with them. Some kind of data input or something. He realized it might be a bit too wasteful to just kill them off.

But exactly what could he do with them? With zoners, he at least had some ideas. Not so with a human. The only thing he could think of was further study of a human using magic chalk. But he wasn’t about to test that on himself.

He furrowed his eyes at the memories of Penny. He had her in his custody, and he had the opportunity to study right then. But the little girl did not cooperate. She had chosen not to activate the magic chalk in order to hide what happened. She must have used the magic chalk for so long that she had learned how to hide the activation process. If that is the case, then he was going to need someone who did not have such ability. Someone who was still so new that they did not completely figure out the process for thesmelves. But where could he find such a person without resorting to going back to the Real World?

That’s when he took notice of the change in demeanor in the twister. It seemed to almost hold still, save for the swirling wind. Its ‘head’, if it even had one, almost appeared to be looking to the side, or towards the ceiling. It seemed almost hyper aware of something. Judging from the few quivers that it had, he could guess what it was.

“One of zem are approaching...” Von said softly. He tilted his head to one side. “Aren’t zey?”

The tornado bent its body forward and then back. Perhaps its way of nodding. “Two zoners. One creator. Big. Possibly adult.”

Dr. Von Doktor’s eyes widened at this. “An adult, you say...?” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He pressed on. “What gender? And what build, if you are able to determine that?” He guessed that the tornado being air meant that it could use air in general as a way of detecting things close by.

“Female. Thin.”

“Ah... So Inez Zanchez haz come to play, haz she?” Von said with a small smirk. Yes, she would make the perfect test subject. She didn’t know much about magic chalk, now did she? She would be unable to hide anything. “Let’z pay her a visit, shall we?”

sss

“Look, I don’t care what kind of evidence you have. I’m not buying it.” Terry said with a grumble. “Now why don’t you leave me alone? I’m expecting someone.”

“I seriously doubt he’ll be here in time before visiting hours are over. Besides, you know how much trouble that Tabootie kid is. He is a menace and you know it.” Ms. Tweezer said, growling softly.

Terry would have rolled her eyes if that didn’t cause her pain. She would have glared at the woman if she was able to actually see her. Instead, the only thing she could do to show her disgruntlement of the woman was a curled up lip.

This was not something she wanted to deal with right now. She already had a lot to worry about, concerning what had happened to her. She was more interested to know how she had gotten hurt than she was about any grand scheme Rudy was up to. She could care less what that boy was up to right now. Not like she could do much to him anyway, blind and all. The little brat would likely take advantage of her condition. She could not allow him the chance at that.

So here she laid in her hospital bed. Leaning back against it, head tilted, just waiting for whatever. Her eyesight to come back. The pain to go away. For more bad news. For some good news. Whatever awaited her. That was all she could do.

“Oh come on! You must be at least a little interested!”

Terry hissed softly as she heard the woman’s irritating voice again. Ms. Tweezer was really determined, wasn’t she? Most people would lose enthusiasm at some point after realizing the person they are talking with had no interest. But not this woman. Oh no... Instead, she seemed to only become and more excited about going after Rudy, and was desperate in trying to get her to come along with her.

Well okay, not literally. Terry was blind at the moment and would be of litle use in this woman’s crazy brigade. But she was interested in any information she could provide her. This woman hadn’t said exactly why yet, but she had thought that she would be able to tell her something regarding Rudy. What exactly she thought she was going to say, she wasn’t certain.

And right now, she could care less. She just wishe dthat Ms. Tweezer would see that. The woman knew that she was in pain, that the very act of moving her eyes was painful, and yet it was something she could not avoid. It was quite hard keeping her eyes still, and once in a while, she found herself moving them from side to side.

Terry was aware of just how insane she would sound to someone whenever she ranted on about the chalk world. But Ms. Tweezer was even crazier. Compared to her, she was normal.

Rudy trying to bring forth an army of the unreal? Kids rebelling with the unreal? The unreal taking over everyone? That sounded more insane than any story she could possibly cook up with the chalk world. Terry could only imagine the headlines of that unreal stuff with Ms. Tweezer, and the names she would be called. She mentally shook her head in shame. The female artist would never be able to live that down.

“Look, you need to tell me exactly what happened.” Ms. Tweezer’s irritated voice said. “If we don’t take action soon...”

“What do you mean ‘we’? I’m not going to involve myself in your kooky plans!” Terry snapped.

“Kooky?! Well look who is talking! You’re the one who rants on about some unreal location! I should have known that you would try to...”

“Oh shut up!” Terry bared her teeth. “Right now, I’m not even thinking about that chalk world! I was attacked! Don’t you get it?! I was attacked by someone and I need to know who did it! Right now, that’s way more important to me!”

There was a bit of silence. Then a soft hiss. “I see then.... I can tell you have problems with your priorities.”

Terry felt a sting in her heart at this, and she could feel a wave of anger come over her. She took in a deep breath and forced it out slowly. She repeated this until her temper went down. No, she was not going to waste time being angry at this woman. It would do her no good. There were more important things to worry about than petty anger.

Such as learning the name of her attacker....

She hoped that Vinnie Raton would be able to find such information. He had been gone a long time, longer than she imagined it would take. But maybe he was just having a hard time finding out. She wouldn’t be surprised. There was probably hardly even a trail for that man to follow.

But he wouldn’t give up. That was one thing she liked about him. He had such a strong determination. He would not likely give up, even if the trail seemed cold. His obsession with the chalk world theme park was proof of that. Even after his initial encounter, he had still kept on holding onto the hope that he would find his way back into that chalk world.

So she entrusted him to use that same determination to find her attacker. She knew he’d do it, especially if he himself could be in danger. He would not give up until he found some kind of clue. She just hoped that whatever he found would be good enough to locate her attacker and bring him to justice.

“I don’t know why you’re ignoring me! You know you want to...”

Terry turned her head in the direction of the voice, despite the fact she could not see her. Maybe with her eyes open, but they were presently shut and she dare not open them due to the pain. “You know, I’m getting really annoyed with you. Why don’t you go and find someone who cares?”

A loud hiss, breath seething between clenched teeth. “How fucking dare you... I come here, wanting to help you after what Rudy did to you, and this is how you repay me?!”

“What?!” Terry’s eyes widened, the eyelids still covering them. “You think Rudy did this to me?!”

“Well who else?” The artist replied, speaking in a matter-of-factly voice. “The little brat has every motivation to hurt you. He obviously needed some kind of guinea pig to test out his plan, and who better than you?” A pause, and Terry imagined that she was narrowing her eyes further. “The same woman who had been a thorn in his side when you kept on trying to ‘interview’ him?”

Terry let out a hiss. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Look, I hate Rudy Tabootie, yes. I think he’s a selfish brat who is trying to hog this discovery all to himself. But, if there is one thing I can say about him, it’s that he would not resort to something like this.” She pointed her finger at her face, where her injured eyes were. “Rudy is hardly a violent kid. He might annoy me. He might make me bald. But he’d never hurt me. Neither would his stupid friends, Penny and Snap.”

Terry never thought she’d see the day when she would be defending Rudy. But she just couldn’t help it. She could not bring herself to believe that Rudy would do this willingly to her. And it shocked her that Ms. Tweezer would even consider such a thing. What made her believe that Rudy would be violent? She could see causing a riot at worse, but actually hurt someone the way she was? She could not see it in the boy.

“Go away.” Terry hissed softly. “I’ve had it with talking with you. If you want to find someone else for your crusade, be my guest.” She turned her head away. “I’m having none of it.”

“Why you...bitch!” Ms. Tweezer yelled at her. Terry could hear her foot steps rapidly coming over towards her. “I am sticking my neck out for you, and you just...”

“Yes, I understand your irritation. But perhaps you could try to understand my situation. I’m blind, I’m hurt, and you don’t think I want to know what happened?” Terry growled.

“Rudy was the one who attacked you!”

“No he did not!”

“Why the fuck are you defending that boy?!”

“Because he is innocent! If you’re going to blame a little boy for what happened to me, then you deserve all the mocking you have gotten over your ‘unreal’ freakout stunt!”

There was a bit of silence. Terry could only hear the woman breathe. She wondered if she was angry, or if she was in shock. At first, it was difficult ot say. Without being able to see, it wasn’t lilke she could prepare properly. But then she heard the low growling, and, with a heart skip, she realized what she was in for.

It took only seconds for the woman to reach her. Terry barely had any time to react when she felt hands around her throat. She gave a choked gasp and she struggled. She pushed against Ms. Tweezer the best that she could, her hands flailing out blindly.

Terry was unaware of how long this had taken place. Though Ms. Tweezer never attempted to actually choke her, she still held her down, shouting profanities to her, going as far as condemning her to rot in hell. Terry realized, in horror, that she may have just awoken the demon with those words she spoke. She realized that she should have been more careful, and now it was too late to take back what she said.

A few moments later, she could hear a doctor shout in horror. She heard the stomping of footsteps as multiple people came in. She wasn’t sure how many. Perhaps three? Four? More? At the moment, she didn’t care. All she wanted was for this woman to be taken away.

She got her wish when she felt the woman’s hands slipping off of her when, as she would imagine, Ms. Tweezer was yanked from her. The woman must be struggling really hard. She could hear loud grunts in the air, which faded slowly as the woman was, presumably, dragged down the hallway.

Then she heard a softer, more gentle voice. “Are you okay, Ms. Bouffant?”

Terry took in a few shaky breaths, unnerved by what had just happened. “Y-Yeah... I am..” She managed to say in a soft whisper.

“Don’t worry, she won’t get you again. We’ll see to that.”

Despite the doctor’s reassuring words, Terry couldn’t help but remain nervous. She knew that something could always go wrong, and that she had to keep an eye out for that deranged woman. Or ear out, specifically. She would never know when or if that woman would show up again, or what she might do, given her current state of mind.

But for now, at least she could try to relax a little. She took in a few slow breaths as she felt herself start to relax again. Though still shaken by what happened, at least now she could try to be calmer. Soon her shaking stopped, and she laid back on her bed. The doctor asked if there was anything she could do, but she declined, instead just wanting to be left alone for a little while. The doctor obligued and he walked out of the room, leaving her alone to think.

sss

Penny shivered as she was surrounded by cold. Freezing darkness shrouded her, giving her nowhere to run, nowhere to go. Left and right, she turned, trying to find a way out of here. But there was nothing. Just blackness everywhere she looked. Seeing no obvious place for her to turn, she began to move forward slowly.

Each step felt like it took a ton of effort just to make. She could feel a strange heaviness in her legs. It made her nearly trip over a few times. It was so stiff and she felt her hiss each time she walked, and yet she could not feel any pain. How very strange...

Where was she? And how did she get here? Where was everyone? Why was she all alone?

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to comfort herself with her own warmth. She sucked on her lip as she headed down. She shifted her gaze from side to side nervously. She wasn’t aware of just how long she had been here. Only that she had been walking for a while now. She wanted to see something, anything, that would indicate the end of her jouney. Even something as simple as a small light. Yet, there was nothing.

She could not even tell if she was indoors, if she was in a cave, if she was blind, or if he was out during the night on a new moon, and the stars were all blocked by the thick, dark clouds of the sky. This lack of information filled her heart with dread, and she began to flip through her mind as she struggled to figure out just what was going on here.

Nothing around her was helping. There was no indication of what was going on. Nothing to help guide her out of here. All she could do was keep in moving, hoping and praying that she would reach something that was familiar.

Eventually, out in the distance, she began to see something. She paused and put her hand over her eyes, squinting as she stared out. She looked around that small area, taking in all the details that she could.

A few shapes... Kinda roundish... Just floating there... They almost looked like...

Her eyes widened, and she felt her mouth tick into a smile. It was them. It was the others. They were here. Her mom, and her two friends Snap and Rudy, they were here. How did they get here? How did they find her? How long had they been looking for her?

She didn’t waste too much time on asking those questions. Right now, the only thing that mattered was getting to them. Once they regrouped, they could work in finding a way out of here. The fact that she could see them indicated they had some kind of light source. So at least that would help them out a little in finding their way out of this place. If she could get a visual on this area, and just what kind of landscape it was, she could then use that to figure out what to do to get out.

Penny quickened her pace. Her smile remain plastered on her face as she ran towards them. She reached her hand out, happiness and glee practically overflowing from her face. Never before had she been so happy to see her friends and mother.

“Guys!” She squealed with excitement. “It’s you! I’m so glad to see you! How did you guys get here?”

Strangely, they did not answer her. Heck, they didn’t even move. Penny did find this rather odd. It certainly wasn’t like them. They must have heard her. She wasn’t that far away. So why aren’t they answering her?

She dismissed it as perhaps they were just too busy trying to figure out some times. They were probably just as lost as she was in this black pit of darkness. She couldn’t hear anything, but they were probably just whispering to each other. Maybe there was some kind of heated debate going on between them. She imagined her mother and Snap fighting a little.

Yeah, it was nothing serious. Just some kind of discussion going on between them and they were just too distracted to really hear her. She would try again when she got closer.

As soon as she was within about ten feet, which should be close enough, she tried again. “Hey guys! What’s going on here? Where are we?” But just like before, there was no answer. Penny immediately became confused and her eyes softened up, her mouth turning into a frown. “Guys...?”

The heads turned towards her. Penny gasped and slowed down and soon she came to a complete stop. The eyes staring back at her... It wasn’t filled with the warmth and welcoming that she expected. Instead, white dots stared into her soul, filled with a coldness similar to what she was feeling before. She could feel a shiver go up and down her spine. She found herself hugging her arms against herself, rubbing her arms up and down, trying to warm herself up.

Those eyes, that expression... It was almost accusatory. Penny bit her lip and gulped. Why were they upset with her? What had she done to deserve those looks? She...she never did anything to... She didn’t know why that... She shivered and took a few steps back.

And all the while, they would just stare at her. It was almost as if they were trying to guilt her, trying to get her to confess in some unknown crime that she could not identify. She bit her lip again, driving her teeth into her fleshy lip. What was going on here? What did they want from her? Penny wanted to speak to them, but she remained frozen where she stood, unable to think of anything to say.

Then the heads just turned away from her, as if they trying to ignore her. Penny felt her heart sting at this. Why were they ostracizing her? What had she done to them?

Then came the voices.

“Oh great, she is here.”

“Why did she come here? She has no value to us.”

“Useless. Just like Ms. Bouffant had said.”

Penny took in a few shuddering breaths. Her chest inflated and deflated quickly as those words buzzed around her head. She shook her head slowly, unable to believe what she was hearing.

No..they wouldn’t think that about her... No, her friends and family loved and cared for her. Rudy stood up for her. There’s no way that they would think any of this stuff. It...It had to be an illusion right? Yeah, she just had to ignore it and...

“Why is she still here? Why won’t she just disappear?”

“Why can’t she see that she’s not wanted anymore?”

“Go away, you useless bitch!”

“Run! Abandon us like you did before!”

“Leave us alone! We don’t want you anymore!”

Penny clutched her head as those horrid words buzzed around her mind. She shut her eyes tightly and put her hands over her ears. She tried to block out the voices. But they kept bombarding her, breaking through her defenses, forcing her to listen to what they had to say.

“Looks like she’s trying to ignore us. Stupid bitch! Stop trying to run away from your responsibilities!”

“You could have helped us stop Dr. Von Doktor, but instead you chose to let yourself get beaten! Ms. Bouffant was right about you! You are a worthless piece of shit! Just go on and die for the sake of everyone!”

Tears flowed down Penny’s face. She took a few more steps back. Despite her best efforts to ignore the voices, it was just no use. Her body trembling like a leaf, her mind swirling with rapid thoughts, she turned ands he began to run away. She didn’t look back. She just kept running, tears flying behind her as she started to sob.

Beside her, she could see flashes of color, and familiar faces glaring harshly at her. She didn’t dare look at them. She could not bare to look into those cold, hateful eyes from the ones that were supposed to be her loved ones. She shut her eyes and kept running, their terrible words echoing heavily in her mind, forcing her to listen to their cruel chanting over and over again.

“Liar! Deciever! Bitch! Useless!”

Penny cried harder at these. Her efforts to try to keep her sanity by reminding her that her loved ones would never talk to her this way was useless. Her emotions creeped to the forefront, spilling out in the form of warm, salty tears.

She didn’t know where she was going. She still didn’t know where she was. Right now, that did not matter to her. All she wanted to do was get out of here, to get away from those voices. She could hear them continuing to chant to her, her brain aching from the overcrowding of those words. She could feel her heart clench so tightly, she thought it would stop beating altogether. The weight of what they said pushed down onto her back, and her legs felt wobbly and weak. She was amazed she could even keep going.

After a few minutes of running in the darkness, she tripped on something hard. She let out a yelp as she fell into the ground. She tumbled across the ground a few times. She landed in a thud on her stomach. She lifted up her head and shook it. She then stared at the faces above her.

They looked just like her loved ones, only they were sneering coldly at her, laughing at her pain, and she could practically feel the hatred glowing off their faces. She curled up in a ball and sobbed hard, shutting her eyes in a weak attempt to block out what was happening. Darkness consumed her and she dared not to open her eyes.

That is, until one voice struck out through the thickness of the taunts.

“Penny?”

This voice was much more soothing and gentle. Penny opened up one eye and looked up. “H-Hello...?”

“Penny! Please, wake up!”

Wake up...? What...?

Penny didn’t have a chance to make sense of that. Almost immediately, everything darkened up even more than what it was now, a feat she did not think was possible. A dark cloud swirled around her. She straightened herself up, holding her hand out, trying to get out. It was useless. In a matter of seconds, she was consumed. And then a bright flash of light struck through, illuminating the landscape in a powerful boom.

sss

Penny let out a soft groan as she lifted herself up. She was suddenly aware of light all around her. Through her eyelids, she could detect it. She attempted to open them up, only to be greeted by a sharp, intense pain. She immediately shut them, letting out a soft whimper as she did so. She lowered her head, her brain feeling as though it was spinning from the events that had occurred. She gritted her teeth and seethed.

Realization struck her hard. It had been just a dream... A horrible nightmare... But still just a dream all the same. She took in a few slow breaths, in and out, her mind finally realizing that the harsh words spoken to her had not been given to her by her real loved ones. A sense of relief hit her, but her body was still so full of energy, and she couldn’t stop her shaking.

“Penny...what’s wrong?” That voice again. Now it wasn’t so distorted anymore, or far away. She recognized that voice. She couldn’t help but smile. “Did you have a nightmare?”

“Y-Yeah... But I’m fine now. Thanks.” Penny said. She turned her head in the direction she heard the voice. She did not try to open her eyes, not wanting to hurt herself again. “Hey, Howdy... Where is everyone?”

Howdy seemed to hesitate for a moment. Penny briefly feared that this meant something serious, but maybe the little guy was just trying to figure out exactly how to tell her. “Well, they headed out to try to find Von and that tornado.”

At the mention of the tornado, Penny’s eyes widened in horror, the lids still covering her visual orbs. That’s right.... Her mind flashed white several times as she recalled the incident not so long ago, where there was an explosion, and then sharp stuff, and then some strong wind...

She could feel her heart tighten in cold, icy fear when she realized that it was that twister from before. The same one that Rudy had managed to lock away under a shield of diamond. Whether or not Dr. Von Doktor had known that and had intended in freeing it was not of her concern. It didn’t matter. What did matter was the fact that they now had not just a creator to worry about, but a sentient tornado, which might be capable of holding a grudge.

So many terrifying thoughts swept through her mind at that thought. Just what would such a twister be capable of? What would it do? Would it take sadistic pleasure in destroying homes? Would it try to come after Rudy or her or the others that it had encountered that day? There were so many terrifying possibilities, and she found herself clutching her head, trying to get her mind’s thoughts to slow down.

“This is bad...” Howdy whispered softly, echoing her thoughts. “What are we going to do? Rudy was lucky that he was able to stop that twister. How is he going to...”

“I’m not sure.” Penny felt her heart sting at just how terrified Howdy sounded. “Rudy and I both aren’t in any condition to try to stop the twister ourselves. Rudy is hospitalized and me... well...” She waved her hand in front of her face. “My eyes hurt right now. I can’t see a damn thing. How can I draw anything if I can’t see?”

Penny felt her heart drop when she let the full realization of that strike her. The horrible words in her dreams came back. Worthless...useless... She really were those things right now. She couldn’t do anything to help. Without her sight, what use was she? She lowered her head in shame, feeling great remorse for not being able to help out her friends.

She could practically feel Howdy’s stare on her. She couldn’t tell if it was accusatory or not. She would have tried to open her eyes and see, but she was afraid of not just the pain, but what she might find. Would Howdy blame her, even just partially, for this? Would he begin to scold her and tell her how she should have been able to help them in their time of need? Would he blame her for their misfortune?

She turned her head away. She let out a shaky sigh. “I-I’m sorry...” She wasn’t sure why she blurted it out. But there it was. There, she said it. She waited to hear Howdy’s angered response, his ‘how dare you try to apologize’ statement.

But what she got instead was something completely different.

“Why are you sorry?” Howdy asked. “There is nothing to apologize for.”

Penny would have stared at the zoner in shock if she could. The shock value was not lost on her voice. “Howdy...I should have been more careful. I should have not allowed myself to get hurt. I should be out there, helping them find and stop Von and the twister! And yet here I am, cooped up in this place, unable to do a damn thing!” She could feel a few tears form in her eyes. “I-I’m such an idiot... I...”

A soft growl. One out of frustration. She never thought she’d hear a sound like that coming from Howdy of all people.

“Now what kind of attitude is that?!” Howdy snapped at her. “You know for a fact that none of this is your fault! Don’t bring yourself down like this, Penny! Don’t waste your time on the what-ifs! This isn’t like you!”

Penny kept her head turned in the puppet zoner’s direction for several moments, her shocked mind processing what he was saying. She remained in stunned silence before guilt again washed over her. She gritted her teeth for a second and she said, “I still could have done something different. I could have moved faster...I could have gotten out of the way quicker... I...”

“Well you didn’t! And you know what? There’s nothing you can do about that now! So stop whining about it!” Howdy said with a slight snarl.

Penny flinched. It certainly was not very comfortable listening to Howdy speak in a way that she was not used to. Maybe he was just tired of all the shit that was going on. He was forced to work for Von and Terry for a short while, and in that speck of time, he had seen some really horrible things. It did make sense that the zoner got tired of that and wanted to focus more on taking action.

But she wasn’t sure if she could really believe in the words he was saying. She didn’t know if she could believe that it wasn’t her fault. She still could have done something, right? She could have tried harder to...just do something else, other than let herself get caught up in the explosion. If she had just taken better action and stopped Von, then none of this would have happened. It..It is all her fault...

Howdy spoke up again. “Look, I know you are feeling quite bad about what happened. But Penny, what will feeling sorry for yourself do? How will we be able to stop Von if you continue to beat yourself up over this? Let’s just move on and think about what we can do! Come on, I know you can do this!”

Penny wasn’t so sure. What could she do in her current position? What was she going to be able to accomplish when she could not see anything? She would be lucky if she would be able to draw simple shapes without being able to see the lines and their locations. She would not be able to do much against Dr. Von Doktor or the twister. She would not even be able to see what was coming. How could she be of any help?

In her condition, about the only thing she could draw were scribbles. And what fuck good were they going to do? Was she going to draw a bunch hope that they clog up whatever Von and the twister were doing? Even if they weren’t working together, that still meant nothing. She...

The scribbles.... Her eyes would have widened if she could. Her mind flashed back to what happened when Rudy and the others, including herself, were faced off against the twister. She recalled that Sophie had drawn a ton of scribbles, and it had formed into some kind of creature and...

That’s it. That’s what she could do. She shifted her head towards where she last heard Howdy’s voice.

“Do you know what happened to the scribble creature that Sophie had drawn here before?”

Howdy was silent for a few seconds. “I... I don’t know. I...”

“Go find out!” Penny said, her eyes narrowed deeply. This just might be the one chance that they had.


	45. Blackmails

What do you do when it’s too dangerous to ignore or acknowledge a threat...?

sss

It can get quite lonely and boring in a hospital when there's no one with you to talk to, nor a way to see a clock to tell you just how much time had passed. Each second that went by felt like long hours, drawing out slowly, seemingly no end in sight.

But Terry was able to keep herself from going crazy. Though lost in the darkness of her sightless eyes, completely alone in her hospital room with little stimulation outside of the occasional sound of footsteps or people in the distant talking, she managed to keep herself relatively calm. After all, she was expecting company.

She was still eagerly awaiting for Vinnie to return. He should be here any minute, right? He must have gotten some information by now that they could use. She wanted to think that the only reason it was taking so long was because he either found a lot or it took him a little while to locate the right spot. Sure, she might have told her the last place she remembered being in before...this... but that did not mean he'd actually find it that fast.

She did heed Ms. Tweezer's earlier words, however. There was a chance that she would not see Vinnie until tomorrow, or even later. She might be acting too eager and enthusiastic, to the point where she was forgetting that she cannot always get instant results. She was asking quite a lot out of Vinnie. She needed to bring herself down to a more relaxed state and prepare for disappointment.

She still found herself occasionally turning her head towards where she knew the door was. She kept listening intently, trying to see if there was any sound at all. Footsteps, grunting, even breathing. Anything.

But nope, just silent. She would let out sighs of frustration and turned her head away. Perhaps Ms. Tweezer was right. Vinnie might not be here until later..if at all. There was the chance that he decided to give up and abandon her mission for him. Perhaps he would not be able to find out anything, and if he came back at all, it would be weeks later and then he'd tell her he just gave up.

She didn't want to give up on him, though. There was still that small chance that he would learn something. And once she got the information, she would be a step closer to finding out who her attacker was.

Or maybe she'd even learn his name when Vinnie returned...

Nah, probably not. She was not going to get her hopes up. She knew the odds of her learning that bit of information were extremely low. She pushed those thoughts aside, trying to maintain a more real realistic view. At most, she would probably at least learn the person's gender, or even their profession.

She hoped that Vinnie would get there soon. She couldn't tell how much time had passed, but she had a strong hunch that visiting hours were going to be done soon. This hospital might allow visitors much later into the night than most hospitals, but they still didn't keep them open forever.

She gave a shudder when she thought she heard a female voice by her door. She swiveled her head over, listening intently. There was nothing. Good... She didn't want to have to deal with her again.

She put her hand around her throat, gently rubbing it back and forth. She could very vividly remember what had happened the last time that they had crossed paths. She would have to make a mental note to herself not to say anything to piss off Ms. Tweezer again. She had no idea if that would be stable enough next time to avoid actually choking her.

It still hurt. Though the woman never squeezed hard enough to cut off her air supply, the pressure and nails against her skin was still painful. The muscles of her neck still ached from the unwanted pressure, and her head still spun from the effects of it, as well as from her shock that it happened at all.

She never expected Ms. Tweezer to just...snap like that. She hadn't known that saying what she had would have made her go crazy. Ms. Tweezer had never acted that way before. Okay, sure, she did go a little crazy with her 'unreal invasion' nonsense. Okay, so it was a lot. Still, it took her by surprise.

She hoped that Ms. Tweezer would settle herself down. She was not going to do herself any favors if she kept on ranting like that. She was going to make people think she was even nuttier. Of course, Terry was certain that the woman would try to find some way to blame her for the whole thing. She sighed and shook her head slowly. She certainly did need some help, that woman. Well, that was enough time wasted thinking about Ms. Tweezer. Now she needed to focus on what was more important.

She had to wonder just what her attacker's motivation was. She didn't know why she herself was targeted. Was it because she believed in the chalk world's existence? Was it because she was spying on two children to get information? Or was it for a reason she was not yet fully aware of?

The thought was chilling to her. She could have been attacked for multiple reasons, and without figuring out which one, she'd have no idea if she would be targeted again, or if someone else would. She might have just been the victim of a random attack, or there was a whole plan and scheme behind this. If she was not going to be the only victim, then who else is on the list?

The only way to find out was to wait for that report from Vinnie. Oh, where was he? What was taking so long? She didn't think she could wait until tomorrow. She'd probably...

Just then, she heard some footsteps. She felt her body give a swift jerk, her eyes widening in surprise. Could it be? Was he already here? She shifted her head over, her closed, unseeing eyes 'looking' for any sign that someone is actually there, and not just passing through.

"I am sorry, but you cannot go in there right now." A doctor's voice came. Her own doctor.

"Please! I have important information to tell her!" It was Vinnie. He had come back... "I won't be long!"

The doctor was adamant. "I'm sorry, but the answer is still 'no'. You should have come here during visitor hours. You're late by ten minutes."

Vinnie let out a loud exclamation at this. "What? Ten minutes?! You're saying I can't come in when it's only been ten fucking minutes?!"

"We have strict rules here." The doctor's voice darkened. "Now either you get out or I'll call security to force you out. You can come back tomorrow and tell Ms. Bouffant what you wanted. I'm sure whatever it is, it can wait until the morning."

"But..." Vinnie started to say.

"No buts! Just leave and come back tomorrow! Look, I'm not the one who makes the rules around here. But I will not get myself in trouble by not enforcing them. Now leave!"

A few grumbles from Vinnie. Terry could picture him doing a bit of a pouty fit. It was almost cute when he did it. The man did not say anything else. Or if he did, it was in the grumbles that he gave. She then heard his footsteps as they went further away.

Terry felt a sting of disappointment. She had been so excited to finally see Vinnie again, only for him to get chased off. She wanted to yell at the doctor and demand why he had chased off Vinnie when all he needed to do was deliver a quick message. She was aware that the hospital here was pretty strict with certain things, but come on now... Delivering a quick message was somehow unacceptable? That was such bull dandruff, as that one person once called her chalk world ideas.

"I am sorry you had to hear that, Ms. Bouffant. I just couldn't let him pester you. And the rules, well..." The doctor gave a quick, humorless chuckle. "You will see him tomorrow anyway. So don't worry."

"Yeah I know." Terry did her best not to sound disappointed. She wanted to hide that fact from the doctor.

"Well I have to get going. Got another patient to tend to." There was a ruffle and Terry guessed it was paperwork. "I'll come back here within a few hours. We need another scan done of your leg."

Terry nodded her head in understanding. "Okay then. See ya."

Terry listened to the doctor leave. She was a little curious to know who this other patient was that he was visiting. Then she recalled the whole confidentiality of patients. There was no way that man would have told her just who it was. He might have told her if it was a boy, a girl, someone older or what. But he would never tell her the name. So she did not bother.

Not long after he left, though, she felt something thin and light hit against her. When she touched it, she realized it was a piece of paper. One of the doctors' perhaps? She wondered just how close the doctor had actually been, for him to lose a paper like this. Should she call out to him? Get him to come back?

Nah, not really necessary. With her current vision state, she wouldn't be able to read anything on the paper. So she wasn't going to learn any kind of secrets or anything that she wasn't supposed to know. So she just held onto it and laid down. If any doctor came in, it would just look like the paper was carelessly dropped on her or something. Better her doctor get into trouble than her.

She held the piece of paper in her hands. She began to wonder if she should open her eyes, risk the pain, and try to see what it had on here. Maybe it would have a picture of the patient. She knew it was none of her business, but...for some reason, she felt a strong urge to find out.

What if it was someone that she knew? What if they were attacked by the same person?

There was only one way she could try to figure out at least the first part of that. Listening intently to make sure no one was watching, she lifted the paper up and slowly, she forced her least damaged eye open.

She hissed in pain as it swept through her orb. Her eye twitched and flickered open and closed. She gritted her teeth as she tried to ride out the pain. She managed to keep her eye open, and tried to focus on the contents of the paper.

Such an act was not easy when all she could see was blurry yellow and some shadows. This eye, despite being the least hurt, still had a hard time focusing on anything. No sharpness or focus. Just blurs and shapeless imagery. But as she concentrated on one part of the paper, some stability in her vision returned. Not much, but enough that she could see some kind of round shape, and then a strange, upward curve with a point. It was almost like...

Terry stifled the gasp that struggled to claw its way out of her mouth. She immediately dropped the paper and the back of her head hit against her pillow. Her mind reeled from this revelation. There...there was no way that she could mistake that look...

The patient that the doctor was seeing was...

Rudy Tabootie.

sss

Joe hated the idea of leaving his son at the hospital alone. He had wanted to stay there with him, to keep him company when he opened up his eyes and struggled to realize where he was. The boy was going to need someone familiar there with him, to help keep him calm. But there was no getting around the stupid rules that hospital had, and the doctor was not going to let him stay with Rudy, regardless of his parental status or not.

It was such a confusing rule, and he had no idea why it would be enforced. Nonetheless, he had no position to really challenge such a view. He had no choice but to back down and walk away from the fight before it began. He'd have to wait until tomorrow to see his son.

He turned his head towards the clock. He bit his lip when he saw how late it actually was. A time when children, like Sophie, would be asleep, and for the adults to worry.

And he had plenty to worry about.

In a short time, he knew that Rudy would be wheeled into the surgery room. He would be prepped up and prepared for the surgery that he needed. Well one of them. He had heard that there might be more than one surgery that Rudy would be subjected to. And for all he knew, he was already undergoing one.

Not knowing how it'll all turn out in the end ate away at his stomach. He really wanted to go back to that hospital, find Rudy, and see how he was doing. As a parent, he just...could not leave him alone like that. Rudy was going to be so scared when he woke up. He needed to be reassured that everything was going to be all right. And a hospital was more professional; he had little doubt that they would not comfort him as much as he really needed.

Maybe he was being too harsh. Maybe he and Millie just needed to relax a little more, and trust the hospital staff to do their job. Maybe he just felt too gipped of being forced to leave early. Maybe they...

Well could anyone blame them? Their son was badly hurt, hospitalized, undergoing surgery. What self-respecting parent wouldn't be worried sick? What parent wouldn't be pacing around, wondering when or if it would all end? How was he to pretend that nothing was wrong and go about the rest of his day without thinking about Rudy? Such a feat was impossible, he knew. So he gave up trying.

All he could do right now was just sit in the kitchen, on his favorite chair, pondering about what could happen, what wouldn't happen. He didn't know what else to do. He had already tried going to sleep. No such luck. His mind just could not relaxed, constantly plaguing him with thoughts of what could be.

He then heard the squeaking of footsteps coming towards his side. He swiveled his head over and he could see his wife walking into the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes and gave a yawn as she stared over at him.

"Joe...?" Millie whispered softly. Her voice had a tone similar to someone who was tired, but did not get any rest. "What are you doing up?"

Joe replied, "I...couldn't sleep." He regarded his large wife for a moment. "I take it neither did you?"

Millie shook her head. "No. Not much. I tried but..." Her head lowered slightly. "I...had a bad dream..."

Joe looked at her sympathetically. It was no surprise that she had a nightmare. He was certain that he would also suffer one. With all the stress that was going on... How could it not?

He wanted to say something comforting, but for the moment, he was drawing a blank. He just could not figure out anything to say to help his wife feel better. He was just as worried as she was, and he found it difficult to relax long enough for him to say anything that would help the situation.

So instead, he did something else.

He got up out of his chair, walked towards his wife, and he wrapped his arms around her. Millie's eyes widened in shock at this. This only lasted a few seconds before he could feel her hugging him back. He gently rubbed the back of her head, his head resting on her broad shoulder. He kept her in this warm embrace for about a minute before the two parted, staring at each other in the eyes.

"Thanks, Joe..." Milie whispered softly.

"No problem." Joe could feel a sting as he saw what looked to be tears starting to form in Millie's eyes. He reached over and stroked it away. He whispered softly, "It will turn out. You'll see.."

He hoped that his words were true. He hoped that, after all was said and done, that things would go back to normal. Or..at least as normal as could be allowed. There were still some things to take care of, to talk about, to decide upon. Such as that chalk world that Tilly insisted existed.

But for now, that did not matter. Some chalk world could wait. Right now, he would be happy just knowing his son was going to make it. And as he stared into Millie's eyes, he could see that she was thinking the same thing as well.

Only time would tell which side fate was on.

sss

Penny let out a grunt of pain. She gripped her throat, rubbing it gently. The soothing medicine that had took away most of the pain had worn off, and now all she could do was feel the pain of her burned throat. It wasn't as bad as it could be, but it was going to prevent her from speaking for a while.

But for now, she didn't really need her voice. She had already told Howdy what they were going to do. He was already going out on his mission. At least, part of it. One part would require going into the Real World, but that was not possible right now. So she was going for the first person of her plan, and that was locating those scribbles.

She had no idea what happened to them after the twister incident days ago. She couldn't remember exactly what happened after the twister was locked up. She did recall the scribbles were on the ground, scattered. She recalled the large creature that it had formed was a little shattered and broken. But as for where it went to after that, it was tough to say. She wished she could be of more help, but... Well she was at least doing what she could.

Howdy was going to ask around and try to find that scribble creature. Penny wasn't sure how well it could actually stand against the sentient tornado, but it was the only thing large enough that she felt would stand any kind of chance. She just had to be had to be careful when it came to the actual fighting. If they played their cards right, maybe they could get the twister to go back to the Empty Forest, and then get locked away like before.

But how would they make sure that nothing broke it this time? Rudy had made that shield out of diamond. What could be stronger than diamond that would ensure that the tornado would not escape?

Well, she supposed she could always make one up. She could use ChalkZone's own inner ability and create something that would hold longer and more firmly than diamond. But that would have to wait for now. She was going to need help drawing this new material, after all. And she couldn't do it unless she knew for certain that the twister is going to be apprehended.

She tilted her head back, pressing it lightly against her pillow. Her mind wandered as she thought about what happened lately. It was amazing...no..horrifying, all that had gone down. And all because of one greedy man... She wondered if the others had found him yet. Did they already grab him? Or were they fighting him?

Penny was still annoyed that she could not do anything directly. She was stuck on this bed, unable to see anything, unable to be there for her mother and for her friends. She was glad that she was able to do something and forge a plan to help them. But she still wished she could get out of this bed and go find them. She refrained from doing so, knowing that, without her sight, she was just asking for trouble. She had no choice but to sit down and wait until she could see again.

She wished Howdy the best of luck. She hoped that he would be able to find that twister's location. Maybe if she wished hard enough, the tides would turn in their favor and..

No, that was such a silly idea. It would never work. Just stupid superstition. But...what did she have to lose? If simply wishing had no true effect.. Yeah, why not? She gritted her teeth and found herself wishing silently for Howdy's success. She hoped that, if her words had any sort of impact, it would be to help her friend through his mission, and to locate those scribbles.

sss

Howdy grunted as his leg got caught against something. He fell forward, hitting against the ground. He groaned as he pulled himself back up. He brushed himself off and he continued on his way towards his destination.

He found it hard to believe that he was returning to this spot. He had no idea if he would even find anything here. It had been days since that incident. There would be..absolutely no way that they would still be there, right? So why was he bothering to look here? Why didn't he try harder to find answers?

Well there wasn't really much of a choice, now was there? Nobody could tell him what happened to the scribbles. No one had seen them since...that day... The only way he felt that he could get any concrete answers was if he came back to the spot that his friends had last seen it. Maybe, if he searched around, he could find some kind of clue or something as to what had happened.

This part of ChalkZone, even if much of it was just open field, was a bit eerie. The repairs were still in their premature state. There was still evidence of what had went down here. Scars torn into the land and buildings, a testament to the twister that had raced through here, chasing after his friends.

The thought gave him a shudder. He was glad that he was not present during this time. He was glad that he did not see what happened. But then, a part of him was also terrified about this. While he had asked about it, was it possible that some of the zoners were hiding some information just to be... He wasn't even sure if he could figure out a reason for that. Yet the possibility still clawed its way into his mind, and he was unable to ignore it.

He eventually shook it out of his head. No.. They would not keep such information away from him. If the twister did something worse than what was told, he would have been informed about it. Managing to push those thoughts aside for now, he continued on, looking left and right as he tried to find any evidence of the scribble that...

He suddenly froze. He stared out ahead in shock, his eyes widening. His luck couldn't have been that good, right? Maybe it was just an illusion? Maybe he just...

No, it couldn't be. This had to be real. Please don't let it be some kind of sick joke. Please...

The longer he looked ahead, the more he started to realize that this had to be true. He couldn't help but smile as he realized what he had been able to accomplish. He could feel his heart flutter, feeling with elation.

He had found one of the scribbles.

No, not just one. Multiple of them. They laid strewn about on the ground. This way and that. Just...laying there, unmoving. He bit his lip. He wondered if they were dead... Oh wait. Could they be dead? He wasn’t even sure if they were alive. But then, if they were moving about, forming one large creation, then they had to be alive, right?

Howdy shook the thoughts out of his head. Right now, he needed to focus on taking action. Without another word, he rushed over towards the small scribble. When he reached its side, he dropped down onto his knees beside it. He lowered his hands down and he scooped the scribble up into his hand. He gently cradled it in the air, staring down at it as he tried to look for any sign of movement.

He frowned softly. There was nothing. He lowered his head in sadness. Then he lifted his head up again, realizing that this didn’t necessarily mean something bad. He didn’t know if the scribbles could move on their own, or even could die in the truest sense of the word. Perhaps there might still be a chance. He looked around at the other scribbles around him. Maybe if he gathered up them all and took them somewhere, he could try to determine what happened.

Howdy immediately went to work. He moved swiftly across the field. He scooped up more of the scribbles. All of them were still and motionless, but perhaps that didn’t mean anything, that maybe one of them would be functional enough to be of some use to him. Maybe, somehow, he could use these to find the main body. Maybe..

A thought crossed his mind. It made him freeze. What if this was the body? What if, afterwards, the body had dissipated, and shattered into tiny individual pieces such as this?

The puppet zoner lifted up one of the scribbles to his face. He gritted his teeth as he stared at the scribbles in his hand. He sure hoped that wasn’t the case. Judging from the description he was given, there should be a hell of a lot more. But if these were the pieces, and there were more... Where were they?

He looked left and right. He did see some more, but not nearly enough. Just fractions. Bits and pieces. He sucked in a sharp breath, wondering if he perhaps had not found the location where the scribble titan thing had fallen. Perhaps it was somewhere else. But where? Which direction should he go in? Which path is the best one to take?

He really only had one option. And that was simply to guess.

So he turned in a random location and headed off there. He silently prayed that he did not choose the wrong path.

sss

Inez gave a shudder as she and the zoners headed down the twisted, rocky path of the mountain’s interior. The dogs were yipping and yapping outside. They would not have been much use in here. The sled thing was too big, and the dogs were too noisy. They would be found out very quickly.

She kept her pace slow and steady, not wanting to cause any kind of noise. She was careful not to kick any rock or pebble that so happened to lay in her path. She gritted her teeth as they kept twisting and turning around in the mountain, anxiety filling up inside of her. She had no idea what to expect, and she tried to mentally prepare herself for whatever might lay ahead.

The only thing that was of any comfort to her right now, aside from her daughter not being involved in this confrontation, is the fact that Dr. Von Doktor has no idea they are there. They had the element of surprise. She was determined to keep that, and she often found herself scolding the two small zoners if they made too much noise or if they were going a bit too slowly. She didn’t mean to be so uptight, though. When one is so close to a victory, but said victory could easily be taken away, its understandable if some people get a little...antsy she guessed is the right word. She did her best to keep herself calm and she continued to move through the tunnels.

She kept her eyes and ears out for any sign of Von or this sentient twister. She wasn’t really sure how that was possible. She found it hard to believe that such a thing could exist. But according to these zoners, it did. The thought twisted her gut up in fear. How would one fight something that was essentially just...air...?

Eventually, she was sure that one of them would come up with a solution to that. Maybe not within this hour, but during their encounter, someone, one of them, would figure it all out. These zoners were pretty smart. She couldn’t deny them that. Yeah, one of them would figure it out.

“I wonder just where this Von guy could be hiding.” Snap whispered softly.

“Yeah. He could be anywhere in here.” Rapsheeba lifted her head up and looked all around. “There’s many places he could hide in here. And if he saw us first...”

Snap gave her a reassuring smile. “Nah, I doubt he’d notice us first.” He waved his hand dismissively. “If he did, he would be storming up us already. The guy isn’t too much of a strategist.”

Inez shot the zoner a glare. The blue and white zoner froze in his tracs. “He did set up a perfect kidnapping regarding me, my daughter, and Rudy. He is quite cunning. Please...” She shook her head slowly from side to side. She tried to shake off those horrible memories, wishing that they had stayed forgotten. “Do not underestimate him.”

Snap lowered his head slightly. “Sorry..I didn’t mean to...” Suddenly the zoner took in a sharp in take of breath. “Look out!”

Inez cocked her eye brow in confusion. What was the little zoner so worried about? What did he...

Without warning, she felt herself being struck by something heavy and yet...not. It was a sensation she could not really describe. Whatever it was, it had her up against the wall, and she became aware of something distinctly loud. Something hit against her, constantly grazing. Soft, light, almost like moving air.

Her heart froze at this realization. What...wait... Moving air...? How was that.... She cranked her head up and backwards, her shrinking pupils searching around for her attacker. She let out a gasp of horror when she saw what it was.

A twister....

“Well well well...what do we have here?” A cold voice laughed, cutting through the silence and the roaring wind of the tunnels.

Rapsheeba and Snap practically hackled at that voice. They glared angrily in its direction, their bodies tensed up, ready for a fight. Inez twisted herself in the tornado’s grasp. The wind tendrils kept her arms pinned against her side. Despite her attacker being made of nothing but air, she found it impossible to break out of its grasp. She eventually gave up and she turned her head towards where she had heard the voice. She curled her lip up into a snarl.

“Dr. Von Doktor...” Inez hissed. “What an unpleasant surprise...”

“Oh I’m hurt!” Von said in a mocking voice. He placed a hand against his chest. “Becauze I had been hoping to zpeak to you on zome...important matterz.”

Inez bared her teeth at him. “I’m not helping you with jack shit!”

Von laughed at this, as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. “Oh dear Mrz. Zanchez.... I never zaid you had a choize!”

Inez tried again to get herself free. She pulled at her arms, mustering up as much strength as she could. She pulled with all her might upwards, hoping that, somehow, she could free one of her limbs. The tornado seemed to respond to this as she fight something tighten around her. She let out a grunt of pain as pressure was applied to her arms. The more she struggled, the more this pressure increased. When she stopped, the pressure was let up.

Inez narrowed her eyes down at Von, baring her teeth. She might not be able to escape, but that did not mean she was going to be submissive towards him.

The man merely smiled up at her in an almost arrogant fashion. His arms were folded against his chest and he had quite the haughty look to him. He clearly looked like someone who truly believed they had won some kind of argument. His expression only made Inez contort her face further. Her teeth were exposed further, as if to give him the silent message of ‘touch me and I will bite you’.

“Oh Zanchez... I can tell zat you have a lot to zay to me. Maybe we should head on in, and you can tell me everyzing?” Von tilted his head to the side, raising up his hand in gesture. “I’m sure zat ziz izn’t really very comfortable for you.”

Inez increased her struggles again, despite knowing how useless it was fighting against the strength of a tornado. “No! Let me go! You can’t do this!” Cliche, she knew, saying that stuff. But she just couldn’t help it. She attempted to kick at the twister with her feet. Unsurprisingly, it was inaffective. “Whatever it is you want me to do, I won’t fucking do it!”

“Yeah! So let her go before we make you!” Snap took a step forward, holding up a fist in a warning manner.

Von looked over at the zoners, raising an eyebrow. “I zink you two should be worried about youzelves more.”

To Inez’s horror, the twister struck out with a blast of air. Snap and Rapsheeba let out screams of pain as they were roughly pushed into the ground and scraped along it. She thought she could see some bits of blood as the zoners hit against some sharp points on the ground.

The zoners finally stopped rolling several feet away. They slowly climbed up to their feet. They shook their heads and helped to support each other. They looked back at where Von was, narrowing their eyes. Inez couldn’t stifle the gasp of shock when she saw the rips in their clothes, the dust that clung to them, and, most disturbingly, the small bits of blood that now covered their arms and legs.

And they still started to come forward...

Inez widened her eyes at this. What were they thinking? Why weren’t they running away? Why were they trying again to get to her and Von? She struggled against the tornado’s grip again, shouting constantly for the zoners to leave and get help.

But Snap and Rapsheeba refused. She wondered if it was because they felt they had an obligation to protect her, since she was Penny’s mother. Maybe they were worried about how Penny might feel if they failed. Or maybe they wanted to help her simply because she was in trouble, and not because they felt they had to. But the reason why they were doing this didn’t matter to the woman in that moment. All that did was that the zoners were getting too close to danger, and they had no power of their own to stand up against it.

“No! Get way!” Inez shouted on top of her lungs.

Though the zoners did stop, it wasn’t because of what she had said. It was because the twister that was holding her had started to push them back. A strong wind was colliding with the zoners. They held their hands in front of their faces, heads turned to the side, their bodies slowly moving backwards despite their best attempts to remain firmly planted on the ground.

But their efforts did not help them for long. To Inez’s horror, the tornado, with a hand wave gesture from Dr. Von Doktor, merely increased its blowing, and the zoners were pushed even further back. There was a sickening thud, and the zoners stopped coming. Inez couldn’t tell if this was because they were knocked unconscious or if something else had happened. She called out their names, and she could feel her blood cooling rapidly when she didn’t get an answer.

She turned her head towards Von and shouted, “What the fuck did you do to them?!”

Von smirked at this. “What doez it matter? Zey are not people. Zey do not matter.” Inez hissed at this. Von leaned towards her slightly. “Zey aren’t the onez I’m after anyway. You are of more value to me zan them.”

Inez growled, “Like I said, I’m not interested in anything you have to offer me.”

“No?” Von tilted his head to the other side. “I’m pretty sure zat I have zomezing of interezt.”

“I doubt it.” Inez said.

“How do you know if you don’t zee it?” Von said, narrowing his eyes. “How can you turn me down if you have no clue what I’m offering?”

Inez snarled at this. The man trying to entice her like that was sickening. There was little doubt in her mind that the man did not have anything she actually wanted. Even if he did, he was not offering it with good intentions. He was just trying to trick her, lure her into a state of tranquility, all in the name of manipulating her. She was not going to fall for that. But...perhaps she should humor him a little. It might be the only way to do something other than dangle here against the wall.

“And what could you possibly offer me?” She asked.

Von’s smile reappeared. The way it stretched across his face unnerved the woman, and she couldn’t help but feel a cold chill go up her spine. “I’m pretty sure zat your daughter’s zafety iz a big conzern for you, izn’t it...?”

Inez felt her heart turn into ice.

sss

“Mrs. Sanchez! Mrs. Sanchez!” Snap called out. He had gotten up to his feet and started to run back...or at least, he tried to. The wind pushed him back, nearly making him tumble back.

“Snap! Look out for...” Rapsheeba didn’t get a chance to answer. Snap collided with her and the two ended up rolling backwards. “We can’t get any closer!”

“I noticed!” Snap snarled at her as the wind continued to thrust them back. “T-Try getting out of the way...!”

Rapsheeba shouted, “I-I can’t! It’s too...”

That was the last thing Rapsheeba managed to say before the two were suddenly pushed into a hole in the ground. Well not so much a hole, but rather a hollowed out piece of ground, where the tunnels were dug too close together. There was a loud crack and the two zoners tumbled in. There was the sound of rushing air, and the thud of them colliding with the ground. They groaned and sat up from the ground.

They could hear Mrs. Sanchez calling out to them. They tried to shout back, but they got no response from the woman. Snap and Rapsheeba looked at one another, both of them taking the time to process what this meant. This tunnel was distorting and blocking their voices. Mrs. Sanchez had no idea if they were okay or not. And they weren’t able to climb out and let her know, either. The hole was too high above them. They were trapped.

“How are we going to get out of here...?” Rapsheeba whispered softly.

Snap gritted his teeth at this realization. He looked around him, taking note of where he and Rapsheeba were now. This tunnel didn’t look too different from the first one, except it was smaller, less even, and darker. An old tunnel, perhaps? He wondered briefly why it was abandoned, but he didn’t concentrate on that for too long. He turned his attention to what was in front of them.

Darkness... Lots of darkness. Snap gulped when he realized that this tunnel was a lot darker than he thought. It took him a few moments to realize that the only reason that this portion of the tunnel was lit was because of the hole above them. He hadn’t noticed until now due to still recovering from the fall. Now that he could see, he realized that the task of leaving was going to be harder than he thought. Just...what could he and Rapsheeba do now...?

They could keep walking and hope that they would find light further down. Or even further back; the tunnel went both ways. They could travel down in one of these directions, or even split up and go in the two directions simultaenously, and try to find where it hooks up to the level above them.

But how much luck would they have? It was pitch black. How would they know that they wouldn’t trip over something? Fall down a hole they could not see? Wind up in some kind of trap?

This was going to be a very hard decision to make. How would he know that he and Rapsheeba would make the right choice? Was it better to stand here and try to climb out? Or should they take the risk and explore? Such a difficult decision to make. But not a lot of time to make it. Snap had no idea what Dr. Von Doktor wanted with Penny’s mother. But he wasn’t inclined tdo stay here and just let him have his way with her.

He walked back towards the opening. He heard Rapsheeba ask him a question, but he ignored her, his eyes focused on the hole above them. His eyes scanned around this region, where the most light was touching, and he attempted to find any way to get out. Any ledge, anything to grab onto. But he saw nothing. He furrowed his eyes at this. How were they going to get back up, if they take this path?

“Maybe one of us could stand on the others’ shoulders?” Rapsheeba suggested.

Snap considered this for a moment. At first, it seemed like the perfect plan. It took him a few seconds to realize that there was a bit of a problem with Rapsheeba’s suggestion. “The issue with that is the hole is pretty high up.” He tilted his head back. He flinched when he took notice of just how far they had fallen. “One of us might make it up, but the other will not.” He looked at Rapsheeba sadly. “I don’t want to leave you behind...and I’m sure you don’t want to do that to me either.”

Rapsheeba shook her head, agreeing with him. “No, I would not. But...” She furrowed her eyes and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Maybe there’s something up there that could help us?”

“That is possible. But what if there isn’t?” Snap asked. “Climbing back down isn’t an option.” He shuddered. “I don’t want to drop down that far again...”

“Well we have to do something....” Rapsheeba said. There was an urgent tone to her voice. “Mrs. Sanchez is up there and she’s in trouble! We can’t just...”

“I know..I know...” Snap said. He folded his arms against his chest. “I’m sure there’s something we could do. We just have to think harder. There is probably something we hadn’t thought of yet.”

Snap went silent for a few moments as he tried to think of something. He sensed Rapsheeba was watching him expectantly. But he had no doubts in his mind that she was also trying to think of a solution. With the two of them working together, they were sure to succeed. But the question was..would they figure out something in time...?

There had to be something they could do. There had to be a way out of here. He refused to believe that it was hopeless. There was always a way out of a situation. He just needed to approach it from another angle. He...

He heard something in the distance. He and Rapsheeba turned their heads in the direction of the sound. It was echoey and distorted, and at first, they could not recognize what it was. After a few moments, they heard it again. This time, they listened carefully to it, how it rose and fell, how it repeated several times, how it sounded so familiar...

Snap’s eyes widened at this. “It’s the dogs!”

“And it sounds like they are getting closer!” Rapsheeba exclaimed. She turned and looked down at Snap. “Do you think they heard the commotion?”

“It’s possible. But it doesn’t matter why they came in. Help me get their attention!”

Rapsheeba needed no further prompting. She and Snap stood underneath the hole and began to make noise. Clapping their hands, shouting, stomping their feet, whatever they could think of to draw the dog zoners’ attention to them. They weren’t sure how the dogs could help them, but they had to at least give it a shot.

sss

Inez lowered her head as she walked silently down the hallway...er..tunnel specifically. Dr. Von Doktor wasn’t far from her, taking position beside her. The tornado was directly behind. Its howling wind had quieted, and Inez guessed that it had the power to make itself silent when it wanted to. That would explain how it was able to muffle its approach earlier.

Inez’s entire gait and posture was submissive, a fact that she hated. But she had little choice. She did not want to appear as a threat. She knew the twister would rip her apart if she did. And it wasn’t like she could follow up with any sort of threat anyway. She had been boxed into a corner, and all she could do was listen to what the man had suggested.

She glared hatefully at the man. He did not bother looking at her. He had a rather pleased expression on his face. His mouth was ticked into a broad smile. It was obvious to anyone who saw that Dr. Von Doktor felt victorious, as if he had achieved something truly great.

But all he did was succeed in blackmailing her. The only reason Inez was even coming with him was because he told her that, unless she did what he told her, he couldn’t guarantee Penny’s safety. The man never really elaborated on just what he was goign to do if she didn’t listen, but Inez could tell it was going to be something horrible. So, against her will, she followed him.

It wasn’t like she could call his bluff. She didn’t really know for sure if the man had her or not, or if he was planning on strike her where she was in the Real World. She also didn’t have any way of striking back; if the circumstances were different, she’d have resisted. But in that moment, she was pinned and the zoners were blown back. What choice did she have?

Now here she was, following this man, having no idea just what he was going to use her for. She couldn’t stop and turn back. The twister was there, watching her. It was almost bone-chilling how the twister almost seemed to glare at her, despite having no eyes. The old scientist wasn’t far from her. He was close enough to grab her in case she tried running off. Her only option was simply to follow.

Soon they came to the end of the tunnel. It opened up into something wider. Inez tilted her head back as she took note of the tall ceiling. The room was wide and round in shape. Lots of stalagmites and stalactites all around, jagged, many looking like they could fall down at the slightest provocation. The sight of them made her shiver, as did some of the formations around her. Some looked like vicious animals, and others were just spooky for some reason that she could not pinpoint.

Then there was the machinery. It looked rather out of place, snaking around and through the walls, random lights lit everywhere, a large monitor, and so much more than just that. The woman found herself shivering as they passed by several of them. There were all sorts of different sizes, and many looking like they were designed to do something rather horrible to whoever was unlucky enough to get strapped to them.

She could only guess that these machines and equipment were added here by Dr. Von Doktor. Added in with the use of magic chalk so he could continue his sick little experimentations. And that’s when it hit her. She could feel her heart skipping a beat at the realization.

Did he bring her in here for experimentation?

She let out a sigh of relief when Von took her all the way past all the wicked-looking machinery. But that also confused her further. If this wasn’t where the man intended to hold her, then..what was he going to do with her..?

That’s when she took notice of something ahead of her. Something that caused her to pause, only to be pushed forward by a gust of the tornado’s air.

It was some kind of large room. It was surrounded by some kind of clear glass structure, connecting to the ‘ceiling’ of the room. In design, it was rather simple, almost bland. But still something about it made Inez want to get away. There was something rather...foreboding about it. And the idea of getting so close to it made her shiver in fear.

But with nowhere to go, she was forced to enter the large room. The door was tall, wide, and slightly curved. It allowed even the huge twister to come in. Inez shuddered when she heard the door shut behind them, and she knew she was trapped in with them. The man held up his hand, gesturing her to stop. She did so, afraid to find out what the man would do if she did not obligue. As the man walked forward for whatever reason, Inez found herself looking around the room.

It looked almost like a funhouse. The interior of the place was more inviting. The ground was soft and raised and bumpy, and the walls all around her mimicked this look. It looked simialr to what she would find at some fast food restaurants, where the kids would play. The ground had different lights everywhere, flickering, changing colors rapidly.

And further down, she could see a flattened area. This, too, also had the rapid changing colors, illuminating the area with its different shades of the spectrum. There was also a row of computers here, and it, too, mimicked the colors of the rainbow, looking something a kid would draw. The computers looked more like toys than anything. And yet, it still looked almost...advanced. It was something the woman had a hard time wrapping her mind around.

Her mind was taken from her surroundings when she noticed that Dr. Von Doktor was coming back towards her. He was holding something in his hands. She squinted her eyes as she tried to get a better look.

“No, do me a favor, mizz.” Von held out his hands, allowing the woman to see what he was holding. “And put ziz on.”

Inez blinked in confusion. The items were....rather strange. Not what she would have expected. Some wrist cuffs and a collar. And despite what they were, these, too, looked rather kid-friendly. By this point, the childish appearance was getting rather eerie, especially knowing what this man was capable of.

She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing softly. “What do you intend on doing with these?” Her blood ran cold when she listened to his rather amused response.

“I’m going to have zome fun wiz you...”


	46. Experimentals

Two steps forward. Two steps back. End up where you started.

sss

Inez stared at Dr. Von Doktor in horror. Those words echoed in her head. Over and over, they taunted her. She found herself taking a step back, stopped only by the loud howl of the twister behind her. She turned her head and stared at the twister with wide, fright-filled eyes, and then turned her head back towards Von, the expression never leaving her.

The man couldn’t be serious, could he...? He couldn’t be wanting to...toy with her like that, right...?

The idea was frightening. It was bad enough that she might get experimented on. But if the man was going to go...that route... Or maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he meant something else entirely. But even if that is the case, that still did not do much to lessen the horror of what he had said.

Her heart racing quickly, she found herself looking left and right, trying to find some way to get out of here. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. The twister would grab her for certain. The doors were locked. She was completely trapped. This realization made her shake harder. She rubbed her hands together nervously, staring at the man in fear and horror. She licked her lips nervously and gulped, the man’s eyes twinkling sending shivers down her spine.

“Now come on... put it on.” Von said. The tone of his voice did little to disprove the woman’s initial theory. “We’ve got work to do.”

Inez looked down at the cuffs and collar in her hand. She licked her lips nervously, biting them. She looked back at Von. Her mind flashed with different, increasingly disturbing imagery about what was going to happen to her. She found it difficult to move, and for a few seconds, she remained standing there, not doing anything.

Von didn’t like this. He glared at her, his teeth baring. “I zaid put it on! Or did you want zomezing to happen to your dear little daughter...?”

Inez snapped her head back at that threat. She shook her head rapidly. “N-No...”

“Good.” Von said. He folded one arm against himself, the other arched outward to point at her. “Put on your zingz and follow me. I would like to get ziz ztarted az zoon az pozzible.”

“What are you going to do?” Inez found herself asking.

Von narrowed his eyes further. “Zat iz zomezing you will have to find out on your own. If I tell you...well it might ruin everyzing.” He tilted his head downward slightly. His pupils focused on the collar and cuffs in the woman’s hand. “Az zoon az you put zoze on, we can get everyzing underway.”

“But don’t I get to at least know what you...” Inez started to ask.

Von snarled at her, “No! Now put that ztuff on now before I make you!” He stomped his foot down once to emphasize his words.

The immaturity level that Von was displaying weren’t lost on Inez. But she hardly focused on that. She had little room to really criticize him for acting like a little child. Not while she was trapped in this room, in his clutches, a twister standing behind her, and with so many dark, twisted promises that seemed to shine from the man’s eyes. Unable to think of anything to say in response and not wanting to find out how the man was going to force her to put this stuff on, she unwillingly obligued.

She first put the collar on. She winced when she felt just how tight and snug it was against her neck. Then she put on the cuffs, left one first, then right. She then turned her attention to Von. She lowered her hands at her side and glared softly at him. She didn’t say a word, but with her expression and the way her head was turned, she was giving him a silent message: are you happy now?

And indeed, the man was happy. The frown he had on before was gone. Replacing it was a pleased smile. The sight of it made Inez shudder and she was tempted to move backwards. The only thing stopping her was that blasted twister. If it weren’t around...

“Very nize. Zey look good on you.” Von’s compliment was quite unnerving. “Now we can truly begin. Well...not yet.” Von turned his back to her. He lifted up his hand in gesture. “Firzt, you need to follow me.”

Inez was about to ask him what he planned on doing. But she stopped herself once she reminded herself that Von was not going to answer. The old scientist seemed quite determined to keep it a secret. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe he wanted her to be surprised? Maybe he simply didn’t know?

Though she hated having to submit to this horrid man, she obeyed him and she followed the man, staying close behind him. She had no idea what this man was going to do with her, but she had little choice but to follow him. As he led her towards one of the corners of the room, her mind was filling with multiple questions. They buzzed around her head, refusing to leave her alone. The fact that she could not answer any of them caused her to develop a headache.

Soon, Von had led her to some kind of piece of machinery. She couldn’t really tell what it was. It had some kind of seat, and it looked to have handlebars in the front. There was a monitor in front of her, there were several coils all around that seemed to hook the seat up here, and there were some other details that she found quite hard to describe, even to herself.

Before she had time to really ask the man what this was for, she felt him grab her shoulders and push her into the chair. She let out a grunt as she landed on the seat. She narrowed her eyes briefly. The seat was a little uncomfortable. She tried to adjust herself, but the man had grabbed onto her arms and yanked them forward. She let out a surprised yelp and she shot him a glare. He ignored her as he strapped her wrists to the bars she had seen before. What she found really odd was that they were restrained differently; her left hand was pinned completely while her right had some freedom, but not enough to really be of much use to her.

The man then went for her legs. Inez shut her eyes tightly and grunted as she felt a sting of something cold pinching her skin. Von had applied metal cuffs to her legs. She heard a jingle and she realized that her feet had been chained to this..whatever this thing was. She pulled on her left leg to test out the strength of the cuffs. She didn’t need to tug for long to know that there was no way she was getting out of it.

Inez turned her head towards Von. The man was tugging on the chain on her right as if he wanted to make sure that they would hold. She narrowed her eyes. “Okay then... Now can I find out just what you are going to do? Just..what kind of fun are you going to have with me?”

Von, who was apparently finished, took a step away from her. He went over to her side. He folded his arms behind his back. “Well you zee... I am quite dizappointed zat I couldn’t learn much from your dear daughter.” Inez hissed at this, recalling how the man had strapped her daughter to a chair. “Zo I zink I will try again. But wiz you.”

Inez’s eyes widened at this. Then they narrowed. “Well you’re just going to be disappointed again. If your equipment didn’t pick up anything before, what makes you think that this time is going to be any different?”

“Becauze I’m going to make a few chancez. Before, all I did waz ztrap her in a machine and tried to get her to draw. Well that did not turn up any rezultz, zo ziz time, I’ll try a new approach.” Dr. Von Doktor walked out of the woman’s line of sight. She turned her head as far as it could go, ignoring the pain in her neck as she tried to see him. She didn’t have to stay like this long before the man came back towards her, holding something in his hand. “I zink zat ziz will turn the tidez for me.”

Inez stared at the object in confusion. What was the man talking about? All she could really see was some kind of small box. It didn’t look like anything very special. Why was he holding it like that? Why was he stroking it as if it was some kind of special flower? She resisted the urge to shake her head. She was almost disappointed.

Von cocked up an eyebrow when he took note of the woman’s expression. Inez just stared almost blankly at him. She didn’t say a word. Her expression alone was enough to tell the man how confused she was about the whole thing. Von furrowed his eyes slightly, and Inez wondered if he, on some level, was disappointed himself. Had he expected her to react more in fear?

She found out a few seconds later. The man pressing his finger against one portion of the box, and the affect was as sudden as it was horrifying.

Inez found herself screaming in absolute agony as something swept through her body. Something hot, sharp, painful. It wasn’t electricity. It was...something different. Something that made her twist and writhe against the thing she was strapped to. A few seconds later, the man released the pressure, and Inez slumped against the machine, her body giving a few twitches of pain.

She looked up at him in horror, her eyes wide like saucers. Just what was that? What did the man do to her? She could still feel the sting of...whatever the hell that thing was. She could feel it stretching through her arm, ripping through it like it was nothing. It was almost like someone had stuck multiple tiny knives into her and was slicing her from the inside out. She felt the urge to rub her arms, and she struggled a little to do so, only for the cuffs to grow tighter around her.

Von stared down at her coldly, which only added to the horror of the situation. She took in a few breaths, her mouth dropping open wide as she tried to regain her composure. But how could she do that after...whatever it is that happened...? She wasn’t sure how long it would take before the fear would finally leave her, for her body to stop shaking like a leaf in the wind.

“Zat was a warning.” Dr. Von Doktor said icily. “Do zat again, and I will turn it up a notch.” He leaned in a little towards her. His eyes locked onto hers. “Do you underztand me?”

Inez would have retorted if it weren’t for the situation. She gulped and nodded her head slowly. “Y-Yes, sir...” She found herself saying. The act of calling him ‘sir’ felt so...submissive and compliant. A fact that she hated, but she did nothing to correct it. She didn’t think she’d have the energy for it right now.

Dr. Von Doktor, on the other hand, was rather pleased with her surrender. He leaned away from her, his face changing to something more...friendly she guessed the word would be. He simply nodded his head in approval before taking a step back away from her. He moved his eyes up and down her, regarding her, his mind’s gears clearly turning.

Inez remained silent as she did this. She wasn’t thinking of questions. She wasn’t thinking of retorts. She wasn’t thinking of anything except for the pounding pain still running through her body and the thundering crackle in her head. Her mind raced even after she settled down a little. She began to wonder just how she was going to get out of here now. As she stared over at the man, she couldn’t help but feel raw terror rush through her. What was this man going to do with her?

Von raised up the box in his hand again. He held it out, allowing Inez to see it. Now knowing what it did, the sight of it made Inez shiver in fright. “Did you enjoy zee demonztration? I did. It was quite fun.” He looked down at the device, smirking in an almost prideful manner. “I like to call it neon lightning.”

Inez couldn’t stop a small chortle from escaping her lips. “Neon lightning? That’s a stupid name... Ow!” Inez jolted when the man sent another attack through her body. This one was, thankfully, very brief. She lowered her head and panted a few times. “Er...I mean...it’s...nice...”

“Zat iz more like it... Yez... Ziz iz quite a brilliant invention. Made entirely pozzible by ziz world.” Von looked all around him. He then brought the cube towards himself. His eyes flickered. “Juzt imagine if I could reverze engineer ziz ztuff...”

“Wh-What you’re doing is...wrong...” Inez coughed painfully. She seethed, gritting her teeth. She lifted her head and looked up towards him. “Can’t you see what you’re becoming? You...never used to be like this. Aren’t you...worried about the path you are taking? Aren’t you w-worried about where you’ll end up?”

Von stared at her. For a few moments, there looked to be almost regret in his eyes. But that vanished in seconds when the man merely smiled and shut his eyes. A small chuckle from his mouth answered Inez’s questions instantly. “Oh I know. I zought of zat. A part of mine waz..frightened by the measurez I waz taking. But you know... I zink I quite like ziz. I zink ziz will all be worz it.”

Inez’s eyes widened in horror at this.

“Before, I had been too zoft. I had exerzized reztraint. And tell me, dear Mrz. Zanchez... Where haz zat gotten me?” Before Inez could answer, she let out a help as the man suddenly struck her against the head with the block. She let out a yelp of pain. “Nowhere! Zat’z what! Well no more! If being ruzlezz will get me what I want, zen zo be it!”

Inez gritted her teeth as she stared at him. A part of her wanted to say something, anything. She felt a drive to try to stop him, to calm him down and bring him back down to where he was before. But she could see that it was too late for that. The man was too far gone, and he was descending further into madness. And she was going to be the unfortunate victim to witness it.

“Now zen...” Inez shuddered as the man towered over her. He glared at her with those piercing eyes. “Let uz begin...”

sss

Dr. Von Doktor smirked as he stared down at the woman. He watched as she struggled to get herself free, trying in vain to get out of there. But of course, just like Von predicted, she didn’t get very far. She would have ended up yanking her arms out of their sockets long before she could break these binds that held her down.

One might say he had gone mad. One might point out that his mental state had deteriorated rapidly since he came here. He was well aware of just how far down he had fallen, how he was no longer the same person as he was when he first started. Before, he would have hesitated. He would have had second thoughts on doing experiments on this woman. He’d question the moral stand of it, and perhaps stopped himself.

Now, he was unhinged. A lot of people weren’t usually aware they were insane. But he was. He knew what he was going was wrong, but he did not care anyway. Not anymore. Like he told this woman, him holding back was what prevented him from becoming a success, or reclaiming the reputation that little brat destroyed.

Now there was no holding back. He grinned down at the woman, his smile growing twisted as he silently gave her clues of just what she was in for. The woman could only stare at him in horror. This made the man chuckle. The testing hadn’t even begun yet, and already she was acting so terrified, as if he had spent hours tormenting her. Well she wasn’t far off the dot from there. This was going to involve a lot of pain... well for her anyway. For him, it was just going to be a learning experience.

He had designed a much more...thorough machine to test the abilities of the magic chalk and how the human body can activate it. It would be certainly an unpleasant experience for Mrs. Sanchez. But it will all be worth it in the end. Maybe she will even benefit from it later.... If he is able to keep her together in one piece.

Somehow, the woman seemed to catch his hidden promises, and understood them on a deeper level than he had imagined. The way her eyes widened, her pupils shrinking, it was clear to him she understood exactly what he had in store for her. So there was no need to really explain anything. He just took a few steps away from her and stared down at her, cocking up an eyebrow.

Considering what she said before, it surprised the man very little when the woman appeared to understand what his full intentions where. So when she started to speak, he did nothing to stop her.

“Th-This...is out of..nowhere...” Mrs. Sanchez spoke softly, breathing in and out rapidly. “I-If you know what you’re d-d-doing is wrong... Then why are you... Why all this...? Why me...?”

“Becauze you are new to zee magic chalk. You won’t be able to hide itz capabilitiez from me zo well.” Von said, still smiling at her. How eerie he might look to her. “Penny waz able to prevent me from zeeing juzt how she could activate it. Zat won’t be a problem with you, ma’am.” Von walked around her slowly, his eyes moving up and down as he examined her. “Zee rezultz I’ll get from you will be....more dezizive. More helpful.”

“How long do you plan on doing this?” Mrs. Sanchez asked cautiously. Von stopped by in front of her. He stared down at her with a near blank expression. This unnerved the woman, making her breathe in and out even faster. “I-I mean... You can’t be planning on th-this forever. What are you...”

“However long I need. I will not ztop until I learn how zee magic chalk works. Zen I’ll do more experimentz to perfect my copy of it.” Von replied coolly. “I’ll be needing you for zat, too.”

“What...?” Mrs. Sanchez’s face paled slightly. “B-But you...”

“Oh? Do you zink I am dumb enough to let myzelf tezt zomezing potentially unztable? No zank you!” The man held up his hand as he spoke. “I need to be in good shape in order to zell my product. Unlike you, I will be relevant in ziz new fangled technology. Zey will need my help in working it. You, my little helper... You are juzt the guinea pig. You are nozing more zan blank zlate for me to use.”

Mrs. Sanchez stared at him in horror. Von had expected her to start struggling. To his surprirse, she didn’t. She just stared at him, unable to tear her eyes away from him.

Staring at her like this, it did bring forth some feelings of regret. Von did realize, on some level, just how far he was going with this. He hadn’t even wanted to go in this direction at first. He could feel himself being tugged further and further down this path. He had never intended on using Mrs. Sanchez this badly. Well..now look at where he was now.

But this moment of regret was fleeting, thankfully. No self-respecting scientist should allow something like petty morality get in the way of progress. If Mrs. Sanchez needed to be sacrificed, then okay. He will do it. If he needed to sacrifice those brats in the process, then so be it. Right now, there was nothing that really mattered to him anymore. Nothing except getting back his reputation.

This chalk world and the zoners and the magic, they were all going to help him accomplish that. And if he played his cards right, he could patent the magic chalk, and with only him being the distributer, he’d be able to obtain something he never could in the Real World: power.

And he was not going to let go of this chance.

“Well zat iz enough talking for now, don’t yu zink? I would like to get ztarted. I delayed long enough.” Dr. Von Doktor said. He started to make his way over when he heard the woman call out to him again. He emitted an annoyed grunt.

Mrs. Sanchez shouted, “Do you...do you really think you can get back anything you lost d-d-doing this?! Once the people f-find out, d-d-do you think they will stick by you?! They will turn on you the m-moment they find out what you did to two children! To another fellow sentient person!”

Dr. Von Doktor turned around. He looked over his shoulder and glared softly at the woman. He didn’t speak up yet. He twisted his eye in irritation. This woman was giving him quite the headache.

“Face it, Von! You’re setting yourself up for another d-disaster! This will be much worse than the p-p-perpetual motion incident! You might have had a s-s-slight chance at recovering f-f-from that. B-But with this... You will n-n-never recover!”

“Oh shut up, will you?! I can’t conzentrate wiz you yakking away like zat!” Von snapped at her, gritting his teeth.

“You just don’t get it, do you? I’m trying to warn you tha...”

The woman’s voice was reduced to muffles when Von swiftly tore a cloth from his own lab coat and fastened it around the woman’s head. It was crude and certainly not the best looking thing in the world. But it did the job just fine. The cloth pressed against the underside of the woman’s chin, a tight knot at the top to hold her lower jaw in place, preventing her from opening her mouth.

Now with little more than muffled sounds to worry about, the man turned his attention to the monitor in front. With a smile spreading across his face, he approached it. Finally, after much delay, he could get started.

But what to do first? Which of these buttons should he press? There was a number of them, each one with a different outcome. If he could just figure out what he wanted to, to narrow down the options so he could pick just one... Nah, he was just going to choose something random. He shut his eyes and immediately pressed his hand over a button without looking.

“Hmm ziz iz a good choize.” He said calmly as he peered at the button he had chosen. He looked over at Mrs. Sanchez. “Well...good enough for me, anyway. You...” He pointed at her for a second, and then turned his hand palm up. “..will find it lezz enjoyable.”

The woman’s eyes widened and she started to struggle harder. How pathetic... Well if she wanted to waste all her energy doing that, she could be his guest. She didn’t need much of her energy anyway to begin the experiments. He turned his attention back to the button. With a nasty smirk, he pulled his hand back and he slammed his palm against it.

There was instant screaming. Or at least, muffled screaming. He listened to the woman’s muffled pained cries as the neon lightning went through her body again. This time, it was serving an entirely different function. He could see bits of multi-colored light as it crawled under her skin and snaked around her right arm, almost like a serpent coiling around a tree branch. It soon reached the front and it seized her wrists.

The screams got louder as the glowing got more intense, more vivid. The man could see the colors much more clearly, especially when the neon lightning got into her fingers and began to move them against the woman’s will. He could see Mrs. Sanchez grit her teeth and shut her eyes, clearly in pain from her muscles being manipulated like this. He said nothing and watched coldly, showing no signs of satisfaction, as he waited for the neon lightning to complete its work.

In a few seconds, the neon lightning had settled in the woman’s right hand completely, just like he had designed it. Yes, things were working just as he had hoped it would. If not, even better. He watched as the woman’s hand, despite her struggles to make herself stop, began to move on its own. Her fingers were spreading out as far as they could go, and he could practically see the tension in them. It looked almost as if her hand was about to break, and the pained look in her eyes did little to deter this theory.

The man then initiated the next step. He began to turn the dial on the box in his hand. He moved it slowly and carefully in multiple directions. As he did so, the woman’s fingers began to bend and arch in different ways. This intrigued the man and he kept going, forcing the woman to bend her fingers in increasingly complicated ways.

Eventually, he got the hang of it. He was soon able to bend the fingers and wrist exactly the way he wanted it. He could make her point, flip the bird, form a fist, whatever. He got even better seconds later, and he was able to mimic the movements of drawing.

He did eventually stop once he felt he had gotten the hang of it. When he did, the woman practically slumped forward, breathing heavily from the immense pain she must have been in. He stared at her in the eyes, noting the tears of pain moving down her face. He merely shrugged his shoulders dismissively before turning around and walking away.

He reached the table set not far, where he had placed down what remained of his magic chalk. He turned his head, staring at her over his shoulders. A dark smile spread across his face, a twinkle in his eye.

“Now let uz try zat for real ziz time, okay?” Von said in a dark whisper. The woman could only whimper in response and shiver. The man was about to continue on with the experiment when something caught his attention.

A scraping sound. Footsteps. Hushed sounds. He froze where he was. His smile quickly vanished from his face. He straightened himself up. His eyes narrowed as he looked left and right. He didn’t see anything at first, but he was no fool. Someone was here. He clenched his teeth at this thought.

He turned his head towards the tornado. He wasn’t sure where the thing was looking. Impossible to tell if he was looking at him or at something else. Von narrowed his eyes further as he raised his head up. He looked all around, listening intently to any sound he could pick up. He didn’t hear anything anymore, but he was not going to lower his guard. Again he turned to the twister and gave a curt nod.

“You, guard this area.” He took a moment to again look around. “I have a feeling zat we are not alone in here...” Mrs. Sanchez gave a few confused muffles, causing the man to shoot a glare at her. “And you, try to be quiet. I don’t wish to get diztracted.”

The man’s mind filled with many thoughts. He wondered just who would dare interrupt him, who would follow him in here. Was it those zoners? No... They were blown back. Perhaps there was something else that lived in here? Nonsense, he hadn’t heard or seen any sign of someone else living here. It was completely abandoned. But...if that’s the case then...where were these sounds coming from? Something didn’t seem right.

He didn’t have long to think about this when, out of nowhere, there was a loud crash. Something broke through the ceiling above. Von lifted his head back, and he felt his body being wobbled to the side from the great force of the impact. He nearly fell off his fee. Only when he grabbed onto Mrs. Sanchez’s leg to get his balance back did he look up.

There was a dark shadow up there. He squinted his eyes, trying to see if he could get any kind of view on what it was. He couldn’t make out the shape exactly. The only thing that he could make out was that it was big.

Then he noticed something raising at its sides. Long arms with fists it seemed. They pounded against the top of the shield that he had set up. Over and over, it pounded. Each one sent vibrations through the ground, making it difficult for him to remain standing. He lost his grip on the woman’s arm and he fall onto his back. There was one final slam and then a loud crack resounded through the room. He looked up just in time to feel a huge impact that was enough to make him be lifted into the air for a few seconds.

His eye widened as he took notice of the massive...thing before him. A large beast with unnaturally colored fur. To his shock, it wasn’t as large as he had imagined it being, but it was still bigger than him. It stood up straight and pounded its chest with huge fists. Von crawled up to his feet and stared at the ape-like zone, his mind frozen in shock and unable to do much else.

Then he heard a couple of irritating voices that he hoped that he wouldn’t have had to hear again.

“Let our friend go!”

“Just make it easier on yourself and hand her over!”

Dr. Von Doktor bared his teeth as he looked up at Snap and Rapsheeba, who were perched on top of the hairy zoner’s shoulders. He gritted his teeth and growled at this. Such an inconvenience. He then gave a smile and chuckled.

“You zink I am going to give up juzt becauze you azk me?” Dr. Von Doktor said.

“No, because we demand it.” Snap pointed his rounded hand towards him. “Give up! We have you outnumbered!”

Von tried his best not to burst into laughter. Were these two for real? Did they really expect him to just give up like that? Oh man, this was quite amusing. If he weren’t in such a hurry to get this test done and over with, he would have spent a little time toying with them.

Well...he did need a few zoners for further experimentation anyway. So why not these idiots that decided to come in?

With a nasty smile, he said, “If you would like to join her...” He motioned his hand towards Mrs. Sanchez. He then gave the zoners a sideways glance his smile growing nasty. “I’ll be happy to help you wiz zat.”

“Nah, I don’t think our pack will enjoy it very much.” Rapsheeba said. The man furrowed his eyes in confusion. “Oh, you didn’t know? That creator you have there, she gave us a little...help.”

Snap tilted his head up, a smile creeping along his face. “And they should be here right about...now.”

In that instant, there was a howl and Von was soon in the presence of a small pack of sled dogs. They took position in front of the yeti and were snarling and snapping in his direction. He stared at them wide-eyed for a few seconds, his mind reeling from the realization of just how outnumbered he really was.

No, he couldn’t let himself show fear. He could not let them gain the upperhand. They thought they were so smart. They thought they were clever in coming in here and trying to ambush him. Well, he was going to show them. They would regret coming in here and trying to get a leg over him. He looked over at the twister, noticing it quivering slightly, as if eager to actually take action now. Yes, perhaps now would be a good time for that.

Smirking darkly at the zoners, he raised up his hand for them to see. He pressed his fingers together. He paused for a moment and said, “Juzt remember that you brought ziz on yourzelvez.” With that, he snapped his finger. The twister instantly obligued, and it barreled down towards the zoners.

sss

There was an instant reaction with the zoners. As the tornado headed towards them, Snap turned to Rapsheeba, his furrowed eyes shining a silent message to her. A single nod was all that was needed to confirm it. He then looked up at the yeti, and she knew exactly what to do.

With a single thrust to the side, she got out of the way of the twister, letting it fly beside them. She gritted her teeth and her huge toes gripped the ground as she did her best not to be ripped up by it. It was an incredible and difficult feat, but she managed to keep herself from being knocked up by the twister. Just what Snap and Rapsheeba were hoping for. Her large size would make it a little harder for the tornado to pick up.

But certainly not impossible. This fact was not lost on Snap, and he had taken that into account. As the twister approached, he and Rapsheeba jumped off from the yeti’s shoulders to give her slightly more manueverability now that they weren’t pressing more weight on her. They landed on the ground, their knees buckling from the force. They looked over their shoulders and watched as the female yeti kept the tornado’s attention with her yelling and taunting.

The fact that it was working told Snap just how sentient and aware that twister really was. It made him shiver. He couldn’t wait for that thing to be locked up once more.

But for now, he kept his attention on Von. The evil man was standing beside Mrs. Sanchez. He and Rapsheeba looked at Mrs. Sanchez sadly, noting how frightened she was, and how it looked as if she was in some pain. They then glared at the scientist, both of their eyes holding the same kind of question: what the fuck did he do to her?

And the man was more than happy to explain it to them. “Juzt a little experimentation iz all. She will be fine.”

Snap gritted his teeth at this. “You...bastard...”

Von cocked an eyebrow at this. “Aren’t you a little too young to be using zuch language?” He paused for a moment. Furrowing his eyes and putting his hand to his chin thoughtfully, he said, “Hmm...well you don’t age like uz humanz. Could you be, in fact, an adult and you juzt look young?” Snap and Rapsheeba didn’t answer his question. He didn’t seem bothered by this and simply shrugged. “Well zat iz zomezing elze I can look into wiz more experimentz. I’ll find my anzwer zat way.”

“That is, if we let you...” Rapsheeba said in a lower voice than usual. “Unless you think we’re dumb enough to just let you get away with such an atrocity.”

“We’re not going to allow you to...” Snap started to say before the man’s cold laughter cut him off. His blood heating up, he snarled, “What the fuck is so funny?!”

Von smirked darkly at them. He hadn’t attempted to come forward yet. Snap guessed that was only because of the fact that the sled dogs were standing between him and them. The man had magic chalk but he didn’t seem so keen on using it yet, likely saving it for an experimentation. But despite the fact they weren’t currently in danger from this guy, that didn’t make it anymore comfortable to be around him.

The man’s dark smile did little to help them feel better either. It was so chilling and twisted, and held so many hidden promises. Snap and Rapsheeba felt cold chills when they saw the way he was looking at them. There was no doubt in their minds that the man would love to experiment on them next. It was as if the man had gone mad with power over someone else’s life. It was truly a sickening sight to behold.

Dr. Von Doktor grinned broadly, his eyes shining with a strong hint of insanity. “You zonerz...you want to take away what iz mine, right? You want to try to ztop me? You...you zink you can tell me what I can and can’t do?”

His laughter filled the air. It was rather unnerving to listen to. But it was even more unsettling when he suddenly stopped and gave them a very serious, dark look. Snap licked his lips nervously and he took a small step backwards. He wondered just what the man was going to do now.

“Well you are wrong on zat. I have no intention on going anywhere. Zere iz zo much zat I need to learn. Zere iz much zat needz to be done. I am clinging to ziz one chanze to claim what I deserve. You two.... You have no right to try to ztop me.” The man paused for a moment. The smile returned, softer than it was before. “However, you two will ztill be of use to me. If you zubmit to me quickly, I promize I will not allow you zuffer. Well... at leazt for long.” Snap and Rapsheeba growled and took a step back. “Continue to rezizt like zat, and I cannot guarantee how long it will take before your bodiez will eventually give out...”

Despite the man’s obvious threat, Snap and Rapsheeba refused to comply. They adopted defensive stances as they prepared for a possible brawl with the man. The dogs’ hackles rose up as they snarled at the man. Snap glared at the man, his eyes locking onto his. They stayed like this for several seconds, the tension in the small area rising up tremendously.

Then, after a few moments, the man appeared to get the message that they weren’t going to back down. He folded his arms against his chest, shaking his head in what seemed like disappointment. “Tzk..tzk... I gave you boz a way out, and you declined. How pitiful...”

“We would rather fight than surrender you to.” Snap growled softly. Rapsheeba and the dogs echoed his sentiment.

Von raised an eyebrow. Then he said darkly, “Zen..zo be it...”

Snap and Rapsheeba continued to hold their ground, even as the man started to walk slowly towards them, ignoring the barking dogs. Neither of them had any idea if their plan was going to work. It all depended on if Howdy could succeed in his mission. For now, all they could do was hold up their end of the plan.

They just hoped that it was going to be enough to stop Von.

sss

Howdy struggled to hang onto the scribble creature’s finger. Or whatever it could be called. Right now, it didn’t really matter to him what it was called. The point was, he was having a hard time clinging to it. He tried to hold onto as tightly as he could, feeling his feet slip underneath him.

“Please! Slow down a little!”

Howdy realized the need to keep going. He knew that there wasn’t a lot of time to spare. He knew what the plan was and what it entailed. But that didn’t mean that he wanted this thing to go so fast that he would end up falling down and get crushed from the shere force of the drop. He wouldn’t be of much use if that happened. The fact that he was small did little to comfort him.

He had managed to find this scribble creature faster than he had expected. It appeared to be knocked out, dormant. He wasn’t sure how long it had been there, if it had rested there since the day of the twister or if had wandered and then collapsd. But whatever had happeed, it still resulted in the scribble creature to be found right in that very spot. Howdy was relieved that his search was finally over.

The scribble creature was...really big. Yeah, he was expecting something large. But he didn’t think it would be that huge. It would easily tower above nearly every zoner he could think of. Even Biclops may not be much of a match for this...thing.

And that’s exactly what they needed right now. This creature’s height could be used to their advantage. It wouldn’t be knocked over as easily. Or so he hoped. He wasn’t entirely sure how the mechanics of that worked, or how feasible it was. But with a sentient twister roaming around ChalkZone...what choice did he really have here?

Howdy couldn’t quite recall the circumstances that led him to come down towards the icy cold mountain of Yadda Yadda or whatever it was called. He didn’t bother wasting too much time trying figure that part out. He instead focused his attention on the dogs that he heard barking. They sounded really...desperate. He approached them, hoping to figure out what happened.

And he did. In a short time frame when he got there, he not only found Rapsheeba and Snap, but after he and the scribble creature pulled them out, he learned of what happened. How Mrs. Sanchez was captured, how Dr. Von Doktor was residing in this cold, frigid mountain, how the sentient twister had teamed up with him. Howdy froze in terror for a few seconds as he processed that horrifying information. Just what was the man going to try accomplishing with the tornado?

He didn’t have to fret for long. Luckily, Rapsheeba and Snap had quickly been able to devise up a plan. They would go in there and distract Von for him. Considering the man’s interest in dissecting zoners, he didn’t think that would be too hard to accomplish. While they kept him busy, he would come in with the scribble creature to try to lure the tornado....somewhere.

Okay, so the plan wasn’t entirely completed yet. Snap and Rapsheeba did the best they could. The thing with the twister, that was all up to him. Maybe he could find some kind of room to lock it up in. But wait...it could destroy it with its wind power, couldn’t it? Oh shit, he was going to need diamond, wasn’t he? And there was no way he could even get any diamond unless he found a creator and got them to help. He quickly realized what this was going to mean.

He was going to have to alter his plans a little bit. He couldn’t go after the twister yet. He was going to need to get a hold of Mrs. Sanchez and try to steal the chalk from Dr. Von Doktor. He wasn’t sure how much chalk was left, but whatever was left would have to do. He could only hope that it was going to be enough to lock away the twister.

At least he knew where they were going to be. Before Rapsheeba and Snap wandered off, they had run into the yeti of this mountain. She had been the one to inform them of what was going on. She had given them directions. They were quite simple to follow, too, which was a great relief to the puppet zoner.

He and the scribble creature moved down the tunnels. The scribble creature was moving a little slower this time, much to his relief. He held on tightly as they approached where the chamber was supposed to be. He thought he could detect a strange formation out ahead, off to the side a little. This had to be it, right? He thought he could hear some yelling, and some loud wind blowing and some yelping.

And when they turned the corner, with a raised hand, he got the creature to stop. He stared out ahead, taking note of the large doors, and the comparitively unnatural structure. Yeah, this was it all right.

He stared up at the scribble creature. Despite having no eyes, he could detect just how determined it was to get in there and go after the twister. He raised up his hand and motioned for the scribble creature to calm itself a little. They couldn’t afford to screw this up. They had to be careful. One wrong move, and everyone was going to be done for.

Moving very slowly, they approached the room. Howdy tensed up his body, preparing to take whatever action was going to be necessary. The scribble creature followed close behind. And soon, they reached the door.

Howdy moved in closely towards the door, his eyes focusing on the hinge, where it didn’t completely connect with the wall. It was such a tiny crack, and he could only see a sliver. Peering in, all he was able to detect was moving shapes. Not enough to really tell what was going on. He frowned at this, and moved back, looking upwards. The ceiling appeared to be made of something clear, but not the rest of it.

He focused his attention on the door itself. He licked his lips, his eyes furrowed in contemplation. There had to be a way to get this door open. He imagined it was not going to be very easy. The door must be pretty heavy, and it looked like it was built to withstand a lot of force. If that twister was working with Von, then perhaps Von could have created the door like this so that the twister does not ruin it.

He thought for a moment that maybe if they trapped the twister in here, their problems would be solved. He felt disappointment rise in his stomach when he reminded hismelf of why that would not work. The door itself might be strong, but the rest of the material appeared to be made out of normal rock. Dr. Von Doktor didn’t need to worry about the average zoner breaking down the walls. The twister, however, could. The only thing preventing Von from creating something with stronger walls was the fact that the twister was on his side.

He turned his head and he looked up at the scribble creature. It looked to be almost peering down at him, awaiting orders. It did feel a little creepy, the creature looking at him despite having no eyes. The puppet zoner shrugged off his uncomfortableness and he refocused his attention on the door. He raised up his hand and made a few quick gestures. He could feel the ground vibrate slightly as the scribble creature moved in closer.

“Take the door down.” Howdy ordered. He knew that this wasn’t exactly stealthy, but with all that was surely happening in that room, was it even possible to keep up stealth?

The scribble creature obeyed immediately. It lowered itself onto a knee and reached out with its hand. It gripped onto the doorknob with ease. With its finger hooked around it, it yanked backwards. There was a loud crack sound as it managed to tear the door away completely. Now with nothing blocking his view, Howdy was able to see what was going on inside.

The first thing he noticed was a yeti dealing with the tornado. Howdy couldn’t help but stare in shock as she managed to, though barely, stay a step in front of the twister. This was a spectacle that was difficult to look away from. It wasn’t everyday that a zoner would deliberately taunt and dance around a sentient twister like that. Then again, no one had ever encountered a sentient twister before anyway.

Trailing his eyes over, he could see Snap and Rapsheba talking with Dr. Von Doktor. In front of them were a couple of dogs, barking viciously at the man. The scientist looked pretty peeved and he was approaching the children slowly. Howdy had no idea what the man was goin to do, and though he wanted to say something, he forced himself to stay silent.

And then there was Mrs. Sanchez. He took notice of her strapped down on some kind of machine. Her arms were bound in different ways, and he could see her body was shaking a little. He bit his lip nervously. Was she in pain? Or was this fear? The woman didn’t look hurt, but that didn’t mean something horrible didn’t happen. Von must have put her through an experiment. He shuddered to think of just what horrors the man must have put her through.

He shook his head, realizing that he was wasting time. Thinking back to his own plan, as well as the one that he had formed with Snap and Rapsheeba. With both the twister and Von distracted, now was a good time to get started.

But which plan should he go with first? Which act was the first one he should commit?

For a few moments, the puppet zoner hesitated. He looked from the twister to Mrs. Sanchez. He tried to figure out just which one would be the best to go in, which one would be the wisest.

Should he go after the twister first? Considering its level of threat to everyone, that seemed like the smarter choice. Yeah, there were people in trouble, but if he disabled the twister, that would be one less danger to worry about. Without that twister, Von was weakened.

But what of Mrs. Sanchez? She needed help, and she was a creator. She could help turn the tides. He just needed to get the magic chalk away from Von, free Mrs. Sanchez, and give her the chalk. It was a risky move, but if he pulled it off, he’d be able to prevent Dr. Von Doktor from being able to draw up a defense. The woman could seal the tornado away, and Von could be apprehended when he no longer had any chalk to use.

He bit his lip. He couldn’t spend long on thinking. It wouldn’t take too much time before the sentient torando and the evil scientist to realize that there were newcomers to this ‘party’. Narrowing his eyes, he knew the only route that he could take.

He’d have to go both ways.

Howdy turned to the scribble creature. His eyes furrowed, he gave a stiff nod. “Go! Try to apprehend the twister!”

The scribble creature need no further prompting. It let out what almost seemed like a screech, except it could not really be heard. It was...felt, like a tingle in the back of his head. It was a weird sensation. Almost like infrasound.

That was soon intermixed with the howl of strong wind as the scribble creature collided with the tornado. Despite how the laws of physics should have prevented it, or so Howdy believed, the twister was still knocked away and slammed against the wall. The resulting crash was not lost on the others, and they looked over, their eyes widening in shock.

“What zee hell...?” Dr. Von Doktor said. “You....! What are you doing here?!”

Howdy turned himself around in time to see Von coming towards him. The man wore a look of rage in his eyes. Howdy gulped and he backed away slowly. He did not run, knowing he had little chance of actually outrunning the man.

“What do you zink you are going to do?” Von hissed at him as he ignored the cries from Snap and Rapsheeba. “Of courze, if you came here to volunteer to be my next tezt zubject...”

“No! Get away from him!” Snap shouted at Von.

“Howdy! Hurry!” Rapsheeba called out to the puppet. “Run!”

But Howdy did not run. Not yet. He stared at the man, doing his best to hide his fear. Not exactly an easy feat. His eyes kept darting to the magic chalk that he held in his hand. Then he’d look over briefly at Mrs. Sanchez. His racing mind did what it could to plan a course of action. He was aware of just how badlly things will end up for him if he screwed this up. But..he had to try.

He tried to think of how he could get the magic chalk away from Von. The man was approaching quickly. The dogs hadn’t yet made a move to stop the man. Snap and Rapsheeba grabbed onto him, but the man simply dragged them forward as he approached Howdy. The puppet zoner moved back slowly, his teeth gritted.

If he could just find someway to distract him, or some kind of method that would make him pause, then he could...

Wait..that’s it... He knew what he could do.

The zoner gave the man an almost evil smile. This alone was enough to make the man pause and stare at him in confusion. But Howdy wasn’t yet done. He straightened himself up, doing his best to look like he was a lot braver than he really felt. Then he set up the bait.

“Hmm am I supposed to be afraid of you? The same man who got outsmarted by a ten year old?” Howdy taunted the man.

Von’s eyes widened at this. “You little...” The eyes narrowed into slits. “Do you have a fucking clue who I am?!”

Howdy smirked. “Oh yes. You are the man who apparently isn’t smarter than a fourth grader.”

This made the man seethe, and Howdy could see his face was starting to turn red. The tension in the area grew rapidly, but he still held his ground. “No! I am Dr. Von Doktor! The world’z mozt brilliant zcientizt! I am zee one who iz about to turn your world upzide down! I am zee one whom everyone zroughout hiztory will alwayz remember! I will show zee world juzt how right I am when I zay zat I am never wrong!”

Howdy couldn’t help but feel some slight amusement at how childish the man was acting. But he stifled his laughter, his eye instead looking at the magic chalk that he held in his hand. He had to get that man over here, and he knew exactly how to do that. Or so he hoped.

Clearing his throat, Howdy folded his arms against his chest and turned his body to the side. “Never wrong, eh? Okay then, how do you explain Rudy and Penny escaping your clutches? If you are so smart, then how did they get away? I don’t know, man... I would think that someone of your...calibur would have been able to stop them.” He smiled at Von’s snarl, closed his eyes, and turned away. He gave a chuckle. “Let’s face it, Dr. Von Doktor. For all your brilliance...” He looked back at him. “You still got schooled by two ten year olds.”

“Zat waz juzt luck!” Dr. Von Doktor snapped at him.

“Oh sure it waz. Or maybe you are just so hold, you are losting your touch. What’s next? Are you going to lose to a baby, too?” Howdy found it hard to hold back his laughter at this point. “Now that would be something! You’d be remembered throughout history for that, for sure!”

That was it. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. There was a loud snarl from the man, and in a few seconds, he charged towards the small zoner. No words, no yell. Just silent fury.

“Howdy! No!” His friends screeched.

Everything after this started to slow down. Howdy felt as though time was transforming into a mere crawl. He could see each individual movement. He could feel the world spinning around him, and then everything seemed to blur, focusing only on him and Dr. Von Doktor. He watched as the man approached him. He stood there, narrowing his eyes, waiting for the right time to make his move.

He focused intently on that hand that held the chalk. At the moment, the man was making no attempts to hide it from him. That would make it the perfect target. He just needed to wait, his leg muscles tensing up, preparing to make his move. He hunched his body as Dr. Von Doktor got close to him. Then, seconds later, which felt like minutes to the zoner, Von jumped towards him in an attempt to attack him.

Howdy reacted as quickly as he could. Hunching his legs more, his teeth clenching tightly together, he jumped into the air, going towards the man. This act surprised Von, but hardly slowed him down. Howdy, going against his usually good nature, pulled back a fist and he struck the man between his eyes. His eyes widened and he pulled his hand back, shaking it as he felt the pain vibrate through his hand. Man, that man had one thick skull.

The man let out a yelp of pain and he clutched his head. He stumbled backwards, the shock of the attack causing him to lose his footing. This was unexpected for the zoner, as he didn’t think that the man would fell. But this did make his job easier. With the man down, he rushed forward.

His eyes focusing intently on the chalk the man held in his hand, the small zoner jumped forward and he grabbed onto his wrist. He managed to pry it away from the man’s head. He held it against himself, trying to hold it still as the man struggled to bring it back. After a few moments of struggling with the man, the zoner managed to yank the magic chalk away from him. He jumped back and moved a few feet from the man.

“Give zat back!” The scientist demanded. He flipped onto his stomach, his left knee pressing against the hard ground. Howdy merely shook his head and he moved back away from him further. “You little runt! Get back here!” Von pushed himself onto his hands, his face registering pure rage. “I’ll kill you if you don’t give zat back to me! Do you hear me?! I’ll crack your zkull open! I’ll...”

Suddenly the man was silenced when Rapsheeba and Snap jumped on top of him. The dogs came forward. Though they did not bite, they still barked and snarled at the man, attempting to keep him at bay.

Snap and Rapsheeba were holding onto Von tightly. Rapsheeba had one of his arms while Snap had his neck. They pulled on tightly, forcing the man to gag and turn his attention on them. As they held on, they gave Howdy a wide-eyed, terrified look, one of desperation and pleading. And their voices surely matched this.

“Run! Give that to Mrs. Sanchez! Hurry!” Snap cried to the puppet zoner. He wrapped his legs around Von, shutting his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth. “I...don’t know how much longer we can hold...!”

Rapsheeba echoed Snap’s sentiment. “Hurry! While you...still have...a chance..!”

Howdy stared at his friends, biting his lip. He wanted so badly to help them, but he knew they were right. Frowning, he turned his attention to where Mrs. Sanchez was. He looked down at the tiny piece of magic chalk that was still left, licking his lips slowly. Was this even going to be enough...?

Well it was all they had. It was going to have to do. Clutching it tightly, he rushed over to where Mrs. Sanchez was. When he reached her, he stood in front of her, moving his eyes up and down. He bit his lip, feeling his heart skip a beat when he saw up close and personal, just how frightened and how much in pain she truly was.

The woman’s eyes flicked a little when she saw him. She smacked her lips nervously a few times, as if struggling to find what to say. Then, speaking in a weak, soft voice, she said, “H-Howdy...?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Howdy said. He looked along the woman’s body, glaring softly at the binds that held her there. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of there.”

He wasn’t sure what he could do. He didn’t know how he could undo them. But regardless, he still had to try. Placing the small piece of chalk into his shirt for safe keeping, he began to work on freeing Mrs. Sanchez.

sss

No...no this couldn’t be happening.. Not after all the trouble he went through to set this all up... Not after all the hard work he put into this place...no..

The old scientist had a hard time believing just how much things were falling apart all around him. His eyes darted left and right, looking all around him and seeing what was going on. A part of him wanted to deny this was happening, that it was just some sort of sick illusion or something.

But the more he looked, the more he began to realize just how wrong he was. This was real. He couldn’t deny it. Everything was falling apart. Everything that he tried to arrange was being brought down around him. And it was all thanks to that one zoner. The small puppet zoner that he and Terry both thought wouldn’t have been able to be too huge a threat. Now here he was, ruining everything.

Dr. Von Doktor watched in horror as the puppet zoner managed to free one of the woman’s arms. And then another. No... He couldn’t allow that to happen. He couldn’t allow that zoner to get away with this. He had to stop him before it was too late. He still had time. If he just got over there and...

He let out a grunt and he knelt back down before he had a chance to fully climb up to his feet. Baring his teeth, he swiveled his head over and glared at Rapsheeba, who was still clinging to his arm. He could feel a grip around his neck and he gagged again. He knew that Snap was on his back. He let out a soft hiss at the two zoners, but he knew they wouldn’t let go. No, they were going to hang on until their friend succeeded.

The man’s mind was racing. He felt his breathing increase rapidly. He could feel his body shaking as emotion swept through him. He needed to take action soon. These zoners, they weren’t going to be able to hold him down forever. He was going to see to that.

He glared back at the puppet zoner. That little runt... He should have killed him when he had the chance. That zoner had become a pain in his side for the last time. He swore, once he caught him, he was going to snap his scrawny neck. With his small size, that would be such an easy task to do. If he could only get over there...

There was another click. His eyes widened in horror. The woman... She was almost free... He stared at this in shock for a few seconds. Then he shook his head and let out a low growl. No, he was not going to let that happen. No one was going to take his victory away from him.

Absolutely no one... Not even that little pest.

With the energy of adrenaline moving through him, filling every muscle of his with increased strength, the man shot up from his knees, letting out a yell. The zoners yelped, but struggled to hang onto him. He jerked himself violently from one side to the other. The zoners held on tightly, but it wasn’t good enough. Rapsheeba was launched to the side while the man managed to grab onto Snap. He yanked the zoner off and, without bothering to look at him, he flung the zoner in one direction. He listened to them crash for only a few seconds before he got up and he rushed to where Howdy was.

The small zoner was finishing up undoing the final bind. The man growled at this. He picked up speed and soon he managed to collide with the zoner. He struck him in the side hard, sending him flying across the room, listening to his yelps of pain. Something flew from his shirt, but he paid little mind to it. He stormed off towards Howdy, delivering a kick to his stomach while he was still recovering.

He didn’t bother speaking to the zoner. He just towered over him, glaring hatefully at his shivering, frightened form. The eyes that stared back at him were filled with pain and fear, and the bit of blood dripping down the corner of his mouth complimented that.

“Please....stop..I...” Howdy begged him, the defiance he had earlier completely gone. “I’m s-sorry...” Tears formed in his eyes.

“Don’t you fucking dare tell me you’re zorry! You should have zought of zat before you...” Von seethed through his clenched teeth.

That was it. Von couldn’t speak anything more. The rage had reached a boiling point. He could feel his skin hurting from the inner heat. He needed to strike. He needed to take action now.

He gripped the zoner by his neck and held him down. Forming a fist, he pounded the zoner in the head a few times. Harder and harder he struck, ignoring his own pain and the zoner’s cries. Then, after the zoner had clearly lost consciousness, he lifted him up by his arm and started to pound him even harder. He used as much force as he could, trying so hard to break the little freak’s head and neck.

A feminine voice suddenly rang through the room, making the man lift up his head in shock.

“Get him!”

Before the man had time to turn around, he felt several weights collide with him. He let out a scream as he was knocked into the ground. Several bodies were on him, feeling the painful pressure of clawed paws against him. He felt the teeth start to rip into him and he struggled to fight back.

But the dogs had a good grip on him. He felt pain as the teeth sank into his arms and legs. The dogs held him down, using their weight and teeth to keep him from going anywhere. The man struggled and squirmed underneath them, trying in vain to get free. He twisted himself from one side to the other, trying to get one of the dogs to dislodge. But they remained firm, unmoving, and their jaws clenched tighter on him.

No, this couldn’t be happening... He..he had to try harder to get himself out. He had to get away from here. His legs kicked the ground desperately, scraping the rock beneath them. But nothing was going to get the dogs off. There was nothing he could do to free himself.

And then he felt pressure around his neck. His eyes widened in horror. He tried to scream, but pressure was applied, cutting off his air supply. He gagged as he started to taste some blood in his mouth, his eyes bulging wide open. He continued to squirm and writhe underneath the dogs, feeling his energy rapidly running low.

Suddenly a voice called out. The same one from before.

“No! Stop! Don’t kill him!” Mrs. Sanchez screamed. There wasn’t so much concern in her voice as there was fear. Perhaps she was afraid of getting involved with the police? Probably, yes. “Hold him down, but don’t bite his neck!”

The dogs did as they were told. The pressure from his mouth was gone, but the weight was still upon him. The dogs kept him pinned down, snarling at him threateningly. He didn’t attempt to struggle. For a few seconds, he hardly paid attention to the dogs themselves. He was too busy gripping his throat and coughing and gagging. His mind raced, and his body twitched and shivered from the shock of what nearly happened to him.

He glared up at the woman. He took in a few ragged breaths, his energy levels returning down to normal. He didn’t attempt to try to speak. His throat still hurt him and at the moment, he really had nothing he wanted to say to this woman. His glare at her was all that she really needed to see anyway. It was good enough for her to understand what thoughts were being processed in his mind.

Mrs. Sanchez’s expression at him was... a little hard to identify at first. It was like a mixture of a few different emotions, like anger and fear. But a few strange ones were floating around in there as well, such as sadness.

This woman? Sad for him? What a laugh... There was little reason for this woman to feel sorry for him. Maybe she was just sorry for what he had become, and not him himself. He gave a bitter chuckle at this. Oh she could pit him all she wanted to. That wasn’t going to change what he was going to do, what he had to do. She should consider herself lucky. If it weren’t for these stupid dogs, he would be rushing towards her now, ready to tear into her throat.

Mrs. Sanchez then held up something in her hand. The smile from Von’s face was gone the instant that he saw what it was. He could feel his face losing some color when he saw that she had his magic chalk.

“....what....?” The man breathed in. He started to struggle, trying to get over to the woman. “How did you...?” The dogs snarled at him, prompting him to stop his struggling.

Mrs. Sanchez didn’t answer him. She simply stared down at him, her expression still somewhat unreadable. She then closed her eyes softly, her expression softening up more into something of sadness. She looked down at him and she began to speak. “It is a shame it came to this, Dr. Von Doktor. You did have a good career ahead of you. You really could have been something. Instead, you chose...this path...” She narrowed her eyes, baring her teeth slightly at him. “Of all the things you could have done... Of all the paths you could have chosen...” She shook her head in disgust. “You couldn’t disappoint me more even if you tried.”

Dr. Von Doktor curled his lip up at her. “Oh why don’t you juzt be quiet?” He let out a help of pain as one of the dogs bit him harder. He shut his eyes tightly for a few seconds. He opened up one eye and looked up at Mrs. Sanchez. “Why don’t you juzt kill me already...? If you zink I’m a lozt cauze now... Why not juzt get it over wiz and end it now?”

Mrs. Sanchez folded her arms against her chest. “Oh you would like that, wouldn’t you? If I killed you now, then you could escape justice. You could get away from the system and never have to endure retribution.” She tilted her head to one side. “Well that isn’t going to happnen, Dr. Von Doktor. You have a lot to answer for. Do you really think I am going to allow you to just..walk away like that? Hell no!” She pointed a finger at him. “I’m going to make sure that you rot in prison for this!”

Ah, so the truth is flowing forth now. Of course the woman would say that. He couldn’t exactly blame her, or be all that surprised. He had done quite a bit to her, and her family. He had been quite the monster lately. He would admit to that.

But if being a monster means getting what he wants, then so be it. If they want to see him as a villain, then okay, fine. Then let him be evil. He didn’t care about that. All he did care about was getting results, and getting back what he so richly deserved.

And this stupid bitch was not going to stop him.

“I’d like to zee you try zat...” The man hissed in a low, taunting voice.

Mrs. Sanchez narrowed her eyes as she glared down at him. “You bet your ass I will keep trying!”

Von just chuckled bitterly at this. It seemed to make the woman even angrier, but he didn’t care. He was more interested in trying to turn the tides in back in his favor, where they truly belonged. He looked left and right as he tried to figure out how he was going to get out from underneath the dogs. Without the magic chalk, how was he going to...

Oh wait...the twister...

He shifted his pupils to the side, where he could to see, out of the corner of his eyes, just what was going on with that twister ally of his. Where was that thing when he had needed it the most? Surely, it couldn’t have taken that long to take care of the yeti. And why didn’t it detect it? Couldn’t it have....? No wait...this place was mostly air tight. No wonder the twister didn’t detect them.

At this very moment, the twister was fighting against not the yeti, but against...something different. Von felt his eyes widen in shock and horror at the...scribbled..thing... that was fighting against the twister. It truly was a spectacle to behold. It was difficult to tell who was winning.

Well it didn’t matter now who was going to win. Right now, he needed help getting out of here. Knowing that there was very little the woman or the dogs could do to stop him from raising the alarm, he inflated his chest and, only holding it in for a second, he let out a loud scream.

“Help!”

Immediately, the twister responded. It tossed the scribble creature aside and it rushed towards where Von was being held. Tendrils of air rushed down towards them. It easily knocked away Mrs. Sanchez and the dogs, as well as Rapsheeba, Snap, and the unconscious Howdy. Von, now held up by the twister carefully, stared down at them as they crashed into the ground painfully. They shook their heads and they looked up at them in shock and fear, but still showing some determination in their eyes.

There was a bit of silence at first. Eyes were locked onto each other, not daring to move away. None of them appeared willing to back down. No, instead, they looked like they were willing to rush at him, even with the twister guarding him. He watched as they glared at him hatefully, the dogs yipping and snarling in his direction.

Von found himself smiling at this. This was going to be so much fun. He could already tell. They really did think that they stood a chance against him. They thought that they could beat him. They thought that they could win. Well they were wrong, and he was going to prove that to them in a matter of seconds.

He turned his attention to the twister’s ‘face’, noting how determined it seemed to be to go after them. Perhaps he should give him a more...personal incentive. When he recalled how it had reacted before, he smiled more twistedly. He then looked down at the group below him, his sneer clearly sending chills down their spines. They knew he had something up his sleeve. Now they were going to find out just what that was.

“Hey, twister...? Zee zem down zere?” Von said, his tone rather off and strange. “Zey all played a role in hurting your creator.”

At this, the tornado almost appeared to roar. Its loud howling filled the air. The zoners clutched their ears tightly, as if trying to push out the loud sound, trying to keep their ear drums in tact. Then the tornado seemed to stare at them intently, as if it just entered a silent fury.

And when it spoke, even Von got a chill sweeping through his body. The voice was just so deep and so terrifying. He was glad that the twister was on his side.

“Hurt creator. Must pay.”

Snap was the first one to react. He shook his head rapidly, holding his hands out in front of him. “N-No...we didn’t do anything! You’ve got it all wrong!”

But the twister had no interest in listening to him. It shot out a gust of air, striking Snap in the stomach and chest, flinging him back across the ground. “Lie not! Not lie! Bad! Truth!”

“He was telling the truth!” Rapsheeba called out. “We didn’t do a damn thing to your creator! We...” Rapsheeba gagged as the twister grabbed her by her throat and hoisted her up. It swung her around and around and then slammed her hard into the ground. She let out a few coughs and whimpers as she lifted her head and stared up at it.

“Stop lying!” The twister called out to them, its ‘voice’ becoming more booming than before. It was as if a thunder storm had been absorbed into the thing’s body, enhancing its strength.

Von looked down at Howdy. A nasty smile spread across his face. “Let’z make zem feel what you did. Maybe zey will underztand your pain if we...take zomezing from zem.”

“Agreed.” With that,the twister seized the unconscious puppet zoner. Despite the group’s pathetic attempts, the twister ripped him away from his friends and soon dangled him several feet in the air. “Like this? Enjoy?”

“No! Please!” Rapsheeba called out. “Let him go!”

“Stop this!” Mrs. Sanchez shouted.

“If you don’t, I swear I’ll...” Snap started to say, his teeth clenching tightly together.

Von just sneered at them as he felt his chest become warmer with the feeling of absolute control. Yes...now this was more like it. “If you want your preciouz friend back...you will have to do what we zay. Fail to do zo, and I’m afraid your friend iz going to..have a little...aczident...” He watched with satisfaction as the color rapidly drained from their faces.


	47. Brokens

Rage and vengeance make for powerful tools, but also your worst enemy. So be careful when you try to wield them...

sss

“I can’t believe it. I was so close!” Vinnie snarled. He glared at the pillow before him, forming a fist with his hand and punching it hard. “Those stupid doctors!”

Vinnie’s breathing was quick, almost uncontrollable. He found it difficult to calm himself down. How could he be calm at a time like this anyway? How could he relax knowing what Dr. Von Doktor had done, and not being able to tell Terry about it? She deserved to know, didn’t she?

And yet when he tried to, the stupid doctors had stopped him. They had forced him out. He did recall that they had stricter rules there than most other hospitals, but...didn’t they take this a little too far? What was their protocol for when dire information was supposed to be delivered? Or was the hospital hiding a dark secret? Something that he wasn’t fully aware of yet?

He shook his head. No matter. It didn’t really make much of a difference now anyway. He wouldn’t be able to go back there at this point. It was too dark out. And frankly, he detested driving out at night. He wasn’t sure why. Just...something about it made him feel uncomfortable. He would have to wait until morning before he could see Terry. That was his only option.

Well that, and go to the police. He had thought about that, but he couldn’t remember if there was a limit to when he could go or not. He didn’t remember if the police station was open in the late hours of the night. Well he could always go and find out... except that he was none too interested in having another conflict in case he could not. No, he would rather just wait until tomorrow. Then he’d go to the station and talk to them. He might not have the best relationship with them, especially after that one incident, but they would have to listen to him if he brought news of a potential murderer, right? That would surely catch their attention more than his “wreck the park” incident a few months back.

Normally, Vinnie would have reacted to that memory. He remembered how humiliated and enraged he had been when his one chance at getting back into that chalk world was foiled by that kid. He knew those two brats had something to do with what had happened. And in the end, it was he who ended up arrested, instead of those two brats. It was that boy and girl who deserved getting arrested for interfering with his plans on building a theme park. But no one believed him of the children playing him for a fool.

But he digressed. Right now, that didn’t really matter. There was something more important on the horizon that needed to be taken care of first. And he knew those two children weren’t involved with this. Not only did it not make much sense to him, but the last he heard, those two weren’t exactly on good terms with Dr. Von Doktor. If anything, they could be his victims.

This thought gave him pause. Victims eh? He wondered if they were in trouble. And if they were, could he use this to his advantage? Maybe he could...

He shook his head. No, he wouldn’t resort to that. He might not like the kids much. but he still wouldn’t feel it was right to take back what was rightfully his through such a means. He would deal with them later. For now, he needed to do something to take care of Dr. Von Doktor. And that would have to wait until tomorrow, he reminded himself.

Well, now would be the perfect time to go to sleep. He was getting tired and a little groggy. He was not going to be able to think too much now, and his performance would be hindered.

Already in bed, he simply wriggled himself, kicking his legs a few times, and got the blanket to slip over his body. He pulled it and he curled up on his bed. He reached over and he turned the lantern off, shrouding himself in darkness. He closed his eyes and he went to sleep.

sss

The tall woman grumbled to herself. She knew it was late in the night, but she didn’t care. She wanted to get all of this typed up as soon as possible. The quicker she got this done the quicker she would feel more relaxed and be able to settle herself down.

The excitement rising inside of her...it was almost too much to bear. She wanted to jump and down with joy, but no, she couldn’t do that. There was still more work to be done. It was too early to say if all of this had worked. If she got herself overly excited and it all turned out for naught, she could just imagine the level of disappointment that would strike her. She wanted to avoid that.

She was typing furiously on the typewriter. Old fashioned and not really useful save for power outages, but a necessary annoyance. This reduced the chances of anyone finding the papers she was typing. Hand delivering them was even more annoying, but equally important. It was imperative that word of this did not get out to anyone.

She was well aware of what could happen if unauthorized people found out. Not only would she get into huge trouble, but she would be lucky to be simply reprimanded by her boss. However, as long as she was very careful, there shouldn’t be a problem.

And besides, this threat from two ends was not really different from what she had experienced before. This was the same danger she had placed herself in since day one of this operation. If she could handle several weeks of this work, if not longer, then a few more days shouldn’t really be much of an issue for her. The only thing that would screw her up at this point was if she allowed her own fears take her over and she slipped up that way.

So far, progress had been really good. No one knew of her or her group’s involvement with what has been going on. Even Dr. Von Doktor was left in the cold, thank goodness. It would have been more difficult to pull this off with that nutcase involved.

Well, not really nutcase. It did seem that he had been a little more than correct on weird anomalies being possible. She never would have imagined that it was the result of some chalk world. And that rectangular thing... If she and her comrades hadn’t set up the hidden cameras to spy on the old geezer, she never would have believed it herself.

She remembered how excited her boss got. They had spied on Dr. Von Doktor regarding this perpetual motion, to see if he really had been telling the truth. And for months, he was just trying tirelessly to replicate it. Her boss was about to shut down the operation, especially given its illegal status and how they were risking getting caught by the police.

And then came that day... When they had spotted a green creature in the man’s presence...

Ever since then, everything had changed.

Unsurprisingly, her boss wanted to know more about this creature and where it came from. No, not just him. They all did. They all discussed how this could change eveything, how they could find where these creatures came from, take them, turn them into workers. Or experiment or something. It wasn’t entirely decided upon what they were going to do, but that did little to slow down the excitement in the group. Dr. Von Doktor might have discovered it, but it would be they, not him, who would be the first to distribute this discovery to the world.

It would be almost a shame to have to yank the carpet from underneath Dr. Von Doktor. For all his hard work, he did deserve...something right? After all, it was his hard work that, for certain, caused that green creature to show up. Well his and that one woman.

But that was the very reason why he wasn’t going to be included. Before, her boss had considered sharing the discovery with Dr. Von Doktor. He had quickly changed his mind once word about what he did to that redheaded woman got out. Her boss had no intention on making any deal with that man now, especially after how far he had fallen down the insanity latter. So instead, given that they have footage, they will just have him arrested and take over his so-called ‘research’ themselves.

Hmm...but there was still those children and their family.. Her boss hadn’t yet decided what they were going to do with them. They were going to be quite the nuisance if left alone, though, especially given how the boy and the girl seemed so...protective of that world and those creatures. Their folks might be more manueverable, but the children...yes, something had to be done about them.

Well no need to worry about that now. They weren’t yet near that portion of the plan. They could worry about it a bit later.

She hissed when she snagged a finger on the keyboard. She pulled her hand away and shook it. She looked at her nail. She snarled when she saw that she had chipped it. Oh well, another trip to the nail salon for her later. She sucked on the finger for a second and then she returned to typing up her report.

A smile spread across her face. She couldn’t wait until everything had fallen into place. Soon, she and her fellow comrades would be rich and famous. So many people would flock to them. Even the scientists would be down on their knees, begging them for...well whatever came to mind. Nothing would ever be the same again.

sss

Inez glared at the man situated in front of them, wearing an arrogant smile on his face. She could feel her body shaking in anger, her mind swirling with thoughts as she watched them, unable to believe just how far he was willing to sink. To use a small and defenseless creature...er....zoner...or..person..whatever. It was still wrong and that man knew this.

Beside her, she could see Snap and Rapsheeba, both of whom were staring out at the scene in horror. They clearly wanted to rush over and try to help their friend. But they couldn’t leave their current spot without risking their friend.

She gnashed her teeth together, lowering her head and shutting her eyes. Her mind flashed back to how the man had used Penny to try to get some results. And now he was trying to do something similar using someone who looked like a child but was a lot younger and smaller. Did this man have no shame?

Apparently not. His nasty smile never faltered. He never once did anything to indicate that he felt the least bit sorry for what he was doing. All he did was stare at them and smirk, obviously waiting for them to give the answer he so hoped to hear. Inez certainly had an answer for him, but she refrained from saying it only because she knew that this man would certainly overreact and do something drastic.

She shifted her gaze towards Howdy, her eyes softening with concern and sympathy. The poor little guy was dangling loosely in the air, supported only by the twister’s tendril. Howdy’s body was limp and unmoving. She couldn’t even tell if he was still breathing from down here. He was being held so high up... And from that height, there was no way he was going to survive the fall. The twister would most certainly drop him, no...slam him into the ground. Crack his skull clean open...just like how Dr. Von Doktor had tried to do to him...

At this, she felt a wave of heated angere rush through her again. The horrible memory of that mean beating Howdy like that was fresh on her mind, and there was little chance that it was going to go away any time soon. She swiveled her head to Von, her lips curling back into a snarl.

“You...monster...” She hissed, her words cutting through the silence that fell upon them for the last several minutes.

Dr. Von Doktor frowned at this and tilted his head to one side. “Hmm... zat iz not zee anzwer I waz hoping for.”

Inez didn’t say anything. She jsut glared at him, as did Rapsheeba and Snap. When the twister made a slight move, they all flinched and took defensive postures, preparing for a possible attack. The twister, however, did not attempt to strike them, and appeared to have only been adjusting itself or perhaps making a gesture of its own.

Inez bared her teeth as she looked up at the twister. That thing was the only reason why they hadn’t tried to go after Von yet. If that stupid thing were gone, they could make their move. But how were they going to do that?

Von seemed to realize that she was trying to rapidly form a plan, and he laughed at what he would see as ‘pitiful’ attempts. “Whatever it iz you are going to try, I wouldn’t. Remember, I have zee upperhand right now.”

He waved his hand towards the twister. As if on cue, the twister gave Howdy a rough shake. This caused the two zoners to call out after him, begging the twister to stop. Inez watched this in horror, unable to believe this cruelty.

Then Von waved his hand, gesturing the twister to stop, and it immediately obeyed him. Von smirked arrogantly at Inez. “Make a move againzt me, and zat twizter will immediately crush your friend. You will not be able to get here fazt enough. Zo I wouldn’t try it if I were you. Got it?”

Inez hissed at this. But reluctantly, she and the zoners nodded their heads. This made Von smile, but he said not a word. He fell silent and stared at them, his arms folding against his chest expectantly. There was no doubt in their minds that this was the last time that Von was going to be nice enough to give them some time. If they fail to answer appropriately, they imagine that he would give an answer of his own.

She kept her glare on Von, but her mind wandered to the twister again. She couldn’t stop thinking about something that it had said earlier. It seemed to indicate that it believed them to be somehow involved with whatever happened to its creator. She wasn’t sure which creature that could be, but she realized that maybe that’s how they could get the twister away. If they couldn’t do it by force, then maybe they could simply turn the twister against Von.

But first, they would need to find out just who its creator was. She doubted they could do it simply by asking. Still, there was more than one way to get the information they needed.

Slowly, she began to smile. She ignored the confused expressions and questions from the two zoners. She just continued to stare at the man in the eyes, watching as his face softened up into confusion. He tilted his head to one side, frowning at her, waiting for her to say something. She did not disappoint him.

“I’m amazed that the twister had agreed to work with you. I would think that its creator was smart enough to stay away from you. But...perhaps its creator isn’t really so smart, after all.” Inez said. She heard a few gasps, but she didn’t care to look to see where they came from. She paid no mind to the bristling twister as she shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe its creator was some poor senile old person in a hospital. Or maybe an overactive two ear old.”

Von continued to stare at her in confusion. He hadn’t figured out what she was trying to do yet. “What are you doing..?”

But the meaning of what she said wasn’t lost on the twister. “Stupid! Take back!”

Inez turned her head up towards the tornado. She couldn’t stop the cold shiver from going up her spine. But she managed to hide her fear, keeping her arrogant smile plastered over her face. “Oh really now? Gee, then how come you are working with him?” She motioned towards Von. “Did your creator forget that he’s a nutjob? Or were they dropped on their heads when they were a baby?”

“Mrs. Sanchez...!” Rapsheeba hissed through clenched teeth, her hand gripping her shirt. “What are you doing...?!”

“Yeah! Are you trying to get us all killed?” Snap asked her, his eyes wide in horror.

Inez looked down at them. She gave them a reassuring smile. “It’ll be okay. Trust me.”

Snap cast a wary look towards the tornado, licking his lips nervously. “I’m not sure if I can completely believe you...”

Inez understood the zoners’ fears. Angering a sentient twister is probably...no...definitely a very insane and crazy thing to do. Inez knew that she was risking getting crushed to death. She was also risking the lives of the others with her. But she kept moving on with her plan, knowing that, if she did it right, it might lead them down the path of victory.

When the twister did not respond after a few moments, Inez took it upon herself to taunt it some more.

“What is wrong? Are you angry that I spoke the truth? Did I expose your creator for the fraud that they are? Did I reveal to you just how stupid they really were?”

The twister trembled at this. Its grip on Howdy was loosening up, and then it tightened. It began to squeeze Howdy hard, and Inez started to realize that she might have bitten off more than she could chew.

“Take back! Terry smart! Terry better! You nothing!” The twister rose Howdy up into the air, squeezing him even tighter.

“Wait! Stop! Don’t do that!” Snap cried out in horror.

“Please!” Rapsheeba joined in, her eyes bulging. “Y-You can’t...!”

Dr. Von Doktor looked up in shock as the twister was poised to strike the zoner against the ground. “Hey! I did not tell you to do zat yet! Lower him down at onze!”

But the tornado wasn’t listening to him at this point. Its full attention was on Inez. Inez gulped and took a step back, practically feeling it glare back at her despite having no eyes. She could feel her body trembling and her previous faux arrogance was gone.

The two zoners moved in closer to her. They followed her as she took a few steps back. Like her, they did not take their eyes off the twister. Despite that, she could feel their anger towards her, their auras practically burning her from the shere emotion.

“Now you’ve gone and done it!” Snap growled at her. “Way to go!”

Inez would have responded to them if she could. But right now, her mind was on full lockdown, staring at the twister in fear. She wondered if it really had been a mistake. Maybe she should have tried a different method. Maybe she and the zoners should turn around and leave, before the twister....

“Trash! Trash!” The twister roared when Inez remained quiet for too long. It immediately rushed forward, fully intent on tearing them apart. Inez let out a scream and she and the zoners huddled together as they waited for the blow.

Suddenly, there was heavy footfalls, pounding in the ground, some strong vibrations, and then a crash. Inez pulled her hands away from her head as she and the zoners turned their heads and looked over.

The scribble thing from before, the one that Howdy seemed to have arrived on the scene with, had gotten back up and was fighting again. It had slammed against the twister, knocking it back...somehow. Inez wasn’t going to question the logic of that. She could already feel her head starting to hurt from thinking about it.

On the ground, she noticed Howdy’s limp form. Snap and Rapsheeba had both taken immediate action and they raced towards their fallen friend. Von, pissed off by how things were progressing, tried to rush over. Frowning, Inez got in his way, blocking his path to the zoners.

“So...” Inez said coolly as realization dawned on her. “The tornado thinks that we were the ones who hurt Terry Bouffant...”

Dr. Von Doktor nodded his head once at this. “Zuch a brilliant tactic, don’t you zink?”

“It will backfire.” Inez said, her eyes narrowing. “Once that twister finds out it was you...do you think it is going to keep listening to you..?”

The man frowned. “What are you going to do about it?”

“What if one of us told the twister?” Inez asked softly, a tense tone in her voice, daring the man to take action. “What then?”

He blinked a few times. And then he smiled darkly at her. “I’d like to zee you try...”

Without warning, the man suddenly kneed her in the stomach. Her eyes flying open, Inez let out a yelp of pain and she fell down onto one knee. She held her stomach gently. She looked up just in time to see the man’s foot coming at her face. It struck the underside of her jaw. She yelped as she felt her teeth press against her tongue. She rolled back along the ground, skidding to a stop about three feet away.

She set up and rubbed her chin. Ow...for an old guy, he sure hit hard. She opened her eyes to glare at him, only to realize that he wasn’t there. She looked left and right, trying to find him, only to feel something against her throat. Her eyes widened as the man hooked his arm around her neck. She struggled to get free, but the man’s grip was like a vice.

“You really shouldn’t zpill your planz out in zee open.” Dr. Von Doktor hissed into her ear. “But zankz anyway. Now zat I know what you were zinking, I can put an end to it.” Inez flinched when she felt the man grip her head tightly. “Not a word of ziz will come from you.” And with that, the man began to twist her head.

Inez’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream. She was silenced as the man tightened the pressure around her neck, cutting off her air supply. She could feel her heart beating faster as she was being strangled and her neck slowly being broken at the same time. She struggled against the man’s grasp, her legs kicking against the ground windly. Her mouth remained wide open as she struggled to do the simple task of sucking in some air.

Her lungs practically felt like they were on fire. Her eyes bulged open wider as she kept trying to breathe. Each time, nothing but a raspy gurgle would come out. She tried to jerk herself from side to side, but as the seconds passed, she grew weaker and weaker. She could feel a sense of tiredness start to come over her, and her struggles decreased more.

The pain in her neck grew as the man continued to push her head at an odd angle. He took advantage of her weakening state and he applyed more pressure faster. Inez tried to fight back, but she was getting too tired and weak now to resist. Slowly, she shut her eyes, her head swirling from the lack of oxygen. She could feel the pain spread through her neck, but her rapidly weakening body made it impossible for her to fight back anymore. All she could do was lay there and wait for the end.

Suddenly, the man let out a loud scream and his grip on her released. The woman immediately lurched forward, holding herself up with her hand as she clutched her throat. She took in several gasps of air, gagging and rasping the whole time. She heard some crashing behind her, a yelp of pain, but for the moment, she hardly paid attention to it. She just stayed there on the ground, rubbing her throat, trying to catch her breath. Then finally, after she felt her heart race return to normal and her lungs’ fire being extinguished, she turned her head to see what had caused the man to release her.

The dogs had recovered from the blow earlier. They had descended upon Von and they were attacking him, just like they had before. This time, the woman, too shaken up by what almost happened to her, didn’t try to stop the dogs. The man’s cries of pain filled her head, but she could not react to it.

However, it turned out she didn’t need to. The dogs had seemed to remember what she had told them before. While they were rougher this time around, with the blood that started to form, they didn’t try to tear his throat out. They just held him there, their eyes staring over at her expectantly, as if they were hoping that she would give the word to kill.

Inez realized, in that moment, just how much she control she had of the situation now. It was like before, only this time, she had more of an opening to actually finish the man off. The idea was tempting... But she still fought back that idea. It would not do her much good. It would just make the twister even angrier at them, and then it would be even less likely to listen to them when they try to tell it the truth about what happened to Terry.

But...since the man was tied up at the moment, perhaps now would be a good time to inform the twister. She was certain it would be rather...interested in what she had to say.

Turning her head to the twister, Inez shouted at it. “Hey you!”

The twister, which had pinned the scribble creature against the wall, shifted its body around. Inez would tell that it was now looking straight at her. The scribble creature was struggling to get free, but it was clear that the twister was much stronger. “What?”

Inez hesitated for a moment. If this creature could shoot fire beams, she knew that she would be toast right about now. She licked her lips nervously. Then, gathering up as much courage as she could, she spoke, “I have something I need to say to you!”

“What for? Why interest? Nothing important.” The twister seemed to almost shrug its shoulders. Well if it had any, that is. “Give reason. Why care?”

Inez narrowed her eyes. “It has to do with your creator.”

The tornado seemed to stiffen at this. “Insult. Kill.” It said in a threatening tone of voice.

“No...I have something even better to tell you.” Inez said. She straightened herself up. “I think you will find it quite interesting...”

“No...Don’t you fucking dare!” Dr. Von Doktor yelled at her. He struggled harder against the dogs’ grasp. “If you do, I’ll....!” The man let out a yelp as one of the dogs gripped his throat, biting hard enough to silence him.

The twister seemed to stare at her for several moments, regarding her with some level of curiosity. It then released the scribble creature and moved slowly towards her. Soon it stood, or rather, whirled, several feet in front of her. It remained there for several moments, staring at her intently. Inez remained where she was, staring back, doing what she could to hide her fear.

The twister then made a motion, and it spoke a single, hissed word. “Tell.”

“It wasn’t us who hurt your creator.” Inez pointed at the pinned man. “It was him. He is the reason that your creator is not here.”

At this, the twister seemed to freeze. It didn’t reply for several moments. It just looked down at her, as if it were trying to process this information. Without any kind of facial expression, the woman was unable to determine if this thing actually believed her or not, or what it was thinking at all. All she could do was stand there and wait, hoping that the twister would take the bait.

She took a moment to cast a quick glance down at Dr. Von Doktor. The man was looking at her with a slighlty horrified, mostly angered, expression. Now his face, she could read just fine. The man was shocked by what she had just accomplished. She couldn’t help but smirk at him slightly. She wondered how the man felt with him beginning to lose control of the situation.

The twister still hadn’t replied yet. Instead, it had begun to circle around them slowly. The winds around it slowed down. Not enough to completely stop. They were still dangerous to get too close to. But the twister almost seemed like it was trying to be as gentle as it could as it moved around them almost like a hawk circling its prey. Inez didn’t say another word. She hardly moved. She slowly turned her head, adjusting it so she could watch the twister’s movements. She gritted her teeth, unable to shake off the tension that started to rise inside of her.

She had to wonder, just what was on the twister’s mind? What was it thinking right now? Was it believing her when she said that Dr. Von Doktor was the one who hurt its creator? Or was it angered that she dare try to suggest such a thing? She wasn’t sure just how close the twister was to Von, or how easily it would turn against the evil man.

Finally, after what felt like an hour or more, the twister stopped its circling. It positioned itself directly beside where Dr. Von Doktor was. Its body bent forward slightly. Inez realized that she no longer felt the sensation of being watched, and she knew that the man must be the twister’s current recipiant of its stare. The man slowly turned his head up, the dog’s jaws no longer on his throat to silence him. There was an unidentified expression in the man’s eyes.

“...True...?” The twister finally said after several moments. “Do that...?”

Dr. Von Doktor didn’t answer for several seconds. He simply stared at the twister, his mouth partially open, breathing in and out slowly. At first, it almost seemed as though the man was going to cave in, realizing that he had utterly lost.

But when he started to smile a little, Inez was taken aback. This was not the expression she imagined the man getting. She bit her lip, wondering what this was going to mean. She casted a wary glance at the twister and then looked back at Von. What did this man have up his sleeve now?

Von shook his head slowly, chuckling despite the pain of the teeth inside him. “Oh nize try, you ztupid woman.” He gave her a sideways glance. “But your little liez are zo...obviouz...” Inez widened her eyes at this. Von looked up at the twister. “Do you really zink she iz telling zee truz? It iz obviouz zat she iz juzt trying to pazz zee guilt onto me, probably to help her feel better about what she did, what she waz involved iz.”

The twister looked at Inez, and back at Von. “Lie? Pass guilt?”

Von nodded his head in confirmation. “She iz lying to you. It waz she who planned zee whole zing.”

“What?! No! I didn’t!” Inez shouted, her eyes wide in horror. “I-I would never do something like that!”

The old scientist chuckled coldly at this. “Zee? Only zomeone az guilty as her would react zat way. She iz trying to manipulate you, get you to turn againzt me.” His dark smile broadened further. “Maybe you should show her what happenz when she mezzez wiz your creator.”

The twister needed no further prompts. It didn’t even speak, a sign of how angry it must be at this point. As it advanced on her, Inez backed away quickly, shaking her head, waving her hands out in front of her.

“N-No..please...I didn’t do it...”

But despite her pleas, the twister did not listen. If anything, they only seemed to make it angrier with her. Enraged by the fact that it believed that she did something that she did not do... Inez knew there was no reasoning with the twister now. Not unless a miracle happened, not unless the twister saw Dr. Von Doktor hurting her creator, there was absolutely nothing that could be done except fight back.

But how was she going to fight a twister? How was she going to stop it from attacking her? There was the scribble creature, but it keeps getting weakened with every fight. She wasn’t even sure how long it would last this time. And the zoners she was with...it was too dangerous for them.

She suddenly snagged her foot on a raised rock. Her eyes widened as she slipped her leg out from underneath her. She instantly lost her balance and she hit against the ground, letting out a yelp of pain. She raised her head up and rubbed it, groaning. She instantly froze in fear when she looked up and saw just how close the twister was to her now. She could feel the dust all around her being picked up as the twister got as close as it could without pulling or pushing her away into the air.

Inez was silent, clenching her teeth tightly, as she looked into the creature’s eyes, or rather, where they would be. She pushed herself back, turning her head to the side. She didn’t bother trying to run; she would not get far.

After a few moments, the twister finally spoke to her. “Monster. Liar. Pay.”

Inez shivered at this statement. She could tell just how serious the twister was about what it said. If it had eyes, they would be glowing right now, bathing her in the wrath of the twister. “Y-You’ve got it all wrong. I-I’m not the one who...”

“Stop lying!” The twister boomed. One of its tendrils, larger than normal, raised above her. “Pay!” The end of the tendril enlargened and formed that the woman could best describe as a large fist. “Die!”

The woman let out a scream. With tears of fear forming in her eyes, feeling trapped, she raised her hands above herself in a pitiful attempt to protect herself from the attack. She shut her eyes and waited for the blow.

This time, there was nothing to stop the attack. Inez felt a shockwave of pain as the twister struck her against her side. The force of the impact knocked her several feet away. She rolled across the ground, skidding a stop. She let out a groan as she smashed against some of the machinery, bending it under the force and ther weight.

She laid across one of the machines, her head lowered. She kept her eyes shut as she whimpered in pain. She felt as though several bones had been cracked. Tears stained her cheeks. She found it impossible to stop crying. The only thing she could do was open up one eye weakly and look over at her attacker.

She watched in horror as the twister began to advance on her. She struggled to get up. The immense pain in her side stopped her, as well as the machinery she was on. The edge, it was too slick for her to get any footing on. Her legs ended up slipping out from under her. She tried using her hands to push, only to call out in pain when the rough edge moved along her side. She froze for a few moments, shuddering in agony. Then she returned her attention back to the twister.

There was no way she was going to get away from this. As she watched the twister prepare another attack, one that she knew she would most likely not survive, she knew that all she could do was wait. She was not going to be able to dodge this. Letting out a weak whimper, she shut her eyes and turned her head to the side.

Suddenly, she felt something grab onto her ankle. She widened her eyes in surprise, but before she could look down to see who or what it was, she was yanked roughly backwards. She let out a shout of surprise as she was flung back and she landed on the ground a few feet away. She heard a rush of air as the twister tried to attack her again, but the first thing that was on her mind was the immense pain.

Having landed on her side, she howled in pain and agony. She quivered on the ground, her feet kicking out as she tried to get away. Some of her chemical burns had gotten worse, having been rubbed raw and bleeding a little now. She shut her eyes, feeling more tears come forth. She opened them and looked up at what was going on around her.

Her relief that Von was still pinned down did little to help her as confusion and fear settled in. The twister was still up, still coming towards her. But this time, she wasn’t alone. One of the zoners, Snap, had rushed to her aid and he now stood in front of her defensively.

But he wasn’t alone. There was someone else there with him. Through her pain, the woman crained her head back to see who it was. She widened her eyes in shock when she saw not Rapsheeba, like she had expected, but instead someone she did not expect.

“T-Tilly...?” She whispered. Then, the pain getting to her, unable to stay awake for any longer, the woman collapsed on the ground, shutting her eyes.

sss

“Inez!” Tilly cried in horror as she stared down at the woman’s unconscious form. She shook her, trying in vain to wake her up. But nothing she did worked. “Oh no...”

Snap cast her a sympathetic glance. He could not blame her for such a reason. He, too, was rather shocked by what happened. He looked down at where the woman was, biting his lip nervously. When he noticed her ribs still rising and falling, he let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t worry, she still has a chance.” He said, reassuring the woman.

Tilly stared at Inez for a few moments. She then turned to Snap nodded her head. “Yeah..you’re right.” She looked over at the twister. “Now...what about that?”

Snap narrowed his eyes at the twister. He took a defensive stance. “Whatever we can...”

Snap wasn’t really sure what they could do against the twister. But he wasn’t willing to just stand around and do nothing. He was certain there was some kind of way in order to turn it against Von. Once the twister saw what Von had done to his creator, like how Inez was clearly planning, he agreed that the twister would not be so keen on helping that man out.

Snap still couldn’t get over the shock of Tilly showing up. He had not expected it, and neither did Rapsheeba, and clearly not Mrs. Sanchez, either. It was such a massive coincidence and stroke of such luck, that if he tried to make sense of how it was possible, he was likely to just get a headache.

So he didn’t bother to question it. Right now, it wasn’t important to know how this woman came here, how she found out where they were, or anything like that. He could always ask questions later. Right now, he was just immensely relieved to have another ally with them. Tilly’s arrival was having a positive effect so far. They were able to save Mrs. Sanchez from being crushed and it opened up an opportunity for Rapsheeba to flee with Howdy to get him to the hospital. She didn’t want to leave, but Snap insisted, telling her Howdy wouldn’t make it otherwise. After some discussion, much to his relief, Rapsheeba did leave.

He casted a worried glance over to the scribble creature. That thing was the only one who could take the sentient twister in a fight, but it was apparently losing. Snap couldn’t recall one moment where it gained the upperhand. He wondered if it would function better if Sophie was here, but..no.. He couldn’t bring that little toddler in this fight.

Though at a loss of what to do, he still remained in front of Penny’s mother, trying to do what she could to shield her from the twister. Even if it meant taking a blow for her to delay the inevitable, he was prepared to do it. She was the mother of one of his best friends, after all. It was the last he could do.

The twister stopped trying to approach them, and instead it froze several feet away. It seemed to regard them with some interest, slowly circling them. It almost gently ripped up some of the machines and moved them out of the way, creating room for itself as it circled them like a hawk. Snap and Tilly tensed their bodies up, preparing for an attack. The twister didn’t try to, however, seeming content on just watching them.

“Involved, too?” It asked in an eerily calm voice. “Hurt creator?”

Snap frowned at this. Even when he and Rapsheeba were trying to treat Howdy and wake him up, the words of that vile man were not lost on him. “No. We did not hurt your creator.”

“Liar too.” The twister hissed softly.

Snap shook his head. “No. We speak the truth.”

“It is Dr. Von Doktor who is lying.” Tilly placed a hand against herself. “We would never do such a thing to her. Yeah..we didn’t like her that muh. But we wouldn’t...”

The twister cut her off. “Not like? Motivation.”

“What? No! It’s not like that!” Tilly cried out. She took a step forward. Her expression changed to that of pleading. “Please, if you let me, I can prove to you that...”

“Enough lying...” The tornado’s voice darkened, moving forward quickly and stopping abruptly. This caused Tilly and Snap to move back quickly, both worried, in that moment, that they were going to be attacked. The twister regarded them again for a few moments. Then it said, “Old man. Not like. But ally. Help me. You liars. You trick. Not fall for it.”

Snap took in a few quick breaths. Despite the fact that the twister hadn’t threatened them in that sentence, he could just feel the intensity of those words, and the hidden meaning behind them. It was clear that this twister was not going to listen to them.

He looked over at Tilly. He couldn’t help but feel some confusion in the mix. Just what kind of proof did she have? How could any of them prove Von’s involvement? He found himself quite curious about this. But he had to resist the temptation to ask. Now wasn’t the time for that.

“C-Come on... At least hear me out.” Tilly begged the twister. Snap could detect the level of desperation in her voice. “I just want to show you something. Why can’t you just...”

“Lies. Not fall.” The twister’s winds seemed to be picking up now. Snap and Tilly tensed up, huddling closer to the fallen vet as they braced themselves. “Take care. Now. Not wait.” The twister growled at them menacingly. Two large tendrils shot out from its sides. They formed the shape of large drills. “Take care now!”

Snap widened his eyes in horror as he watched the twister prepare to strike him and Tilly. He glanced over at her, exchanging a look of fear with her. He then looked down at the unconscious Mrs. Sanchez. There was no way they could move her out of the way in time. He looked over at the twister, watching as it was poised to strike. He gulped nervously, his heard pounding against his chest. Time was running out.

Suddenly, he heard a loud scream from far off to the side. He and Tilly turned their heads over and they would see the dogs had started to get rougher with the man. Snap wasn’t sure if it was because of what was happening with them or if the dogs simply lost their patience. But at the moment, they were biting the man harder, their teeth ripping into his flesh more. The sight of blood horrified Snap and Tilly. They would have told the dogs to stop, but they were too frozen to really think of doing anything.

But the twister seemed to know what to do. It turned its ‘head’ towards the dogs. It remained there for a few seconds. Then, silently, it began to move towards them. Snap sighed in relief that the twister was leaving him and Tilly alone for the time being. But...what about the dogs...?

The twister didn’t bother saying anything to the dogs. It didn’t pause to stare at them. It didn’t even look like it had any sort of plan. It just..moved towards the dogs. Then it stopped several feet away. Now it seemed to just be staring at them, but even then, there was...something off about the way it stood. Snap couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Then there was a sudden rush of air. Snap gritted his teeth as he felt himself being pushed back. He raised his arms over his head, as did Tilly, and he watched through clenched teeth what was going on.

To their horror, the dogs were being swept up into the air. Sucked into a vortex and spun around as if they were in a gigantic blender. The dogs yipped and whimpered as the twister cruelly spun them around. Snap and Tilly let out a shout of shock and disbelief. They begged the twister to let the dogs go. After all, they were just animals. They weren’t involved with this.

As this happened, Snap heard a faint ground. Out of the side of his eye, he could see that Dr. Von Doktor was climbing up to his feet. He took quick note of his injuries. Several bite marks mostly. His white lab coat was a little torn now, stained with blood. Snap narrowed his eyes at this. At least that was going to slow the man down for a little while.

A loud yelp and crash caught his attention. He whipped his head over and he gasped when he saw that the dogs had been slammed into the ground. Tilly was a few steps in front of him, her hand out. She must have tried again to stop the twister. But it was too late... Snap looked down to see the dogs. Or rather...what was left of them.

The dogs were broken apart. The bodies were hardly in tact, with parts having been disconnected from them. There was a ton of blood on the ground, staining the rocks. There were some chunky stuff that he realized was organs. He put his hand over his mouth, resisting the urge to throw up the best he could, the horrible smell and sight taunting him with its gruesome imagery.

Snap could feel his body trembling as he stared at the dogs’ remains, unable to tear his eyes away from it. Despite not knowing the dog zoners for long, he couldn’t help but start to cry for them. The fact that they had been killed so senselessly...

Snap shot a glare over at the tornado, his blood heating up. His previous sadness and shock gave way to the rage he felt inside. Forming fists with his hands, he started to advance towards the twister. He heard Tilly call out for him, but he ignored her. In that moment, he didn’t care about the fact that he stood no chance against the twister. Right now, all he could think of was how angery he was at what the twister had done. He gnashed his teeth together, nearly feeling him start to break.

“You...how could you...?!” Snap snarled at the twister. The swirling wind merely glanced at Snap, staring at him quietly. The lack of an answer infuriated Snap further. “They didn’t do anything to you!” He took a step forward, holding up a fist. “And you...you hurt them! You killed them! You monster!”

The twister gave a shake, as if angered by Snap’s accusation. “They first. Attack first. Aattack ally. React. Defend.”

Although a part of Snap knew that the twister was right, that the dogs had hurt Von, which prompted the attack, in that moment, he didn’t care. He pushed that thought aside as he took more steps towards the twister. “And you accusing us of huring your precious creator.. You won’t even listen to us!”

“Course. Lies. Not fall.” The twister said coldly. “Why listen? Why lie?”

Snap shook his head furiously. “Because we aren’t lying, you monstrous creepazoid!”

The twister quivered at this. “Call me monster? You worse!”

Snap bristled. “We’re not the ones who cruelly smashed...”

Snap getting get a chance to finish. He let out a yelp of surprise when he felt someone grab him from behind. He was yanked up into the air and pressed against something solid and warm. He was so shocked by this, he didn’t attempt to struggle at first. It was only when he heard the voice did he realize that he should probably try to get away.

“Hold it right zere...” Von hissed into his air. “Why don’t you juzt...calm down..?”

Snap immediately began to struggle. He thrashed around in the man’s arms, flailing his hands, struggling to free himself. The man merely hung onto him tighter. Snap continued to strike at him, but that did little to deter the man. It only seemed to make his situation worse. The man’s grip on him was getting tighter, and it got to the point where he was starting to have some trouble breathing.

“Oh no, I wouldn’t do zat if I were you.” The man said to him in a low, harsh voice. “Maybe it won’t turn out zo well for you, right?”

Snap kicked his legs wildly, his eyes bulging, his mouth open as he struggled to take a breath. He grabbed onto the man’s wrists and tried to pull them down. In that moment, he realized why Mrs. Sanchez had a hard time freeing herself. This man, he was quite strong. Snap didn’t know if he could...

“Let him go!” Tilly shouted as she charged forward. Snap felt relief when a weight struck against them, forcing Von to let go. “Leave him alone!”

Snap gripped his throat and gagged a few times. He shook his head and he looked up towards towards the man, who was being held by Tilly. He watched as the woman managed to subdue the man, though just barely. Unlike Mrs. Sanchez, Tilly was clearly more strongly built. Her hands and warms looped around the man’s body, holding him mostly in place.

He flinched when the woman started to use the man’s wounds against him. She placed pressure against an arm wound. Not too much. Just enough to cause him pain; it did slow him down. The man’s knees buckled and soon he was on the ground. Tilly got onto his back and used her weight to hold him down more.

Snap stared at her in shock, unable to believe what she had been able to accomplish. He stared to make his way over, until he realized that he forgotten about the twister.

He was suddenly yanked upward. He let out a scream of surprise as an air current wrapped around him and sucked him up into the air. He soon found himself levitated above the ground. Much like the dogs, albeit slower, he was moving around in a constant circle. Normally, this would make him feel sick, but his fear and shock of what was happening was enough to override that fear. At least for the time being.

“Snap!” Tilly cried out in shock.

Snap looked at Tilly, watching her as he spun around and around. She tried to get over to him, but it was clear she was afraid to let go of Dr. Von Doktor. And there was something else; the twister was raising him a little higher, threatening to smash him into the ground if she dare take a step forward. Tilly froze, looking conflicted on what to do. Then she frowned and she tightened her grip on Von. There was a creepy flash in her eyes, and Snap realized what she was threatening to do.

Snap gulped nervously, his heart beginning to race. He realized that they were both in a deadlocked state. She and the twister had hostages. Both of them were trying to blackmail the other into stepping down. And from the looks of it, both were willing to cause bodily harm if the other did not comply.

But Snap knew that the twister would not back down. There was no way that it would. It would continue to hold onto him tightly, waiting for the woman herself to back down. But Tilly wouldn’t either. She was dead set determined on making the twister be the first one to relent. It took the small zoner only seconds to know what was going on.

They were at a checkmate. An impasse. A blocked off crossroads. Only one will make it through. The only question was...which one was it going to be?

sss

Of course he would be sent out here at this late of night. Of course his boss couldn’t wait. Of course he had to have it all done right now. It wasn’t like his boss liked to wait until a more appropriate time. Like, you know, daylight, when the sun was out and shining. No, it all had to be done right now. No exceptions. There was nothing that he could do to change his boss’s mind.

He didn’t know why he couldn’t have have, dunno, an easier job. Like typing up the report that his sister was working on. Oh she had it so easy. She complained about it, though. He scoffed. If he wanted to trade jobs, he’d be more than happy to obligue.

The man didn’t know why his boss wented to send him here anyway. Didn’t he already send someone here to begin with? Yeah, there was that one woman whom he insisted come here. She was confused as well, but she had obligued and came. Couldn’t she just hadnle this on her own? Why did he himself have to come here?

Well his boss was always for being thorough. Once he had had an idea in his head, it was difficult to make him stop until he got what he wanted. He often sent multiple people on the same mission, hoping that it would, somehow, improve progress, speed it up. He had no idea if it really worked or not, but he was not in any position to question his boss. Due to how sketchy their operation was, and all the illegal stuff they were doing, he couldn’t go against his boss. The police were the least of his problems; his boss would rather kill him on sight than let him have any chance to interact with the law enforcement.

Well he might as well get this over with. His boss had an idea of what was going on, and he wanted him to do something in case it was. It was such a stupid and random thing, and he didn’t know why he had to come here for it. If this chalk world really did exist... Okay so it did. He had seen the footage. But didn’t it work anywhere? Why did he have to come here for...

Oh well, it didn’t really matter now at this point. He was here now and he might as well do what he was told.

Wandering through this building was rather spooky. Darkness everywhere as many of the lightbulbs had finally burned out. Pesky shields blocking his path. It was a good thing that his boss took the liberty of stealing the key combination from Dr. Von Doktor. With that idiot’s code, bypassing the shields became a snap. Now it was just a matter of finding the right room. Now where did that idiot hold those people hostage...?

Ah yes, there it was. He smirked as he walked towards the shut doors. He grabbed onto it and tugged a few times. Stuck. Oh well. That wasn’t a problem. He simply typed in the key combination and it opened up just fine. He slammed it open and walked into the room.

He could smell some weird stuff in the air. He could tell the chalkboard had been used. He could tell the piece of machinery in here had been relatively recently occupied.

Yep, Dr. Von Doktor had been here.

He grimaced at the thought of that wretched man. He couldn’t believe he had to work along side him for a while. Those were rather uncomfortable memories. The man was such a pain to work with. That was part of the reason he was willing to work for his new boss. It gave him a chance to get back at Dr. Von Doktor for all the idiocy that he had to put up with.

He then stopped in front of the chalkboard. He thought back to what was discovered on the cameras. If the truth had been spoken, then anything he drew...it would become real in this other world. The idea was horrifying, but also fascinating. He could feel himself quake in excitement.

Well enough standing around, doing nothing. It was time to get to work. He raised up his magic chalk and he quickly sketched something on the chalkboard. He took a step back to admire it, and make sure he got all the details right. He then shut his eyes tightly, concentrating hard. A few moments later, he erased the object. He coughed a few times as dust kicked up into the air. He then took a step back and folded his arms against his chest, a smirk spreading across his face.

“I’m not sure if this will work or not.” The man whispered to himself. Then he chuckled. “But if it does... I hate to be you, Dr. Von Doktor.”

With that, having his mission accomplished, he turned and walked away, having no fear of security as he had disabled it beforehand. He needed to report back to his boss. He was going to be so pleased.

sss

Dr. Von Doktor couldn’t help but smile at this insane predicament that they were all on. He didn’t even care that he was being pinned down by a woman. He didn’t care that he was in pain, or that this wasn’t first time that he had been subdued like this. The only thing that was on his mind was the fact that they were all in a very interesting situation.

A deadlock between a woman and a twister, and neither of them were budging. It was so amusing, he almost laughed.

It was pretty pathetic how the woman and zoner seemed so determined to prove to the twister that he had anything to do with what happened to Terry. Naturally, the twister rejected what they had said. After what he told the twister, there was no way that it was going to find out what had happened. So there was really nothing to worry about.

However, he did feel some concern at the moment. How was he going to get much done with him being held like this? He needed to figure out something to get himself out of this situation. He needed to regain the upperhand, and this time, actually keep it. At least he didn’t have those stupid dogs to worry about anymore. They were now dead. And the scribble creature hadn’t tried to attack again. He didn’t know if it admitted defeat, if it was waiting, if it was dead, too. But for the moment, he had a chance to pull things back to his side. And he was going to seize it.

But exactly how he was going to do this... He wasn’t entirely sure yet. He would figure out something, somehow. He just...needed time. That’s all. Just a little bit of time.

“Let go. Give back. Or kill.” The twister threatened. It raised Snap up even higher. The small zoner was squirming, kicking his legs about.

Tilly hissed, digging her nails into Von. He let out a small yelp of surprise and pain. “Not until you give back my friend.”

“F-Friend...?” Von found himself chuckling. “Do you really believe zat? You...You hardly know zat little c-c-creature...!” He stopped speaking when Tilly squeezed his neck a little harder. “Waz zat really nezezzary?!” He managed to speak.

Tilly hissed at him. “Call off your tornado! Then I’ll let you go!”

Von stared at her, blinking his eyes a few times. He contemplated saying all kinds of comebacks to her. But he stopped himself. Perhaps this would be a good way to regain the upperhand. Obviously, he couldn’t do much laying around here, behind held by this idiotic woman. Yeah...he should change tactics a little.

Turning his head over to the tornado, he nodded his head once. “Do az she zayz.”

This caused them to stare at him in shock. The woman spluttered, struggling to find something to say, but no coherent words could be heard. Snap was looking at him like he lost his mind. The twister shook once, startled as well by what the man said.

But, as shocked as it was, the twister did not question him. And, slowly, reluctantly, it let go of Snap. The zoner let out a cry as he was lowered, then casually dropped onto the ground. The man, despite his feelings for Snap, couldn’t help but flinch as the zoner hit the hard surface, turning his head away from the sight. He then felt relief as the woman let go of him and rushed over towards Snap, obviously not wanting to put herself back into that checkmate situation.

Von and the twister returned to each other’s sides. They watched as Tilly helped Snap up to his feet. The two looked at each other for a few moments, and then they turned back towards him and the twister. In that moment, the uncomfortable tension returned, and they were back in the face off, each practically daring the other to make a move.

Von narrowed his eyes as he watched them carefully, wondering how he was going to deal with them. He didn’t know how much time he had, how long it would take for the stick figure, if it was still active, to make a move. He didn’t know if there were any other allies he should be aware of. Whatever he and the twister decided to do, they would have to do it quickly, before it was too late.

“Sooner or later, Von...” Tilly said, breaking the silence. “That twister will know the truth of what happened. You can’t keep lying to it forever.”

The twister bristled at this, its body shaking. Von smirked as he stared up at the twister. It still believed his words. It still thought that these fools were the ones who harmed his creator, and it was infuriated by what it perceived as lies. He wondered for a split moment if that was something Terry intended, or if it was a part of its personality that it had developed on its own.

He turned back to the two. He couldn’t help but laugh at their useless efforts to try to lure the tornado away from him. They must know that their efforts will not work. He had seen the look in their eyes. And yet..they still tried. Oh how they tried... But in the end, it all meant nothing. That twister had no intention on listening to them, and he decided now would be a good time to try to twist the knife in further.

“Do you really zink you can come here and lie to uz like zat? Ezpecially after the way you had blinded Terry?” Von told them. He narrowed his eyes at them, pretending to be angry. They glared back, gritting their teeth. He tried his best not to laugh at them. “But zat waz not enough, waz it? You had to zkin her alive, too, didn’t you?”

At this, Tilly and Snap’s faces paled in horror. Whether or not this was them believing his words or being shocked that he’d say that didn’t matter. It still got the desired result from the twister. An angry howl, a rush of wind, and a clear bloodlust in its voice as it spoke.

“What?!”

“B-But...” Snap stammered.

Von cut him off before the shocked zoner could continue. “And zen you dumped her on the zide of zee ztreet. Just laid her zere to die, didn’t you?”

“What?! No!” Tilly shook her head. “Why are you saying such things?! You know for a fact that we...”

“Silence!” The tornado snarled at them. It moved a little closer, its ‘head’ bowed menacingly. “Monsters. Crush. Kill. You pay...”

“Now wait...” Dr. Von Doktor raised his hand up. “Maybe we could use zis to our advantage.” He said as he smiled up at the twister. Noting the twister’s confused movements, he elaborated. “Zink about it. We know what zey did, but the polize in my world doez not.”

“It’s not your world!” Tilly cried out.

Von ignored her. “I know you could do zo much to zem. Well zo could the polize. In fact, zey could do worze...”

The twister paused for a moment. “Point?”

“Zee point iz, we could...” Von turned his head slightly, staring over at Tilly and Snap. “...keep zem in a deadlock. At our merzy...” He gave the twister a sideways glance. “Zat iz better zan zimply killing zem off, wouldn’t you agree...?”

The twister regarded him for a moment. It seemed to switch between looking at him, their foes, and back at him. Von waited for its answer. He knew what it was going to be anyway. He saw little reason for why the twister would go against him. The idea of getting better revenge on them by forcing them into permanent submission... That was far better than just simply killing them off. How could the twister resist?

“Okay then.”

Dr. Von Doktor smiled darkly at this. He knew the twister would agree with him. It was so easily manipulated. Though he still felt a pang of fear at its capabilities, for now, it was puddy under his thumb. He turned and sneered over at Tilly and Snap as he watched their horrified expressions. Everything had fallen back into his hands once more.

But he could not celebrate for long. He needed to take action, before something else could go wrong. He looked up at the twister and then motioned his hand out towards Tilly and Snap. He opened his mouth to bark an order, his eyes narrowed in determination. He was about to speak when something caught his and the others’ attention.

Without warning, a loud static sound swept through the cave. He clutched his head as the sound buzze aroudn his skull, echoing repeatedly. The twister was unaffected, but Snap and Tilly were reacting to the sound as well.

Von clutched his teeth as he tried to ride out the sound. Just what was this? What the hell was going on? He glared over at the scribble creature, but it was still down. He then looked over at Snap and Tilly. He thought, at first, maybe one of them pulled a fast one, but neither of them looked as if they could be responsible for this. But if it wasn’t them, then what was going on...?

Then he saw it. Something was flying towards them. It was small, round, a flying ball of sorts. There were several flashing lights on it. It kept moving forward, creating a futuristic bubbly sound as it did so. It soon stopped in front of him and the twister. It appeared to regard them.

With a loud beep and a flash, it said in a clearly robotic voice, “Target confirmed. Autoplay footage.”

“Autoplay footage?” Tilly said softly. She looked down at Snap. “What is it doing?”

“I think it’s going to playback something for Von, but..I don’t know what.” Snap said, sounding just as confused as the woman. “I don’t think he made this thing. But if he didn’t, then who did...?”

That was something that Von wished he knew. He was so confused, he could not answer the twister’s questioning statements. He just stared at the sphere, wondering what purpose it had here, and who could have sent it.

Then there was a click and the ball opened up. Arms shot out from its side, each ending with a spinning hook. Von let out a cry of surprise and moved back, waiting for it to attack. But instead of doing that, the ball’s hands started to trace a line in the air. Neon light appeared, sparkling and flashing as the bright sheet of green filled the air. Then the ball began to do what it stated it would, and footage began to play on its green screen.

Dr. Von Doktor inhaled a sharp breath, his face losing lots of color shades. He couldn’t believe what was on the screen. He could feel a sharp pain in his chest, his heart rate quickening along with his breathing. He looked up warily at the twister as the footage played, and he took a few steps back.

The footage was of him hurting Terry. No sound, but it was very clear what was going on.

Before the man could get too far, the twister, with a sudden fury, rounded on him. It slammed him against the wall and held him up there. Von struggled to get himself free, but soon he dangled there, staring at the twister in horror, his mouth open and breathing in and out quickly.

“You...!”

“N-No..pleaze...I...” Von begged the twister, cold horror washing through his body. “I-I didn’t mean to...I...”

The twister snarled at him. “You...lied...! You dead!”

The man let out a whimper of fear as he turned his head away, waiting for the twister to make its deadly blow.


	48. Avenges

Don’t keep your enemies closer.

sss

Everything was happening so fast. There was little time to react, no time to think. The pressure against his body increased. He shut his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth as he struggled to cope with the pain. Despite knowing it was useless, he tried to grab onto the tendrils and pull them from himself. It didn’t work, naturally, and he was left dangling high above the ground.

“Urgh...pleaze...let me go...”

His voice was raspy at this point. The tornado had applied pressure to his neck. Not enough to silence him or make him unable to breathe, but it was enough to prevent him from talking. His wide, bulging eyes stared at the tornado in fear.

The old scientist kicked out his legs in desperation, hoping that, somehow, he would be able to free himself. But no matter how much he squirmed around, there was literally nothing he could do to get out of the tornado’s grasp. His eyes darted left and right, his mind racing. There...there had to be someway out of here. Someway to get the twister back on his side. Someway to save his own life. That’s what was important right now. And if it meant lowering his dignity, then he’d do it.

But no...there was no way the twister would listen to him now. That stupid machine, it had exposed him for what he had done. It all seemed too coincidental and he realized there had to be someone else working with these guys. Or at the very least, someone who really wanted to get their filthy mits on his discovery. Well he wasn’t going to allow that. So long as he was still around and still breathing, he was not going to allow that to happen.

“They truthful. You lie. You monster! How dare! You hurt creator!” The tornado yelled at him. Von let out a yelp of pain as the tornado shook him a little and slammed him against the wall. Its fist was still raised. The fact that it hadn’t struck yet baffled the scientist. Was it just trying to mess with his head a little? “How could? How could...?!”

Von let out a soft whimper as the tornado increased the wind power around itself. He could hear the sound of creaking, and some of the machines were being pushed away. He also noticed that the others had disappeared. Did they abandon him? No wait, he could see them. They were hiding away somewhere, probably to save their own skins. He furrowed his eyes at this. What a bunch of cowards...

The man let out a scream a second later when the air first struck against the wall, just inches away from his face. He could hear the cracks in the wall, spreading upward. He pulled his head back and stared in horror as the twister put its ‘face’ close to his. He turned his head to the side and shut his eyes, whimpering a little as he waited for the twister to strike him next.

“Pleaze....don’t hurt me...” Von begged, his body shaking, tears forming in his eyes. “I-I’m zorry... I didn’t... No pleaze...I...”

The twister roared at this, causing the man to shut his mouth, his teeth clenching together. Von kept his head turned to the side. A wide, fright-filled eye watched him warily, unable to turn away. He looked the twister up and down, looking for any signs of the twister deciding to free him. But there was nothing. Only aggression, and, despite having no face, he could tell the twister was glaring at him. This twister had a strong desire to hurt him, and he knew that he was not going to be able to get away, no matter how much he begged and pleaded.

In that moment, he felt a sting in his stomach. He realized just how far down the ladder he had truly gone. If he had just stuck to his guns, and just stuck with the original plan, this wouldn’t have happened. If he had kept to that perpetual motion thing, he wouldn’t be in this mess. Instead, he had chosen this path. He had descended further than he had ever intended to go, and he was going to pay the price for it.

He had tried to hurt people, and he succeeded a couple of times. Especially with Terry... Now, more than ever, he wished he could take it all back. He wished he could stop himself from losing control and blinding her. He wished he could undo all the damage he did to Terry. He wished he had kept her around as a partner.

But instead, he had hurt her badly. And that had been his biggest mistake. Now, he was paying for that. This hideous act alone was what was making him subject to the twister’s wrath. If he didn’t hurt her, the twister probably would have still been aligned with him. And he would have been able to get exactly what he wanted. These guys would have been beat. And he’d have won. This....this was all his fault...

And now it was too late to do anything about it. He was the twister’s prisoner now, and he wasn’t counting on the others trying to save him.

He kicked his legs, his body still suspended in the air. He twisted himself from side to side. He could feel his mind racing, panic filling up inside of him. He was realizing just how screwed he was. There was no way out of this. He looked left and right again, trying to find something that he might have missed. But just like all those other times, there was nothing. He was completely trapped.

Having no other choice, he looked up at the twister again. His mouth was partially open. He took in a few quick breaths, his chest expanding and deflating several times. “Please..j-juzt let me go..” He managed to say. “Pleaze..I-I’ll leave you alone if you do... I’ll leave...I’ll go home.. Pleaze...I...”

He let out a cry of pain when the twister slammed him again. He gritted his teeth as he felt the back of his head hit against the wall. He lowered his head and shivered as he felt the grip tighten on him slightly, and he could feel the hiss of the twister being so close to him.

“No more lies.” The twister hissed into his face. Despite the strong winds and the volume of the voice, it still came off as almost a whisper. Such a confusing combination. “So you attacker. Hurt creator. Why?”

“I...” Von’s voice trailed off.

“Why?!” The twister shook the man hard.

“All right! I’ll tell you!” Von cried out as he was hit against the wall a few more times. The twister relented its attack and watched him carefully. “You zee... I..I noticed zat Terry waz acting eratically. She waz trying to poizon the zoner we had in our cuztody. I knew if I didn’t do zomezing zoon, she was going to kill him, and zen we’d have to find anozer zoner to use.” Von said.

The twister almost seemed to glare at him harder. Von could feel the wind around him tighten even more. He struggled a little, but quickly gave up. He lowered his head slightly, his eyes wide in fear. Lifting up his head, he turned his attention back towards the twister.

From how it seemed to look at him, even though faceless, the twister was wanting him to continue. Maybe it thought that there was more to the story than that. Maybe it thought that he wasn’t finished. Though he hated to disappoint it, due to how it likely would react, he knew he’d get it even worse if he didn’t say anything. Gulping loudly and preparing himself for what was surely to come, he continued.

“Zo I lured her into a back room, and I ztrapped her down, and I....took care of her.” Von said. His voice grew soft as he recounted some of the things he did to the woman while she was his prisoner. “I forzed her eyez open and poured a chemical into zem. I zlit her eyelidz. And zem I tormented her by attacking her leg. I wanted her to fully regret trying to betray me. I dumped her in front of a hozpital later. I wanted her to continue feeling that regret. I felt deaz was too good for her.”

There was cold, dead silene in the room. It stayed like this for what felt like several hours. The air around him began to feel thick and heavy. The man felt as though it was so difficult to move. He could feel his body shaking harder. He was unable to tear his eyes away from the twister, wondering what it was thinking right now.

The silence from the twister was horrifying. It was scary enough before, but the moment right now, where it wasn’t really doing anything, that was the scariest part. Not knowing what it was going to do. Not knowing exactlly how it was going to respond to what he said. He couldn’t even tell if it was angry or not. It was just impossible to tell. Oh man...He wished this thing had a goddamn face.

When the twister began to make its response, the man immediately wished that it had stayed silent. The twister’s body began to quake in anger. He watched as some of his equipment was tossed across teh room like it was nothing. He turned his head to the side again, flinching as he heard something heavy crash into the ground. He looked down and saw the mangled piece of one of the computers. Despite it being just electronic, the sight was rather horrifying to see.

“That all?! Hurt her for that?! Monster!” The twister’s voice was raised up, booming, echoing in the man’s head. He shivered as he stared up at the twister, letting out small whimpers. “She not deserve!” Von was raised up higher into the air. “You deserve!”

“What?! N-No..pleaze!” Von cried out, tears leaking out of his eyes. He desperately clawed at the air tendril still holding onto him. “I’m zorry! I’m zo zorry!”

“Too late! Not enough!” The twister tightened its grip on him. “Payback! Payback!”

Von shivered at this. He cringed as far back as he could. He stared up at the twister with one, fright-filled eye. “Wh-What are you going to do...?”

The twister paused for a moment. Then it spoke. Silent, threatening, cutting through his heart. “What you deserve...”

Von shut his eyes and just let the tears fall. He no longer tried to hold them back. Unable to stop himself, he began to let out small, quick, shaky sobs. The realization of just how doomed he was hovered over his head. Unable to escape, he just continued to struggle and cry. There was nothing else he could really do at this point.

He had no idea what the twister was going to do to him. And he knew that begging was useless. The twister would only get angrier the more he tried. His mind raced as thoughts of what the twister had in store for him, each one more horrible than the last one. He tried to pull himself free, failing time and again, just like before. He kicked his legs out wildly, desperation clawing at his core. As the seconds passed, he only grew more terrified at what the twister was going to do with him.

Then, without warning, the twister started to take action. He could feel it grab onto his right arm. The tendrils wrapped around it quicky, securing itself to his arm. The twister then tightened its grip on him even more, as if to steady itself or something. Then, seconds later, horrible pain radiated around the man’s arm as the twister began to pull it.

Von’s eyes widened in pain and he let out a scream. He struggled frantically against the twister as it pulled on its arm, yanking at it harder and harder. He shut his eyes and sobbed in pain as he felt his arm being pulled beyond its limits. He tried to pull his arm back, but the twister was too strong. His legs kicked out frantically, going faster and faster as the pain increased. He turned his head from one side to the other.

Oh gawd...the pain... It was so bad... Please make it stop. Someone, anyone, make it stop. Please... He released a series of screams from his mouth, his eyes shut tightly, hot tears streaming from them and down his face. When will the pain stop? This...this was too much. Too much pain...

It was over in a few seconds. With one powerful thrust, a loud rip, and a horrific echo of agony, the man’s arm was severed from his body completely. He screamed loudly, throwing his head back. He sobbed heavily from the immense pain, feeling his skin crawl with cold when he heard the sickening thud of the arm falling against the ground below him. He didn’t bother to look at the stub that remained of his arm. He just shut his eyes and kept crying, trying to ignore the strong stench of blood filling his nostrils, the warm red fluid pouring from the gaping hole that had been produced.

The man opened up his right eye and he stared at the twister. He could barely focus, the pain being so intense. His lower lip quivered as he sniffled loudly. He tried to cope with the pain, but found himself completely unable to. Oh gawd, the pain... It hurt so bad...

His mind was so swirling with pain that he was unable to hear what the others were saying. He thought he heard them shouting in horror. He thought he heard them begging the twister not to kill him, that there was a better way. He looked down and he could see they were standing there. But he couldn’t tell what was on their minds. His vision was very blurry at this point, the pain and blood loss getting to him.

He hoped and prayed that something will take away the pain. He didn’t care at this point what happened. The anger he felt before, the determination he felt before, it all left him, meaning nothing to him anymore. He no longer cared if he didn’t get to share his discovery with the world. He didn’t care about being famous. He didn’t care about his stupid reputation. He just...he just wanted to live... He wanted to get away from the pain and just...live. That’s all. Please...

Then, without warning, he felt something being pushed into his mouth. The thrust was so quick, his lip was hit and he yelped in pain. He widened his eyes as he almost instantly gagged. He looked down and he felt his blood turn cold when he saw that the twister had shoved his own severed arm deep into his mouth. His air supply was completely cut off.

The man struggled in desperation, trying so hard to breathe. His eyes darted around, attempting to find some kind of escape. His vision at this point was so blurry, he could hardly make out any details. And soon, he didn’t bother trying to look at anyone, his gaze pointing upwards. He tried to pull his arm out of his mouth, but it was stuck in there good and tight. The thrust had been so swift... The twister had been able to force the arm down despite the little room that there was. The man felt his heart pound against his chest when he realized there was no way he was going to be able to get the arm out of his mouth.

And the blood loss... He just kept on losing more and more blood. It was becoming overwhelming. He was becoming weaker and weaker by the second. His struggles began to decrease rapidly. The lack of oxygen started to make his brain feel fuzzy, and his eyes started to droop. So tired...so very tired.... Maybe he just needed to rest...

The last thing he was aware of the twister doing was blowing wind against his gaping hole. Not a gentle wind, but thrusting swift, powerful wind in concentrated spots. He knew that the twister had pumped air straight into his blood vessels. How clever, he thought bitterly. So that’s how the twister was going to....

It took only a few moments before the effects took place. A massive tiredness suddenly jerked upwards through his body and he gave a quick shudder. Then, his eyelids unable to stay open any longer, he closed them. He soon became unaware of anything around him, his world becoming dark and silent.

sss

Snap’s body shook uncontrollably as he stared at the horrific scene. He was unable to look away, despite how gruesome it was. He couldn’t believe what had transpired. His mind raced, his heart beating quickly. He tried to calm himself down, breathing in and out quickly. But it was impossible, and he only ended up breathing in even faster, his heart feeling as though it was going to burst from his chest.

There, dangling high above him in the tornado’s grasp, was the limp form of who was Dr. Von Doktor. His body was twitching, going through its death throes. He shook his head slowly from side to side as he tried to come to grips with what happened. He had wanted that man to pay, but...not like this...

The man’s arm had been ripped from his body completely. He could still see the blood dripping down the hole. The severed arm had then been shoved into the man’s mouth. Snap couldn’t tear his gaze away from the man’s face. The face was pale, white as sheet, and his eyes were wide open, forever staring out in horror and silence, glazed over. His body shook harder as his eyes trailed over the man’s body and watched as his body conitnued to go through the throes of death.

It was hard to believe that, just moments ago, this man had been fine. He was alive, still breathing, still able to speak, just..still there. Now, he was gone. It all had happened so fast.... He and Tilly had little time to react. They had seen it coming. They had tried to stop it. But they just weren’t fast enough, and the twister had taken action.

When the arm as ripped off, Snap realized it was all over for the man. The blood loss that he would have suffered had he been left alone after that would have been too much. He wouldn’t have survived a trip to the hospital; he’d be dead long before. But the twister didn’t stop here. It then began to suffocate the man, and blew air into his body, which Snap knew wasn’t a good thing. These actions killed Dr. Von Doktor very quickly, and now he was no more. The twister emphasized this point by tossing him across the ground like a rag doll. The man hit against the ground with a sickening thud, and he just remained there, limp and unmoving, save for the death twitches.

Snap stared at the body, still having a hard time looking away. As he stared at the man’s pale, still form, he couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him. He had not expected something like this to happen. He never wished this kind of fate upon him. The man’s screaming and pleading and sobbing... Even if it came from him, it was not a comfortable thing to listen to, and it nearly shattered his mind. He closed his eyes and he turned away.

Well...there was nothing that could be done now. The man was gone. It was too late to try to save him. There was nothing that could bring him back. The only consolance is that, well at least he can’t hurt anyone anymore. But...that did leave something else. As Snap looked up at the twister, a cold thought rushed through him.

What about the twister...?

He and Millie watched the twister cautiously, wondering what it was going to do next. It hadn’t made a move against them yet. It was just sort of...hovering around there. It was looking at them, or so they thought. Hard to tell with no face. They watched as the twister just...stood there. Though it didn’t seem like it was going to be hostile towards them again, they were both still afraid and cautious. The thing still seemed to regard them coldly, as if it were debating what it should do with them.

Snap looked up at Tilly. He looked over at the twister for a few seconds, and then back at Tilly. “What do you think we should do...?”

The woman didn’t answer him right away. She just kept staring at the twister. He could see her eyes were furrowed, and it was clear that she was trying to think of something. He remained silent, giving her the time that she needed to think of a move they could make.

She looked from side to side slowly, regarding the area around them as she pondered. She remained silent, save for a small ‘hmm’ now and then. She licked her lips slowly, biting them as her mind’s gears turned rapidly. Snap hoped that she would be able to think of something, because at his current moment, he didn’t know what to do.

“Well...” Tilly said softly. “We could always....”

She didn’t get a chance to finish as a loud roar suddenly swept through the area. There was a rush of air, and they were tumbled backwards. Snap let out a cry of pain as he crashed against the ground, rolling painfully across it. Tilly landed not far, and Mrs. Sanchez’s body was slammed against one of the machines. The zoner shook his head as he pushed himself up onto his hands. He turned his attention back to the twister.

The tornado appeared to almost expand, inflating itself, holding parts of itself from its sides, almost as if to make itself look like it was going to lunge at them. The sight of this horrified Snap and he scrambled to his feet. He held up his fists, clinching them tightly as he prepared for a possible battle.

“Wait...” Tilly said softly as she placed a hand against Snap’s shoulder. The zoner paused and looked up at her. “Look... I don’t think it’s going to attack...”

Snap blinked in confusion at this. He wondered what the woman could be talking about. Of course the twister was...

But when he looked over, he realized that she was right. Not only had the twister not attack them, but it felt as though its attention was no longer on them. The twister had turned its side to them and it was staring intently down the opening to this hand drawn alb. It was as if the twister had forgotten all about them.

But...what was it going to do? Snap still didn’t feel safe around the twister and he kept his body hunched, despite Tilly’s reassuring words. He gritted his teeth, baring them at the twister. He was not going to let his guard down, not after what had happened to Dr. Von Doktor.

Then the twister finally took action. And Tilly turned out to be correct. The twister seemed to have forgotten about them, or at least lost interest, and it sped out of the cave room, leaving them alone.

It didn’t go alone. The scribble creature, apparently not willing to back down, had gotten back up and rushed towards the twister. With what seemed like a roar to Snap, although it wasn’t technically a roar, the scribble creature chased down the twister. In several seconds, the sound of swirling wind and pounding footsteps vanished, and soon, all was silent. Well mostly.

Snap stood there in silence, breathing in and out quickly. He tried to think of what he and Tilly should do next. What should be their next moves? What would be the smart thing to do at this point? What would be the best move that they could make at this point?

Should they go after the twister? Or should they get Mrs. Sanchez, as well as Dr. Von Doktor’s body, back into the real world? Decisions... He wasn’t sure yet which one was better. Mrs. Sanchez needed help but...they didn’t know what that twister was going to do. It..it might do something much worse than what it did to Von. There was nothing about its demeanor that told Snap it didn’t intend on hurting anyone else.

And the twister was quite angry... And he knew how irrational anyone can behave in that state. He might have avenged Terry by killing Von, but what if there was still a lot of anger pumping through that twister? Without a Von to torment, the twister was just going to unleash its fury on the next best thing. Which was, as Snap’s face paled, other zoners.

Snap started to rush forward, knowing what he was going to get himself into but still running anyway, but he was stopped when Tilly seized him by his arm. He struggled in her grasp before turning to glare at her in disbelief.

“What’s the big idea?!” Snap cried out.

“We will have to deal with the twister later. Let’s just focus on getting these guys back on earth.” Tilly said as she stared down at Mrs. Sanchez and Dr. Von Doktor. “I don’t know how much longer Mrs. Sanchez can last...”

Snap struggled to get his arm free. He yanked harder, and eventually he freed himself. He glared at her for a few seconds before he pointed his rounded hand towards where the twister fled. “And what about the twister?! What are we supposed to do about that? Just let it go destroying?! More people could die! Don’t you understand?!”

Tilly nodded her head, looking at him sympathetically. “Yes. I understand how you must feel. But if we don’t get back to the other world soon...” She furrowed her eyes with concern. “This poor woman may not make it...” She looked back at Snap. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint Penny, would you? I mean...what would she think..?”

Snap stared at the woman for a few seconds. He regarded her words carefully. He shook his head. While he understood what Penny might think, there was a part of him that was driving him to find the twister and stop it. This...this was his home. This woman had to understand that, right? If they didn’t stop the twister...then who knows what was going to happen...?

“Look..I-I know... But if we don’t stop the twister...” Snap started to say. His voice trailed off as horrible thoughts swept through his head. His body shuddered as each thought got progressively worse. “Just..please...we have to...” Tilly shook her head. Snap’s eyes widened at this, his mind racing. How..how could she still say no...? Did she not care...? Well they were just ‘chalk creatures’ to her, probably. Of course she wouldn’t care. He glared at her and turned his head away. “I see how it is...:”

Tilly gave a heavy sigh. Snap could hear it from where he was. He ignored her and he started to walk away from her. He could hear something behind him, but he hardly paid attention. He just increased his footfalls, hoping to get out of here quickly. If Tilly didn’t want to help, then fine. He could do this on his own.

Now...which way did that twister go?

He jolted when he felt something grab onto his arm. He was pulled back and raised above the ground. He struggled and thrashed in the air, trying to hit whoever was holding him up. He only stopped when he was able to identify who it was.

“Tilly?!” Snap cried, his eyes wide in shock. He then gritted his teeth and struggled. “Let me go! I have to...!”

Tilly shook her head again, this time more firmly, her eyes narrowing. “Look Snap. You stand no chance against that twister. And neither do I.” She softened her glare as she lowered her gaze and said, “Do you really think I can stop the twister when there’s only a small, pathetic piece of magic chalk left? I can’t do anything. I’m not that smart or that quick or that cunning.” She stared into Snap’s eyes. “Please...don’t do this to Rudy and Penny. They’d miss you if something were to happen.”

Snap gasped at this. He felt a pang of guilt rush through him. He hadn’t thought about that. With him so ill-prepared to face the twister...what good was he going to be at stopping that swirling monster? What if something happened to him? What would the others think of him? Could he really break their hearts like that, rushing into a battle he knew he could not win all for some crazy hope that he could make a difference?

The blue and white zoner closed his eyes and let out a sigh. No...he couldn’t. He mentally shook his head. The woman was right. He was going off on a suicide mission if he tried to stop the twister. He had no plan... What could he hope to accomplish?

Snap lowered his head, his body sagging as he no longer tried to fight back. “...All right then... You win...” He said softly. He felt himself being lowered onto the ground. He kept his eyes closed for a few seconds, and then he looked up at Tilly. “...but...I...”

“It will be fine. I promise.” Tilly smiled at him gently. “Everything will work out. You’ll see.”

Snap wasn’t sure if he could believe her. But something about her words made him believe her. Slowly, he smiled back at her. He nodded his head once slowly, acknowledging her words. “Okay then...” He cleared his throat, straightened himself up, and his eyes furrowed in determination. “What should we do now?”

Tilly paused for a moment. She looked down at where Mrs. Sanchez and Dr. Von Doktor were. She clenched her teeth, sucking in a breath. She looked back. “Do you know of any strong zoners?”

Snap nodded his head. “Yeah...”

“Go get them.” Tilly said. “A few, if you can.” She frowned as she looked down at the two humans. “We are going to need help moving them.”

Snap nodded his head. Not wanting to waste any time, he turned and rushed towards the exit.

sss

The twister continued its away along the field. It didn’t really go any particular direction. It just chose a few random ones, interchanging when it decided it got bored. At this point, it really had no idea what it was going to do. But despite the frustration it was feeling right now, that didn’t stop it from feeling a strong sense of pride of itself.

It had eliminated Dr. Von Doktor. It had avenged its creator. Now that man could no longer hurt its creator. Terry Bouffant would be so pleased with it, it was certain. If only it could meet its creator face to face. Then it could tell her what it had done. She’d be so happy, it wondered if she would reward it in some way.

But there was no going into the Real World for it. It was trapped here. It would have to settle for its own satisfaction, the knowledge that the man could not do anymore harm. And that was perfectly fine with it.

It was quite satisfying hearing the sound of the man’s arm getting ripped off. It was equally satisfying, if not even more so, when it shoved his arm down his throat to suffocate him. It had been quite fun to watch the man’s life fade before it, and when his eyes had dulled, he would have cheered, the task being complete.

It was true what they say. Revenge is quite a sweet dish to be served. It always left such a strong sense of accomplishment.

But now there was a new feeling emerging: confusion.

What was it going to do now? It had already taken care of Dr. Von Doktor. The man couldn’t really be tortured anymore. A part of the twister wondered if it should have kept the man alive. Maybe that would have been the better move. It had wanted to use him for something anyway...

Well the man was using it as well. It had figured this out when the man was dying. There was something in his eyes that revealed this inner motive. This reaction would have made its blood boil if it had any. Yeah, that man was better off dead. It held no regrets for what it had done. Trying to use it... Just what was that man thinking?

Yet that still left the question of what it was going to do. Should it just....stop spinning...? No, it could not do that. It did not want to die like that. Such a stupid thing, and it would dishonor the revenge it had taken for Terry. No, it needed to come up with something else to do. Something that would surely make its creator proud. But what could that be?

Hmm...well...it was created to destroy, was it not? Well not so much destroy, although that was part of its functionality. But rather, to chase. It was created to chase those humans around. But..they were gone. It did not see them. Not Penny or Rudy, anyway. Should it chase those other humans? Nah, it didn’t feel like going all the way back just to do that. So another purpose was required.

Oh how it wished that it could just ask its creator what she wanted it to do now. If it could just meet her face to face... It knew that Terry would have something really special planned for it. She must have had some other purpose intended for it, right? It couldn’t have been created just to chase and destroy. There had to be something else. But the only way to find out was to contact its creator. And how was it going to do that when it was trapped here in ChalkZone?

Wait...the magic chalk... Could that work..? The twister was well aware of the chalk and its properties. A portal could be created, allowing it into the Real World. This would allow it to meet its creator.

But first, it’d need to know where in the Real World she could be. It didn’t really know offhand just where it could find its creator. She could be anywhere. Not to mention, it still needed a human to use the magic chalk. At this point of time, there was only one conscious human left that could take up the mantle of creator. And that human was all the way back in the cave system it had just fled...

It froze in place, pondering what its next move should be. It had been content with just leaving and wandering, to leave the cave alone. But now it was having second thoughts. Perhaps it should go back. Perhaps it should grab that human, who had came out of nowhere, and force her to let it into the Real World and take it to see Terry. Yes...that sounded like a really good plan.

Before it could take any further action or make any more decisions, it heard the sound of a crash behind it. It turned its swirling body around and its visual field met with the sight of that stupid scribble creature. The twister quivered in anger. Did that thing never give up?

“What do here?” The twister asked, raising its body in an arch, showing clear intentions to the approaching creature. “Leave. Not deal now.”

The scribble creature was silent at first. As silent as it always was during their fights. It then spoke. Its voice, in contrast to its own booming voice, was very quiet and subdued, yet still able to portray overflowing emotion. “Not leave. Bad idea. Fight you.”

The twister would have shook its head if it could have. “Foolish. Not want. No fight you. Just leave.” The twister attempted to turn and move away, but the scribble creature got in front of it, moving faster than it had ever seen it move. The twister hissed at this. “I said go!”

“No. Must stop you. My duty.” The scribble creature responded. It raised up one of its hands, forming it into a fist. “Unless you scared.”

“Me? Scared? Ha! Fat chance!” The twister resisted the urge to laugh. This thing seemed to just get more and more pathetic each time it faced off with it. And the fights themselves were getting shorter and shorter. Why did this thing keep on trying? “Go away! Get lost! No need to prove anything to you!”

“Won’t let you go. Come with me.” The scribble figure pointed what appeared to be a finger at it and then pointed it at itself. “Much to answer for.”

The twister bristled at this. “Nothing to answer for! Did right thing!”

“Killed human. Wrong. Also harmed zoners. Also wrong.” The scribble figure waggled its finger in front of its face, as if trying to scold it. “Come with. Now!”

The tornado couldn’t believe just how stubborn this thing was being. Did it really expect that it was going to follow it so easily? Did it really think that it could order it around like that? Just where was it getting this idea?

Instead of responding to this outrageous statement, the twister decided it was best to just take action. After all, action speaks louder than words, right? Spinning its wind around itself even faster, the tornado suddenly charged forward. The scribble creature couldn’t get out of the way in time, and it collided with it, sending it sprawling across the ground.

Instead of running off like the tornado had hoped it would, the scribble creature merely got up to its feet and rushed back towards it. The twister would have bared its teeth if it had any. It let out a hissing wind as a warning, and when the scribble creature did not heed this, it charged again and soon the two slammed into one another.

sss

“So why did you want me to bring some strong zoners with?” Snap asked.

Tilly, who had her back turned to the zoner, responded, “Well we are going to need someone to carry all this diamond, right?” She paused for a moment, as if to realize something. “Well...when I draw it anyway.” She looked over her shoulder. “Diamond is very strong. It could hold that twister, at least for a little while.”

Snap nodded his head. “Yeah, Rudy drew a diamond shield that kept the twister trapped in the Empty Forest.” He narrowed his eyes softly as realization struck him. “Then that creepazoid blew it all up...”

Snap felt a small pang of guilt at what he had called the now dead human. Despite how he felt about that guy, he still felt some level of sadness for the fate that he had suffered. He didn’t want to be disrespectful of him and refer to him by a such a hideous name, even if the man himself was quite ugly in personality.

Tilly didn’t really seem to react to his comment. He didn’t know if this was because she didn’t care or if it was because she was too focused on getting ready to trap the twister. Eh, most likely that second thing. He can’t really imagine this woman being that cold.

“We will need some way to lure the twister there.” Snap said upon realization. “How do you think we can pull that off?”

Tilly frowned for a moment, pausing her walking. “Well...what was the twister designed for?”

Snap shook his head. “I’m not sure. All it did before was chase us, but...I don’t know if it was supposed to do anything beyond that.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m at a total oss.”

“Hmm... Then we’ll just have to improvise...” Tilly said, narrowing her eyes. “At least my daughter’s scribble...whatever should be able to keep the twister from getting too far. We should be able to catch up to it easily after we get more magic chalk.”

“Wait...” Snap’s eyes widened slightly. “How did you know that Sophie had...”

Tilly gave Snap a smile. “A mother always recognizes the work of her own offspring.”

Snap blinked a few times at this. He wasn’t sure if he would ever understand that statement. But he did not question it. He simply nodded his head to affirm to the woman she didn’t need to explain further. No need to waste time on that.

He was about to continue walking when something else entered his mind at the thought of Sophie. He bit his lip for a momenet, and then he looked over at Tilly once again. “How is Sophie doing, anyway?”

“She’s fine. I put her to bed before I came here.” Tilly told him. “She will be fine.”

“Well that’s good. I’d hate for anything....” Snap’s voice trailed off. He realized that there was something he still hadn’t asked her. As they continued walking towards the Chalk Mine, he asked, “Just...how did you get in here, anyway?” He motioned his hand towards her. “And how did you know where to find us?”

Tilly didn’t answer him right away. She just kept walking, as did he. He stared at her in confusion, his mind swirling with thoughts. Just how did this woman get into ChalkZone? How did she manage to create a portal? Or did she find one? Or did something else happen? And how had she managed to find them? And at such the nick of time, too? Was there something else going on that he was not aware of?

The woman eventually stopped at the edge of a hill. She stood there for several moments, peering out at the horizon. Snap frowned when she continued to not answer. Was it really that hard to respond?

Taking a step forward, he said, “Are you going to...?”

Tilly raised her head up and said, “It’s a...very complicated matter. I don’t know if I could explain it to you, even if I tried.”

Snap frowend. “Just try it...”

Tilly shook her head. “No, the details aren’t really important. Let’s just be glad I got here before that man could do anything worse to you guys.” She looked down at Snap, her expression softening up with sympathy. “Who knows what could have happened?”

Snap growled softly, irritated by this woman’s lack of a proper response. But he couldn’t really argue with her. Regardless of how she got here, the result was indeed still the same: she had managed to keep them all alive...well except for one of them.

And she was right. Knowing how she got in wasn’t really all that important right now. He did intend on trying to ask her later, or doing some searching around himself to see if he could find anything. But for now, it was time to climb down this hill and continue their journey towards the Chalk Mine. It wasn’t too far now. He could see it in the distance.

He wondered how Biclops react react to yet another human in ChalkZone. He wondered if the big guy was going to have a heart attack. It was definitely a given that something was going to have to be done after all this was over. Since Rudy’s parents, his aunt, and Penny’s mom now know of ChalkZone, they would need to figure out an arrangement with them. He hoped that Rudy and Penny could convince them all to remain quiet about ChalkZone.

Or if they could...erase their memory...

No, that wouldn’t work. Too risky. They might end up erasing some incorrect memories and... well he could already take many wild guesses about how that would drastically affect Rudy and Penny’s livelihoods, and he had a feeling that most of them would not be too far from the mark.

“Where did you tell those strong zoners to meet you at?”

Snap raised his head up when Tilly’s voice cut him from his thoughts. “I told them to meet me at my house. I gave them this information after we got Penny’s mom and Von back into the Real World.”

“Is it far from here?” Tilly asked.

Snap shrugged his shoulders. “Well, it is a bit of a trek. But...it’s not terribly far. We could walk to it.” He paused at this, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Although...we might need a ride.” He looked over at Tilly. “When we get to the mine, you should draw us some kind of transportation. A vehicle perhaps? Or a copter?”

Tilly nodded in agreement. “With a navigation system?”

“Yes, that’d be perfect!” Snap cried, a smile spreading across his face. “You’re pretty smart, you know that?”

Tilly chuckled at this. “Well I don’t consider myself that smart. But...” She placed a hand against her chest. “I can be full of surprises.”

Snap certainly couldn’t disagree with that. He continued to smile at her as they walked, still feeling grateful for her help. He didn’t say anything more and he and Tilly walked in silence, getting ever closer to the Chalk Mine.

sss

The man frowned softly as he stared down at whom he considerd his underlings. The two were siblings. Twins, the same age, both looking similar to the other, save for a few different features. Some more obvious than the others. They had just got back from their assignments, both of which were successfully completed.

The man couldn’t be more proud of them. They had performed admirably. And faster than he thought, too. He was worried for a second that his whole operation was in jeopardy, but he was pleased to see that he had been incorrect about that. Now they could begin to move onto the next phase of their plan.

Of course, there was still one matter they had to take care of first. And that was how they were going to cover up Dr. Von Doktor’s death.

The man standing before him had sent out a robotic signaler, as he insisted on calling it, and it had recorded the whole thing. When he was on the phone with this underling, the lower ranking man had admitted that Von wound up being brutally killed. While he himself didn’t really care about that man anyway, this still posed a problem.

If they were going to assume control of ChalkZone, they were going to need to figure out a way to explain away that man’s death without linking it to ChalkZone. Destroying the evidence would be a good idea. The people can’t know what went on there, otherwise this world could be destroyed. And that is something he’d rather avoid.

But there were still those people... They might prove to be a problem. If they spread the word of what happened... Okay, sure, no one would probably believe them. And they might not do that, considering their protective nature of this place. Still..something had to be done. It was too risky to let them continue to wander around. What should he have done with them?

The most obvious answer was simply to eliminate them. But that was too messy. Something more simple should surfice. An easier solution that wouldn’t really involve having to take more lives. After all, the act of killing them could come and bite him in the ass later if he wasn’t careful.

But he was at a loss of what to do with them. If not kill them, then what? Hmm...perhaps recruit them? Or maybe placing a hold on them, preventing them from doing anything? Stalemate them? Well, whatever he decided, he’d have to do it quickly, before they could get to the later stages of their plans.

And he believed that he knew just who to call for this job. He did have another underling out on the scene somewhere. She might be able to do something.

“Hey, Agent L. Agent A.” The man said, referring to the two by the codenames he had given them. They looked up at him expectantly. “Call Agent M and inform her that I have a new job for her.”

Agent T said, “But sir, Agent M is busy right now. She is currently on a mission.”

“Yeah. Did you want us to talk to her after she was done?” Agent A asked.

The man nodded his head curtly. “Yes.” His voice was firm and steady. “As soon as you can, make contact with her. I’d like her help with figuring out what to do about those children and their folks.”

At this, the two siblings widened their eyes and looked at each other nervously. They were silent for a few moments before one of them spoke up.

“Sir...do you think that she’d do that?” Agent A asked, his voice a hushed, nervous whisper.

The man smiled at this. “Oh don’t worry. She’ll be more than happy to help...” He narrowed his eyes into slits. “Now get going!” He watched as his two underlings immediately fled the room.

sss

Snap took a step back as he looked up at the angered giant. Tilly was standing her ground, much to the zoner’s surprise. He couldn’t tell if she was brave or just misguided at this point. He watched her for a few seconds before looking back up at the giant, his teeth clenched.

When they came here, it didn’t take them long to run into Biclops. He had actually been on his way out of the cave when they arrived. Upon seeing the, Snap knew that the giant was not going to have a very favorable view on the situation. But he didn’t expect the giant to let out a roar of rage from the fact that there was yet another adult human in ChalkZone. The zoner was amazed that the giant hadn’t attempted to strike the woman yet.

And they hadn’t even attempted to tell him about needing magic chalk at that point. Snap was too busy trying to calm him down and reassure him that Tilly was a friend. An ally. And while Biclops had calmed down somewhat, there was still anger in his eyes. Snap could only hope that Biclops remained rational and didn’t allow his anger to cloud his judgment.

Snap licked his lips nervously. Wanting to break the tension that had settled between them, he took a few steps forward, holding his hand out in gesture. “Well, what do you say, Biclops? Is it a deal?”

Biclops narrowed his vertical eyes at them and shook his head. “No!”

Snap looked at him in shock. “What? But..why not?”

Biclopse looked down at him with one open eye. “I made an exception for Penny’s mom. But I refuse to give any more chalk to anyone except for Rudy Tabootie and Penny Sanchez.” He shut his eyes as he folded his arms against himself. “I am not taking another risk like that again!”

“But...” Snap motioned towards Tilly. “This is Rudy’s aunt! Doesn’t that grant her any...”

“No, it does not.” Biclopse opened his eyes and glared down at the two. “Besides...I don’t trust her.”

Snap spluttered at this. “What? Don’t trust her?”

“Yeah... There’s something about her that I...” Biclopse stared long and hard at Tilly. After a while, he averted his gaze. “I just don’t think I can trust her. I’m sorry, Snap.” He straightened himself up. “I cannot grant her any magic chalk.”

Snap scowled at this. He couldn’t believe that Biclops was choosing to be stubborn. Today of all days... He understood the caution needed when presenting a human a piece of chalk. Being cautious was a good thing. But today was not a good time for this. With a twister still on the loose and no other available creator, Biclops was just going to have to make an exception this time

None of them had any clue where the twister was at this point, or what it was doing. The scribble creature created by Sophie days ago might be able to slow it down for a time. But he doubted it would last forever. For all he knew, the scribble creature has been defeated, or even destroyed, and the twister was now on its way to attack some random town somewhere. And the longer they wait, the more potential damage could be caused.

He just wished that Biclops could see this. Why couldn’t he understand all that he was risking by refusing? He didn’t even need to give the woman that much. Just enough draw a shield. That’s all.

Well, they could go back to that cave. Mrs. Sanchez had a piece, didn’t she? He kind of remembered seeing an extra piece in there somewhere that Mrs. Sanchez must have lost at some point. Or maybe it was just his imagination. Hmm...probably not a good idea to go all the way back there on a simple hunch.

“Look, I understand that you’re upset. I get that.” Tilly spoke up, breaking the silence. She made a gesture towards herself. “I understand if you don’t trust us humans all that much. But please...” She held her hand out in front. “Can’t you make an exception, at least just once more? Please... Rudy and Penny can’t use the magic chalk in their condition, and Mrs. Sanchez is out of commission. I’m the only one who can use it at this point.”

Biclops just frowned at her. “The risk is too great. I know I might be making the biggest mistake of my life by refusing, but.. I’m sorry. I don’t want to risk anything worse happening.”

“I...see.” Tilly said softly as she pulled her hand back. “Well if you want to be that way, I guess we can improvise.”

“Improvise?!” Snap cried. “How?! Where are we going to get all that diamond? How would we transport it? How would we shape it?”

“Good point.” Tilly said, tapping her finger against her chin. “We’re going to need someone really big and really strong and really smart to help us with that. Someone who knows his way around ChalkZone and would more than likely know where we can get the materials... Hmm...” Tilly looked over at Biclops, giving a knowing expression.

Biclops raised an eyebrow at this. After a few moments of silence, he let out a groan and slapped himself in the face. “Oh for the love of.... I have a feeling I am going to regret this.” He sighed and lowered his hand. “Okay then, I can help you with that.”

Tilly smiled at this. “I’m grateful for the help.”

“Yeah sure...” Biclops grumbled, continuing to eye her suspiciously. Snap growled at this. Couldn’t he just knock that off? Biclops said, “So..what did you want me to do first?”

“Well, I...”

Tilly’s voice was cut off when there was a loud crash. The three nearly jumped from their shoes as they turned their heads to see what the commotion was. Upon seeing it, their eyes widened in shock and they all took a small step back.

It was the twister and the scribble figure. They were locked in combat again, restling with each other, pushing against one another with their makeshift arms and hands. They were snarling at one another, shouting insults to each other. They were coming in fast, neither of them really paying attention to where they were going. To their horror, they were getting awfully close...

Then, without warning, the twister picked up the stick figure and slammed it into the ground. The scribble figure let out a cry of pain as it rolled across the ground and landed not far from them. Snap couldn’t help but give off a cold shiver when he saw that it had landed only about ten feet in front of them. He and the others stared at the fallen scribble figure for a few seconds before looking up at the twister.

Biclops narrowed his eyes and he took a few steps forward, glaring directly at the encroaching twister. Despite the fact that said twister was larger than him, the giant was still prepared for a fight. Snap couldn’t help but feel impressed by this.

Biclops looked down at them. “Into the mine!”

Snap blinked in confusion at this. He looked over at Tilly, then back up at Biclops. “But..what about...?”

“There’s no time!” Biclops barked at him. “Just get in there!”

Not wanting to stand around and argue, Snap nodded his head once and he and Tilly fled into the mine.


	49. Unknowns

Is it wiser to stick to the more knowledgeable but distorted path, or to go with something more hopeful but risky?

sss

Snap panted heavily as he and Tilly ran further into the mine. He wasn’t really sure exactly where they were going. He didn’t know how long they had been running. He didn’t stop until he snagged his foot on something and he tripped forward. He let out a yelp of pain as he found himself slamming his face into the ground. The force of it caused him to do a somersault and he flipped over before crashing down onto his back.

He felt himself being swiftly lifted up by the woman, who placed him back onto his feet before continuing he running. Snap took a moment to look back. It was ten he realized they had run pretty far into the mine; the entrance was hardly a shimmer of light now. Taking in a few pants, he turned his head to where the woman was still fleeing. His mind too clogged up with thoughts, the zoner simply continued to follow her down the tunnels.

After a while of running, Snap finally had to stop. He didn’t know how far down this tunnels went, except really far, and he wasn’t exactly an expert on this place. Not wanting to get himself lost, he haulted himself, and he called out to Tilly, telling her the same.

As the two of them breathed in and out quickly to try to regain their breath, Snap took a moment to look around at where they were. They were quite far int the tunnels at this point, having traveled through several twists and turns in the tunnels. He didn’t recognize this particular section of the mine, but the one relief he had of that was the fact that they weren’t anywhere near where the red chalk was being held.

Snap leaned against one of the pointy structures coming out of the ground, placing his hand against it to support himself. He looked around again and noticed that, to their right, the tunnel opened up into a small room. He could see sparkling and he knew there was some overhanging magic chalk over there. But since that chalk was back here, and not in the front with the other white chalk, he wasn’t sure if it was the same type Rudy usually used, or another type that he wasn’t aware of.

He then turned his head and looked out where they had come in from. He bit his lip, feeing his heart clench as he heard the sound of crashing and roars. He wondered how Biclops was doing. He felt really bad with having to leave him like that.

As much as he hated the idea of stealing magic chalk, that might be their only option. Even though Tilly hadn’t been given permission to use it, she was the only one left that could take on the twister. Biclops had every right to worry, yes. But it was either this, or the twister remains at large until Rudy or Penny could come back, and in their states, especially Rudy’s, that won’t be for quite sometime. Who knows what kind of disaster the twister would cause in that amount of time?

But first, they needed to strategize. It would be suicide to just rush out there without any sort of plan. He didn’t know the situation yet, or how well Biclops was holding up right now. The last thing he wanted to do was cause the situation to get worse for the giant, not to mention the rest of ChalkZone.

“Tilly, we need to...” The zoner stopped when he realized that Tilly was no longer beside him. His eyes widened slightlly and he swung his head fro mside to side. “Tilly? Where did you go?”

“Over here!”

Snap felt a brief rush of relief through his body, realizing that the woman hadn’t tried to rush towards the entrance without a plan. But when he turned, that relief gave way to shock when he saw what she actually was doing.

Going straight towards the unknown chalk...

“Hey! Wait!” Snap called out, reaching out with his hand. “Don’t go over there!”

“Why?” The woman called out. She didn’t stop running, not even othering to spare a glance back at the zoner. She was about halfway to the room at this point. “We need magic chalk, don’t we?”

“Yes, but we... Oh oy caloy...!” Snap gripped his head tightly. Frustrated and realizing that the woman was not going to stop for him anytime soon, he rushed over after her. As soon as he reached her, he grabbed onto her arm and pulled, attempting to make her stop walking. “Wait! Hold on a minute!”

Tilly finally stopped, but only after they were in the middle of the room. She looked down at Snap, frowning softly. She raised up her arm, causing Snap to be lifted up a foot or two off the ground. Snap held on tightly, his feet dangling a little below him. He looked up and returned the glare to Tilly.

“What are you doing, Snap? We need to go help that...giant...thing...” Tilly stammered with her words near the end. “Whatever his name is...”

“Biclops.” Snap said.

“Yeah, that’s it. Thanks.” Tilly said. She then shook her arm. “Now let go of me!”

Snap grumbled softly and relented. The woman was shaking so hard that if he were to lose his grip, he’d fly off to the side and get a pretty nasty bump on his head. He wasn’t interest in having something like that happen to him. Once he was back on the ground, he turned his head and watched as Tilly started to walk towards one of the clutches. The zoner gave a soft growl and rushed towards her.

What was with this woman? She had never even used a piece of magic chalk before. Why was she so determined to grab a piece from here, especially when she didn’t know what it did? Was she willing to take that risk? Why not use some from the front if she wanted to help out?

Snap was about to say something when he took notice of something about the chalk that was hanging over. It looked rather..different from the ones up front. It was certain to him, even from this distance, that this was not the same chalk that Rudy normally used. There was something...off about it. It might have the same sparkle as white chalk but..no this was not white chalk. When he got closer, he realized just what color it was.

Grey chalk? Yeah, that’s what this stuff was. Grey. It looked close to white, but it was clear hat it wasn’t really white at all, but instead a dull shade of grey. Something that was a bit lighter than the pencil markings on Rudy and Penny’s homework papers.

At first, Snap’s stomach twisted, wondering for a few chilling moments just waht this chalk did. He soon realized when he realized that Biclops wouldn’t allow this chalk out in the open if it was really all that dangerous. But then..what if he just forgot to lock it away? Maybe it’s a brand new type of chalk and...

He shook his head when a loud snapping sound resounded in the air and he saw that the woman had grabbed one of the pieces of chalk and was trying to pull it free. The chalk itself had snapped a little in the middle, but was still firmly gripped in the woman’s hand.

“Stop that!” Snap shouted, his hand outstretched once more. “We don’t even know what that thing does!” He rushed forward as quickly as he could.

“What?” Tilly looked over her shoulder. She glared softly at Snap. “What’s the big deal? Magic chalk is magic chalk, isn’t it?” She turned back to the grey chalk, tightening her grip further. “I mean..I can still create with this, right?”

“Yes, but...!” Snap let out a cry of pain as he tripped again, causing his chin to slam against the ground painfully. He laid there and groaned for a second before picking himself back up. He rubbed his head a little before turning back to the woman. “But the magic chalk does something different depending on its color!”

At this, Tilly froze. Snap let out a sigh of relief, but he remained on his guard, knowing that Tilly might still yank the piece out anyway. “It does...?” She turned her head just enough to give him a backwards glance.

Snap nodded his head quickly. “Y-Yeah it does!” He held out his hand in gesture. “For instance, the red chalk will create evil drawings!” He paused for a moment. “I don’t know what the grey chalk does, but you have to be careful! Who knows what kind of side effects it might carry with it!”

Snap shuddered at the memory of what happened when Rudy used it. He would never forget it, and he knew Rudy wouldn’t either. He had thought it was just an innocent little trip it the mine and he and Rudy didn’t think the red chalk would be too different. Well they did think that it might have a special property, but none of them would have predicted that this particular element was aggression. He did not want a repeat of that incident.

“I see...” Tilly said. Snap looked over at her, hoping that she would release the chalk and come back. But instead, she gave a small smile as she stared at the grey chalk with increased interest. “How very interesting...”

Snap’s eyes widened at this. “Tilly...?”

The woman froze, frowning softly as she bit her lip. She shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, Snap. But we don’t have a choice.”

Snap spluttered at this. “What are you talking about?! Of course we do!” The zoner groaned as he climbed back up to his feet. He shoved his hand towards where they had come from. “We can go back there! We can grab some magic chalk from that first room!”

Tilly shook her head. “The twister might destroy the front part of the mine. I’m sorry, but I’m taking a few pieces from here.”

“No!” Snap shouted. He rushed over as quickly as he could, but he was too late to stop the woman. There was a louder, more echoy snap than before, and soon the woman held a piece of grey chalk between her fingers. He stopped dead in his tracks, shocked by this turn of events. “Oy caloy...” He whispered softly.

Before the zoner was able to recover from his shock, the woman had grabbed two more pieces, and she shoved them into her pocket. She kept one out, held tightly in her hands. She then turned her attention towards where the entrance of the mine was. Without further hesitation, she started to head down that way.

Snap watched her as she left, his mind still in a state of shock. A bit of fear started to well up inside of him. Just what could this grey chalk do? What were they getting themselves into? What was going to happen if the grey chalk was going to end up like...like the red chalk...? The thought sent shivers down his spine. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what that was going to be like. And now the woman was just..walking off with the chalk like it was no big deal.

He couldn’t believe that she didn’t listen to him. She had deliberately ignored him, grabbed the grey chalk, and left. Did she not know what kind of dangers lied in store for him? Did she not realize the risk that she was taking in doing this? Was she really that stupid? He didn’t like the idea of referring to Rudy’s aunt as ‘stupid’, but in this case, he’d make an exception. Okay not stupid..but misguided, too eager.

Realizing that there was no stopping the woman now, the zoner had no choice but to go with her. He propelled his feet forward, and soon he reached the woman. He walked about a foot behind her, not saying a word.

He kept eyeing the grey chalk cautiously. So far, it wasn’t acting any different than white chalk ,but that meant nothing. The red chalk didn’t really do anything different at first either, until Rudy started to draw with it. The grey chalk might be just as crafty as the red chalk and won’t make a move or try to assume control until it was too late. He clenched his teeth, hoping that, whatever effect it had, that it wasn’t anything like the red chalk, and definitely not worse.

They soon reached the entrance of the Chalk Mine. Tilly held her arm straight out at her side, prompting Snap to stop. The two pressed themselves against the wall of the entrance’s opening. Slowly, they turned their heads over, peering out at the side to see what was going on.

Biclops was still facing off against the twister. The sight of it was quite a spectacle. The crashes they were hearing seem to be mostly the twister trying to smash the ground where the giant was. Biclops was quite swift for someone his size and he dodged the attacks relatively easily. But judging from the scrapes and scratches and bruises on his body, it was clear that he wasn’t always so lucky.

As soon as he had that realization, the twister grabbed Biclops and lifted him into the air. Snap and Tilly watched, mouths agape in horror, as the giant was shaken violently from side to side. Then the twister slammed him into the ground, creating a small crater from the force of the blow. The giant let out a scream of pain.

“Oh no... Biclops!” Snap put his hands to his mouth and looked on in horror. “Quick, Rudy! You have to draw....” His voice trailed off, a pang clingin to his heart, as he remembered that Rudy was not here. “I mean...” He looked up at Tilly. In a softer voice, he said, “You have to draw some thing.”

Tilly looked down at Snap sympathetically. She reached down and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Rudy will be fine. I promise.”

Snap nodded his head slowly. “Yeah...I know...” Before he could continue, his eyes bulged as he looked up. “Look out!” He grabbed the woman’s arm and he pulled back.

Seconds later, Biclops’s body crashed into the ground. Snap and Tilly moved back even faster as they heard the sound of cracking and rocks breaking off. The two of them covered their heads as they felt small rocks and pebbles come crashing down, hitting them against the head. They coughed as dust was kicked up and it took them a few moments before they could open their eyes and breathe without irritating their throats.

Snap felt his blood run cold when he saw that Biclops was now unconscious on the ground. He hardly moved, save for a few twitches that told him that he might still be alive. But there was an awfully loud crack... What..What if he...?

Snap growled as he whipped his head towards the twister. He glared angrily at it as the twister started to come towards the giant once more, most likely to finish him off. He formed fists with his hands, shaking them at his side. No...this thing was not going to get away with this... He was not going to allow the twister to do more damage. It had caused enough trouble. Now it was time for it to pay for what it has done.

He turned his head towards Tilly. In that moment, he no longer cared if they didn’t know what the grey chalk did. His burning rage was clouding his judgment and all he could think of doing was making this twister pay.

“Quick! Draw something!”

Tilly needed no further prompting. There was a look of anger in her eyes as well, that nearly mirrored his own. She raised up her magic chalk, glaring intently at the twister. “Hey you! I wouldn’t take one step closer if I were you!”

The twister paused for a moment, appearing to regard her with some interest. It appeared to notice the magic chalk in her hands, and for a moment, it seemed hesitant. But it soon shrugged off its nervousness and it started to come towards her anyway.

Gnashing her teeth, Tilly hissed, “Okay then. Have it your way...”

Snap watched as the woman’s arm tensed up, and then her hand started to flick from one side to the other. Lines began to fill the air. The zoner watched in silence as the lines began to take shape. He took a few steps back, staring at the creation as it was being formed. After a few seconds, the drawing was complete, and the sight of it made even the twister pause.

It was a large vacuum cleaner.

sss

Agent A ignored the screeches along the road, as well as the loud honking, as he sped across the road. He was a bit amazed at how many cars were out here, given what time it was. But he ultimately paid that little attention. He had something else more important to worry about than a few extra cars.

His sister, Agent L, had went off in a different direction. They both agreed it as best to split up. They were going to search a couple of places first, just in case Agent M was back already from her mission. There was a strong chance that she was not. After all, her mission wasn’t something that could be so easily completed that fast. Still, best to split up just in case. He didn’t want to be on their boss’s bad side just in case something got screwed up.

His eyes flickered when he noticed the turn off up ahead. He pressed his foot against the brake to slow down, and then he turned into the road. After he completed the turn and was now going down this new road, he narrowed his eyes softly as he thought about what current assignment was.

A part of him was still in disbelief that the boss wanted to involve Agent M in yet something else. She had been the most busy lately. Did she really need something else added onto her plate? He shook his head at this. His boss was often so determined to get a result that he didn’t really pay attention to who had done what. Despite the fact that Agent M was involved with about five previous missions the past couple days, the boss still insisted that she do this.

The boss believed that she would be happy to do so. And Agent A could kind of see that and understand why. After all, this was a sort of..personal matter for that woman. She would have more reason than the others to want to be involved with this. But still... how was she going to react to be asked out on another mission for the boss? Would she really be willing to do so? Well maybe, provided that the boss keep his promise.

Oh, what was he worried about? Everything was going to be just fine. Nothing bad was going to happen. Despite all their illegal activities and the risks they were taken, they hadn’t gotten caught thus far. Everything had been working out....eh, for the most part anyway. A few kinks here or there, but it should all be good.

He needed to stop worrying. That wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Despite all that he was afraid would happen, things always worked out in the end. He pushed all those anxious thoughts out of his head and he increased the speed of his car, wanting to get to the destination faster.

As he continued to drive, he couldn’t help but have another thought. He wondered just how Agent M was doing on her current mission. He hoped that she was doing all right. It did feel a little strange, worrying about one of the most competent followers under his boss. But he just couldn’t help himself. He wished he could help her, to alleviate some of the stress and all.

Oh well, there wasn’t really anything he could do about it at this point. He would see her again soon enough anyway. He was certain that Agent M was doing well enough on her own, anyway. She was a competent woman and all. Yeah, she will be fine.

sss

Tilly let out a scream when she was struck into the ground by one of the twister’s tendrils. Snap watched in horror as she landed on the ground with a sickening thud. He did feel relief that there was no cracking sound to be heard, but that did not lessen his fear. His feet propelling him, he rushed towards the fallen woman.

“Are you okay?!” Snap cried as he grabbed onto her arm. He attempted to help her up, but she was too heavy. Still, he kept trying, pushing with all his might to help her up.

Tilly rubbed her head, gritting her teeth and looking like she was in quite a bit of pain. “I’m...fine...” She hissed through clenched teeth.

Snap wasn’t sure if he believed her or not. But he did not argue. He soon managed to help her up to her feet. The woman wobbled a little, trying to steady herself. Snap did what he could to help steady her, and soon she was able to stand on her own. She shook her head and brushed herself off. She then turned her glare towards the twister.

“You..you think that’ll keep me down for long...?” Tilly growled at the twister. “Well I’m not defeated yet!”

Snap clenched his teeth. On the one hand, he was glad that Tilly wasn’t backing down. She was the only creator left right now that could stand up to the twister and try to stop it. But on the other hand, he was getting a little worried. The woman was a little too eager to face this twister, and he wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not. He wondered if this had anything to do with what happened with Rudy and Penny. After all, this twister was created by Terry, who had worked with Von for a time and had played a part with some of what had happened.

But after what happened...was it really a good idea for this woman to continue fighting?

Snap turned his attention to the woman’s creation. Or what remained of it. Bits and pieces laid everywhere. The twister had gotten to it before Tilly could even activate it. Darn that tornado and its air tendrils. If they had moved fast enough, then maybe they could have avoided its destruction, and the tornado would have been captured already...

Well that didn’t happen, and now they were left with shattered pieces that laid on the ground in multiple places. They could try again, but now Snap wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. The tornado was onto this plan and would stop them before they could finish the drawing.

He glared at the twister in determination. Despite the severe disadvantage that they were at, he was still not willing to back down so easily. With Biclops out of commission and the scribble creature seemingly down for good this time, it was up to him and Tilly to take on this menace.

Before either of them could make another move, the twister started to speak again.

“Still fight? Nonsense! Why fight? Why not give up?” There was almost an air of arrogance in the tornado’s voice. “You pests. Not worth fighting. Get lost!”

Snap gritted his teeth and shook his head. “Not a chance, pal!”

Tilly raised up the grey chalk once more. “You are too dangerous to be let loose. You need to be contained!”

The tornado seemed to chortle at this. Snap wasn’t really sure what it was doing. The sound wasn’t exactly a laugh, but he didn’t know what else to call it. Whatever it was doing, it was making his blood heat up. The twister was clearly being arrogant and he was having enough of that.

The twister spoke yet again. “Don’t know why you try. Foolish to try. Dumb creatures.” The twister moved a little closer. It appeared to stare down at Biclops. “Bigger fool here. Not be like him. Just leave.” It then looked back a them. “Not waste my time.”

“If we think we are just going to let you go just like that...” Snap growled softly.

Tilly cut him off. “You think that we are just going to back down just because you told us to? No! We won’t! I don’t know what you plan on doing now that your creator’s killer is dead, and we are not waiting to find out!”

The twister’s winds increased a bit at the mention of its creator. “He deserve. If not go away, you deserve too.” The twister’s voice deepened more than it ever did in the past. Snap shuddered at the very clear threat in that message. “Not afraid to. Hurt you bad if you don’t go.”

Snap couldn’t help but shudder at this statement. The fact that the twister’s sentences were becoming a bit more complete than normal indicated just how deteremined and mad this twister was. He took a small step back, but he remained near Tilly, not wanting to leave her alone with this creature.

His mind raced as he struggled to think of what they could do. The tornado would surely stop anything that Tilly tried to draw. Perhaps if there was a way to distract it somehow...

Wait a minute... That just might work. He recalled what Tilly said before, about improvising. What if he were to distract the twister through taunts regarding his creator? A risky move, but... Yeah it could work. So long as he kept the twister’s attention, he might be able to keep it busy long enough for the woman to draw another vacuum, or something else to be used.

Speaking of that vacuum, he had realized that they never did find out what the grey chalk did. Before it was even used, the thing was crushed and destroyed. In the short time that it was around, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it, much to the zoner’s relief. He hoped that this would be the case for whatever the woman decided to draw next.

He turned his head back to the twister. At the moment, it still hadn’t really made another move towards them. But with those raised tendrils, he wasn’t going to count on this for much longer. That twister could strike any minute.

“Actually...second thought..” The twister moved a little closer. This time, it appeared to take its time and tried to be...gentle was the only word Snap could think of to describe it. “Maybe you use for me.” The twister’s body seemed to bend as it began to move slightly around them. “Take me into your world. Meet creator. Want to see her.” It paused and then put its ‘face’ near them, causing them to jump back, the wind blowing hard against their faces. “Take me.”

Snap felt his eyes widen in horror at this statement. He took a step back, unable to believe what he just heard. Going into the Real World... The implications of that... No... This twister could not be serious. Did it not realize the dangers of that?

But it wasn’t the danger posed to the twister that had him most concerned. The twister was only going to be harmed if it happened to rain; everyone else may mistake it for a real twister and people would run away. But the twister could still cause a ton of damage, more so since it was conscious and aware of what it was doing. If it were allowed into the Real World...

“No.” Tilly snarled. From her expression, Snap wondered if she had the same thoughts going through her head. She took a step forward, narrowing her eyes deeply as she glared up at the monstrous force of nature. “Do you really think I’m stupid enough to let you into my world? Where you could rip apart the city to search for your precious creator?” She gave a bitter chuckle. Snap could sense the negative feelings just dripping from her voice. “I think not!”

The twister gave something close to a bitter chuckle itself. “Never said you had a choice. No choice at all.”

Tilly gritted her teeth. “You can’t do anything to me if you want to get into my world...” She clutched her hands tightly, making it look almost as though she was going to break the chalk in the palm of her hand. “If I get killed, then you have no one. Everyone else is unavailable. You have Dr. Von Doktor to thank for that.”

The twister hmmphed at this. “Good thing he taken care of.”

“But you do have yourself to blame for Mrs. Sanchez’s unavailability. You did toss her around a little.” Tilly pointed out.

“Deserved it! Got in way!” The twister’s winds increased slightly. “Her fault! Not mine!”

Snap narrowed his eyes at this. How dare the twister say such a thing.. Mrs. Sanchez never asked for something like that to happen to her. Getting hurt was all this creature’s fault, not hers.

Oh but of course the twister would try to say it wasn’t its fault. Of course it would try to shift blame onto her instead of accepting responsibility. He wouldn’t have expected anything less from the creepazoid. Just like it to say something like that, the coward...

Well enough was enough. No more delaying. It was time to put his plan into motion. He looked over at Tilly. No time to tell her. He needed to act now. He turned his attention back to the twister and began to walk slowly forward. He ignored Tilly’s confused cries as he bravely stood in front of the twister, staring it down.

“What want?” The tornado asked him. “If nothing, move.”

“Oh I just wanted to ask you something.” Snap said, using a somewhat playful tone of voice, confusing both Tilly and the tornado.

“Which is what?”

“How do you feel about having such a failure for a creator?” Snap said with narrowed eyes and a grin.

“Snap...what are you doing...?” Tilly whispered softly, her voice laced in horror.

Snap looked back at her. He whispered, “I know what I’m doing, trust me...” Snap then turned to the tornado, prepared to face the wrath the twister was surely going to reign down on him.

The twister froze at what Snap had said. It almost looked as if it stopped spinning, although Snap knew that this wasn’t the case. The zoner could practically feel the anger rise up in the twister, and yet he did not move. He refused to turn and run. He had made his move. Now there was no turning back.

Even as the twister spun faster and faster, Snap still refused to budge. Even when Tilly glanced at him in horror, wondering what he was getting himself into, the small zoner still stood his ground, determined to fulfill his part of the plan. The plan that he hadn’t really told Tilly about...

“What you say?” The twister said. Its voice was strangely calm for how angry it must be feeling right now. This fact wasn’t lost on Snap, but he did his best to hide his fear. “Repeat. Dare you.”

Snap narrowed his eyes at this. He then curled his lip up into a mimic of a dark smile, with an air of arrogance around it. “What? You didn’t process that? Was I not clear enough for you? Well okay then... I will repeat.” Snap gave a sneer. “Your creator was such a failure...”

The tornado seemed to quake at this. Snap noticed that its tendrils were shrinking in number, forming together to form two large arms. The sight of this made his heart skip a beat. Still, he kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, looking left and right as he mentally prepared some kind of escape route.

But it would seem the tornado was, at least in part, onto what he was trying to do. As the zoner took a step back, there was a loud crash behind him. He turned his head and, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an extra tendril, one that had been snuck around him while he wasn’t paying attention. The thing looked tangible, but the strong winds swirling inside of it told him that he could not get through. He turned and looked up at the tornado, his teeth clenched in fear.

“No go anyhere. No one talks like that. Not about my creator.” The twister hissed viciously, the calm facade gone from its voice, replaced with nothing but malice. It inched its way closer to Snap, appearing to eye him up and down. “Not smart move. You stupid. More than the rest.”

Snap tried his best to ignore the burning sensation in his stomach when the tornado said that. Now wasn’t the time to be worried about what this tornado said about him, or his own personal feelings. He struggled to keep the smile plastered across his face. “Your creator isn’t so special herself. You want to know what she is in the Real World? A newsreporter. Who reports oh such wonderful things like man hole dedications. Oh! I’m so intrigued!”

The twister parted some of the wind along its ‘head’, and Snap shuddered when he saw the jagged edges forming. True, this tornado couldn’t really bite him with those, but still, the very sight of it was terrifying enough. “Know what you are doing...?”

The tornado began to advance more quickly on Snap. The blue and white zoner started to back away slowly, step by step. He increased his speed when the tornado did. The zoner kept his eyes on the twister, careful not to give into the temptation of looking behind it.

So far, the plan was working well enough. He wasn’t sure what Tilly was doing right now, but he hoped that she was taking action soon. He wasn’t really sure how long he could keep this tornado busy. He’d try what he could, but he could offer no promises to the woman. The tornado was getting angrier by the second. He could feel it. How long would it be before it decided it was finished with toying with him...?

Snap was stopped when he felt something push against his back. The could rush along his back, stinging a little, told him what it was. He looked behind to confirm that it was indeed that one tendtril. Snap flinched when he felt it pressed firmly against his back and he was pushed a little closer to the tornado.

The zoner turned his head and clenched his teeth tightly as the tornado moved in close to him. The rush of air was all around him. Snap tried his best not to cough when he felt the dust swirling around him, making it a little hard for him to breathe. The tornado, seemingly not wanting to end his life just yet, slowed this process down, clearing the air around him, much to Snap’s anxious relief. But how long would it last?

“Clever zoner. Think so smart.” The twister said. Its voice was a strange and disturbing combination of complimentary and insulting. “Insult creator. Got attention. Suicidal. Must wonder something.” The twister appeared to turn its ‘head’ to one said. “Not attached to life?”

Snap gulped. He frowned more deeply. “I-I don’t care what you do to me...” A lie. Snap would be terrified of anything this twister dished out. But still..he’d prefer that than... “If it means stopping you from hurting others...”

“Think this work?” The twister said, speaking in a somewhat casual voice once more. The way it so easily shifted into this was rather unsettling.

“I’ll fight you!” Snap snarled as he held up his fists. “I don’t care if it’s impossible... I’ll still do it!” Snap wasn’t sure how long he could keep the tornado’s attention. Sooner or later, it might remember its interest in the Real World and go after Tilly.

The twister appeared to laugh once more at him. Snap bared his teeth, which did little to faze the gigantic swirling wind. “You? Nothing but ant. Insignificant. Puny.” It peered even closer to the superhero zoner. “What can do..?”

Snap smirked at this. He said nothing, watching the twister seem to quake a little in frustration at his lack of a response. This was quite amusing to watch. The twister didn’t do it for long. Just a split second. The fact that it did it at all was good enough satisfaction for him.

If he were to actually speak up, then here was one thing that he would have said to it. A simple sentence at a glance, with so much hidden meaning behind it.

‘More than you know.’

Just then, before Snap could begin the next stage of his plan, something unexpected happened. He felt the tendtrils squeeze around him tightly, causing him to grunt. He was slowly lifted up into the air. He squirmed in the tornado’s grasp, his legs kicking out in desperation.

“Put me down!” Snap demanded. He tried to fight back the tears of pain as the air began to greatly irritate his skin. It was bad enough to have it just touch him, but now that it was squeezing him...

“Know what you think. Think you clever. Think you smart. Think not guess what you do.” The twister said to him.

Snap glared at him. Was this twister still blaming him and the others for what happened to Terry? The thought boiled his blood. It already knew they were’t responsible, so why was it doing it again? “We didn’t do anything!”

“Liar. Deciever. Not good at it.” The twister replied. Snap could have sworn it narrowed its nonexistent eyes at him. The tone of voice became somewhat playful, and he could almost imagine a dark grin on its face. “I learn fast.”

“Yes..I imagine you’d want to compensate for how easily your creator was defeated!” The blue zoner snapped back. He grunted in pain when he was suddenly squeezed tighter.

“Perhaps. Maybe. But not case. Something else.” The tornado spoke slowly. Snap noticed the twister was turning slightly to the side. Not much, but there seemd to be some kind of deliberance in this action. What was it doing? “Sorry pull plug. Gone on long enough.”

Snap stared at the tornado in confusion. What was it talking about? Just what the hell was it implying? Snap opened his mouth to ask it just that, despite knowing it probably won’t tell him. He hesitated for a moment, and then he managed to speak. “What are you...saying...? What do you mean...?”

The twister almost seemed to smile. It did not reply to him. Instead, without warning, it made a move so fast that the zoner could not detect it all that well. There was a loud grunt, senting a cold chill through the zoner’s spine. No...it could not be....

But it was true. This was proven a few seconds later when Tilly was raised up high into the air, higher than where he was right now. She had been snagged by her left leg and was left to dangle there like she was just a sack of groceries. The tornado moved her slowly from side to side, letting Snap see a nice long look at her, as if to rub it in his face that he really hadn’t been as subtle as he thought he was.

“Surprised?” The twister asked.

“H-How did you...?” Snap breathed softly.

“Creator not stupid. I not stupid.” The tornado sneered at him. “Saw right through. You should try better. More effort.” The tornado turned its ‘head’ to look over at Tilly. It gave a quick chuckle. “Must give credit. Plan was mostly clever. Needs work. But smart still.”

Snap stared at this with clenched teeth, his mind swirling. He couldn’t believe that the tornado was onto what they were doing. How was this possible? Snap never gave any kind of hint, did he? He didn’t give off any subtle signals to the thing that told it what he was doing, right? It was impossible unless..

...unless the tornado had some sort of sixth sense...

Snap felt his heart nearly freeze solid at this. Why didn’t he think of this before? The tornado was made of wind. It would make sense that it would be sensive to other air around it, right? And it would pick up disturbances in that wind and be able to tell what was going on. Essentially, this meant that the tornado had a different sense of sight, and was much broader than he had ever seen in anyone or anything else. That was how it knew what Tilly was up to. It could literally still ‘see’ her behind it. This realization caused the zoner’s heart to quicken its pace.

As Snap started to struggle against the twister’s grasp, along with Tilly, the twister just chuckled at their efforts. It continued to hold them high up, increasing the distance between them and the ground as if to ensure they would die if they got free. This eventually worked and he and Tilly froze, peering down at the far away ground.

The twister peered closely to Snap. The zoner cringed as far back as he could. The stings of pain were pushed into the back of his mind as he watched the twister get uncomfortably close to him. “So where we...”

Without warning, there was a flash of dark colors, a loud thud, and Snap and Tilly found themselves being released. They screamed as they fall into the ground. They crashed painfully, and they both knew that they were going to be badly bruised from this. They looked up to see who had saved them.

Snap couldn’t help but widen his eyes in shock when he saw it was the scribble thing again. The tornado’s utter shock at this was exactly how Snap felt about it.

“You again?! Don’t you ever stop?!”

Yeah...his thoughts exactly.

Snap slowly climbed up to his feet and watched as the scribble creature, despite being weakened, despite being badly injured, fought back against the twister. It held on tightly and shoved it back several feet. The twister struggled, striking against the scribble creature with its tendtrils. But the scribble creature did not let up and just kept coming at him.

Realizing this was the perfect opportunity to strike, Snap swiveled his head towards Tilly. “Hurry! While it’s distracted!”

As Tilly rushed to draw something quickly, Snap turned his attention to the tornado and the scribble creature. He found it impossible to look away and his eyes remained glued to the spectacle.

sss

The scribble being knew exactly what it was getting itself into. It knew the consequences of its current actions. It knew what might happen to it if it failed yet again.

But in this moment, it really didn’t care. All that was on its mind was fighting this thing. It had been pushed around and jossled by this twister for too long. It was time for a little bit of payback. It might have failed the other times, but it would be damned if it failed again.

It kept itself pushed up against the twister. The winds were irritating to it, but it was able to ignore them. Even as more parts of it began to break off and fall, it still managed to hold its ground rather well against this hideous twister. Its feet remained firmly planted, keeping itself in one particular spot, its hands gripping the air despite the illogicalness of it.

This scribble creature glared, or at least it would have if it had properly functioning eyes. It could still see, though. Every part of it, some sort of sense of sight existed. Makes sense. After all, it was literally made up of a bunch of scribbles that had combined together to form one large being. This is what its creator intended, and, despite her being such a little girl, this was quite a clever solution.

Memories of the danger that this twister put its creator through rushed through its mind. The more it thought of it, the more pissed off it got. Now the same twister was trying to harm its creator’s mother, as well as a friend of that creator. Oh no, not on its watch. The scribble creature might not know them all that well, but if they were loved ones of Sophie, then that was more than enough reason for it to defend them, even if it was just to please its creator.

It pulled back a fist and it struck against the twister. It ignored the shockwaves of pain that this caused, watching in satisfaction as the twister was pushed back. It then frowned in disappointment when the twister did not fall over. Perhaps it just didn’t hit hard enough.

Trying again, it rushed over to where the twister had ended up. But upon trying to strike again, the twister seized it by its arm and yanked it forward. The twister moved to the side, letting it sail past. The scribble creature let out a yelp of pain as it was pushed against the ground. This turned into screams when the twister began to strike against it with its tendrils, knocking off more and more pieces of itself.

The scribble creature let out a low growl at this. No...not this time... Sending out signals to its other body parts, some of the scribbles began to repositioning themselves, looking as if something long and black was growing out of it. This stretched out further, raising up to form something of an arch. Then, gathering as much strength as it could, it struck out with this tendril, targeting the base of the twister.

However, this proved to be mostly useless. Yes, it did make the twister flinch a little and make it release it. It allowed the scribble creature to climb up to its feet and back away a little. But it didn’t slow the tornado down all that much. It didn’t even make it trip and fall, although the scribble creature wasn’t sure if that was possible without a significant amount of force against its whole body.

The twister recovered from its attack very quickly. It shrugged it off as if nothing at all had happened. It stared at it for the longest time, neither side making a move. The scribble creature pondered what its next move should be. Whatever it did, it needed to make sure that this tornado monster did not get anywhere near those two.

“Willing to lose? How many times?” The twister said coldly, chuckling. It began to circle it slowly. “Many times, yes? Too many. Bored. Why just stop?”

The scribble creature shook its head. “Nice try. No. Will not. Fight.”

Another chuckle. “You something. Quite special. Brave. Admirable. But stupid still.” The twister then turned itself the other way, arching quickly as it reached the other side of the scribble creature. “Not sure why you still try. You always fail. Always will fail. Why not give up? Go away. Save yourself.”

The scribble creature replied, “Not betray. Will still fight. Win this time.”

“You win? No. You lose.” The tornado struck out with its own tendril. The scribble creature let out a cry of pain as it was slammed against the ground. “Foolish to think otherwise. End this now. Sorry.”

The scribble creature shook in pain as it lifted up its head. It looked into the nonexistent eyes of the twister. It formed a few more long tendrils out of its body before forming them into a singular point. Something large, pointed, and heavy. The scribble creature felt fear rush through its body when it realized just where that thing was pointed. It scrambled to get up, but it was not fast enough.

A loud scream eminated from what could be called its mouth as the twister severed it in the middle. Its legs spazzed out and then stopped working altogether. A pool of blood splattered from the injuries placed upon the scribble pieces. The blood stained the ground, turning it a dark red. The scribble creature trembled in pain, struggling to try to get up despite the loss of legs. It managed to hold itself up on its shaky arms. It looked up at the twister, staring at it in fear as it wondered what it was going to do to it next.

Something caused the twister to pause. The scribble creature wasn’t sure just what that reason was yet. All that it was aware of was its own confusion as the twister suddenly stopped. Then it slowly turned around and its attention was now on something else.

The scribble creature sucked in a deep breath when it realized it was now going after those other two. No... Just a little more time... It just needed a little more time...

The scribble creature began to crawl towards the twister. The twister itself didn’t bother looking behind or stopping, either unaware of what it was trying to do or completely convinced that it was no threat any longer. The scribble creature kept pulling itself along the ground, what remained of it, hissing in pain. It could feel more blood spilling out from the severed parts. It did whatever it could it ignore the pain.

“Hurry up! It’s coming!”

“I’m trying! But I...”

The twister blasted out a gust of wind at them. The two were tossed across the ground, landing in a heavy thud against the wall of the cave. “Think not.” The twister then seized what appeared to be a grey piece of chalk. “Not need this. No more.” It crushed the piece in its tendril.

The scribble creature gasped in horror at this. Knowing that there was little time left, it moved even faster, trying to catch up before it was too late. It felt a thudding inside of it as it watched the tendril grab onto its creator’s mother. It raised her up in the air, leering at her as she struggled in its grasp. The blue zoner called out, begging the twister to let her go. Upon hearing this zoner’s pleas and the cries from the woman, the scribble creature moved faster.

“Now then, let’s..”

The scribble creature took action. It reached out with its hands and grabbed onto the twister. It yanked downward, utilizing all the force left in its body. It ignored the seering pain as it slammed the twister into the ground. The woman was tossed aside, landing a few feet away painfully.

The twister turned its head and sneered in its general direction. “You... Last time interference!”

The scribble creature froze at this, but still held on. It began to drag the twister back towards itself. It heard the sound of scraping, or something similiar to it, and it raised its head to look. The last thing it saw before seering pain was something long, sharp, and pointed.


	50. Lines

Just because you’ve good intentions doesn’t mean there is no line that must not be crossed.

sss

The twister’s vision was nothing but red at this point. Emotion swept through its swirling body. It forgot about its desires to go into the Real World. It forgot that it nearly had the human and zoner in its custody. All that was on its mind right now was teaching this scribble figure a lesson.

It had grown sick of its antics, tired of its interference, bored of its stubbornness. And now, the stupid thing dared to try to stop it from taking what was rightfully its. It was time to end this interference once and for all.

It had swiftly formed a hooked arm with its wind. It was shaped like a curved machete. Wide, thin, and very sharp, hooked like the claw of a lion or other predator. It was raised above the scribble figure, poised to strike. The twister stared at it for several moments, watching as it squirmed in desperation. Then, not giving it a chance to react, it struck down.

There was a satisfying slunch sound as the wind blade cut into the scribble figure. It struck through into the chest area. It could feel a clang as it hit against the ground, now all the way through the body. Blood dripped out from the scribble figure. Even with a tendril made of air, the twister could feel it. The scribble figure was gasping in pain, the remainder of the body writhing and twisting. Then, tightening its tendril and gathering up strength, it slashed upward. There was the sound of splattering blood and cracks of what seemed to be bone as it cut through the middle of the neck and head. The twister let go, moved back, and watched the show.

The scribble figure was thrashing around. Its body appeared to be going through what seemed to be death throes. Despite being made up of lots of tiny scribbles, the scribble figure did still seem to have some kind of brain of sorts. With that ‘brain scribble’ gone, the entire body began to die off.

After a few minutes of death throes and small thrashes, the body then began to disintegrate. Little tiny pieces fell everywhere, the scribbles breaking apart as if the support strings had been removed from them. Now, where there were limbs, a body, and a head, just a pile of useless scribbles. It was almost completey undramatic. The twister had a hard time believing that this seemingly worthless pile of scribbles had once been its only matched adversary. It had never met anyone who could take it on as long as it did, and a part of it was going to miss that.

Oh well. No use crying over spilted liquid. The scribble figure was gone now. It was not going to have to worry about it again. Now... What about that human...?

The tornado slowly turned its body around. It looked down at the woman, who was still standing there. She hadn’t attempted to run. The twister did its best not to chuckle. Not a very smart woman, now was she? She could have taken this chance to flee, but instead she just...stayed. Well, if she wanted to try to take it on, then she can be its guest. No wind off of its face.

It did take a few moments to realize the zoner was gone. Hmm..it wondered where it could have gone. When it looked more closely at the ground, it did take notice that there were some indentions, and they were heading off in one particular direction. The twister looked there, then narrowed its eyes. Hmm... It would seem that the zoner was leaving to go find help. It could not see the zoner from where it was, making it wonder just how long ago the zoner had left.

Well, it didn’t really matter now anyway. There was no way that the stupid little zoner was going to come back in time to get his friend away from it. The human was his. To emphasize this point, it wrapped its tendrils around her body. Not touching her exactly, but forming a barrier that she could not get out of.

“Now alone... take me. Your world. Meet my creator.” The twister said softly, dropping all pretenses of being angry. It wanted to try starting fresh, not with its mind clouded with anger and hatred. “Not stay long. Just see creator.”

The woman stared at it wide-eyed. It could see a sense of fear in them. The twister was partially happy with this, as it could mean that the woman would be more willing to obligue. But it could also mean she would be less willing. Well, if she tried to resist, it had ways of making her.

The woman took a glance over at what remained of the scribble creature. There was a sense of horror and shock in those eyes. The twister could make out her pupils darting all around, taking in the sight of a mangled pile of blood and scribbles. Despite it, to her, being a children’s drawing and nothing more, there was a sense of disbelief in her eyes, intermixed with sadness. The twister mentally shook its head at this. Humans. They can be so strange.

When she finally turned her head to it, the twister was taken aback by the look in her eyes. Not so much rage and anger, but disappointment. The twister moved a little back. It wasn’t really sure how to respond to that. It didn’t know what to expect. It remained silent and waited for her to speak up.

“It’s really sad, you know?” Tilly said. Her head was turned to the side, her gaze averted. “I’m sure you wouldn’t know this, but often a mother or father can become disappointed in their child if their skills and life are wasted. I mean...just because someone is naturally talented...” She raised her hand up in gesture. “That doesn’t mean that they will actually lead very successful lives, you know?”

The twister stared at her in confusion. What was she rambling on about? What did this have to do with what was happening?

“I’m sure the same thing goes with you zoners. A creator could have intent and purpose for you, but if you waste them... Well I can’t imagine the creator being so proud of you.” Tilly said. The twister felt its body shiver at this. Was this woman impying what it thought she was? “I mean, yeah, not everyone has good purpose. I’m not talking about those who were created to be...oh say... a serial killer. No, obviously those would need to be stopped. But what about, say, a baker? Or a technician?” She sighed and shook her head. She looked up at the twister. “Does this world have those problems?”

The twister growled softly. “Not sure what you plan. Not fall for it!”

Tilly smiled at this, surprising the twister more. “I’m going to say yes, you do. There are countless creators out there, countless creations coming to life... And I’m sure of those, a large portion will forget their true purpose and get lost on their way. They may do things that their creator would, if they saw them, regret.”

The twister’s mind swirled with thoughts. It stared at the woman in shock, trying to comprehend what she was saying to it. It could feel its body trembling and shaking more. Out of increased anger and frustration, it formed the sharp teeth with its winds once more. But instead of being frightened, the woman just continued to smile at it.

Just what was this woman trying to say to it? Was she trying to tell it that Terry would abandon it? Was she saying that Terry did not care for it? The thought made its mind burn, and it clenched its air teeth tighter. It was so tempting to strike her from where she stood. Amazingly, it was able to keep its cool, and it settled on just staring at her.

Tilly took a step forward. She looked at the twister up and down. There didn’t seem to be a trace of fear left in her. The twister couldn’t tell if she was really unafraid of it now or what, but still it found itself gritting its air teeth. “I understand your frustration. Really. Lots of children have this fear. They think they will disappoint their parents, so some don’t bother trying. Fear of failure and all.”

“Shut up! Not afraid!” The twister snapped back at her. “Shut up and come!”

Tilly raised an eyebrow at that. “Afraid of the truth?”

The twister finally had enough. It lashed out forward. It grabbed onto the woman tightly. The woman let out a grunt, but otherwise, looked quite calm, staring at it almost blankly. The twister growled at this, squeezing her harder and lifting her high into the air.

“Not truth! Not sure what you talking about!” The twister yelled at her. “Know what truth is! You not speak it!”

Tilly just chuckled at this. “So...you honestly think that Terry Bouffant would have wanted this?”

This made the twister freeze. So...was this where this woman was aiming at? Was this what she had been trying to imply? It growled softly at the thought. “You wrong!”

“Well what makes you think that Terry wanted you to do something like this?” Tilly asked coolly. She tilted her head to one side. ‘Tell me, how would you know if she would accept this? How do you know?”

“Cause she my creator! Know all! She would approve! Not get angry! Get proud!” The twister shouted at her. Tightening its grip on her, it leaned in closer. “You not understand! You confused!”

Tilly smiled and shook her head. “I understand completely. You know...I had a bad encounter myself once, though it was with my nephew.” The twister would have blinked in confusion if it could. “I was disappointed in him and I took it too far and I struck him. I am not proud of what I did.” She shut her eyes and shook her head. “So not proud...”

“What point?” The twister hissed.

Tilly looked back up at it. “The point is I’m certain he thought he was doing the right thing in not telling. Not only to keep people like my daughter out of trouble, but also to keep the place he obviously loves a secret. And still, I struck out in anger.” She stared at him it firmly, her eyes narrowing slowly. “The point is that you might think you were doing something your creator would approve of, but you don’t know that, and you might end up screwing yourself over. She did not think your creation through, did she? She only created you to chase, right? She’s probably forgotten you by now.”

The twister felt its internal temperature heating up. “No! She would not!”

Tilly just smiled at this. “Face it. You’re probably just another sketch to add to the pile. You’re nothing all that unique to her. Nothing more than a drabble. And here you think you are something so much more.” She shut her eyes and chuckled, ignoring his snarls and growls of anger and warning. “I just hope you realize that sooner or later, so you can try to do something good with your...life. You might be of some use to someone, do a lot of good. But you waste it.” She chuckled dryly, her partially opening eyes regarding him casually. “How very sad.”

That was it. That done it. Inside, the twister could feel something snap inside of it. It didn’t even bother to speak, or say any kind of warning. The woman may have seen it coming, but it didn’t really care. Tightening its grip around her even more, to the point of nearly crushing her, it threw her as hard as it could across the ground. The woman let out a few cries of pain as her body hit with a heavy thud.

The twister was not yet done with her. It rushed forward at incredible speed. Before the woman had a chance to recover, the twister struck her again, its long tendrils slamming against her. There was a loud crack and a howl of pain as the woman was rolling roughly across the ground. She soon lay crumpled on the ground, her arms and legs positioned a little oddly. Her body twitched and thrashed. The twister didn’t know if these were death throes or not. But just to be sure...

The twister eyed her carefully as it approached. It smirked with its air mouth in satisfaction as it noticed that she was no longer smiling. Her expression was replaced with horror and pain. Her eyes were bulging open and there was blood leaking out of her mouth. Her body looked badly broken and it realized it must have shattered at least two of her limbs, and perhaps more bones. Due to the twist of her body, and how, when she tried to struggle, her legs did not move, told it that her back was broken.

“Should not of lied. Should have help. I not want much.” The twister said. “Find another creator. One that listens.” The twister looked into her terror-filled eyes, listened to her desperate attempts to breathe, but the desire to laugh at her was gone. No more amusement. It just wanted her dead. “End.” Then it closed in for the kill.

Without warning, it suddenly felt something take a hold of him. A strong force that wrapped around him and began to pull it back. It struggled to get free, but the force was too great.

“No..no... No!” It cried as it struggled to keep grip on the ground. Its tendrils dug in deeply, trying to keep traction. But it was useless and it found itself still being ripped up into the air. “No!”

The next few seconds were confusion for it. It was tossed around in a circle. The vision around itself blurred. It started to feel dizzy, something it thought wasn’t possible. It tried to look around to see what had happened. This task proved to be impossible and all it could do was struggle to try to keep its vision from getting too wonky. It hit its ‘head’ against the ground a few times in the struggle, and it let out a loud yelp each time.

Then darkness rapidly descended upon it. There was a strong thickness in the air. Something that it could not describe itself. It could still see a light, however. It rushed upward to try to get to it. But there was a loud shing sound, something sealing up, and it crashed into something solid.

Unable to do anything, it just laid there, its body forcibly stretched to fill in the space of...whatever this thing was. Its minds sped with thoughts as it tried to comprehend how this could have happened.

No..this wasn’t possible... It should have seen... Why didn’t see this coming...? It was impossible. No...

Unable to hold back, it let out a loud, melancholnic roar.

sss

No... Oh no... Please, no... It couldn’t be true. He had to be wrong... Tilly couldn’t possibly be..

Snap stared in horror at the woman’s broken body. She was in a pool of her own blood, the red fluid staining the dirt and rocks underneath her. Snap stood there, his body shaking as emotion swept through him. Despite not knowing her that well, he still felt tears form in his eyes. She was hurt so badly..evident from how her body was twisted, the blood that spilled out, the way her eyes were wide open...

He rushed to her side as quickly as he could. He reached her in a relatively short time and stood next to her. He moved his head from one side to the other, breathing in quickly as he took in the horrific sight.

Her left arm and right leg were clearly broken. They were bent at odd angles and he could see dark bruising from where the breaks were. Her spinal column had been broken as well, clearly snapped in two. Her legs weren’t moving at all, indicating spinal damage. Though half her body was numb, there was still enough agony in her broken arm to make her writhe in pain. Snap bit his lip, looking at her sympathetically.

He moved in closer and knelt down beside her. He reached forward and he touched the top of her head. Tilly looked up at him and sucked in a sharp intake of painful breath. Snap couldn’t stop the tears from dripping down his face. This poor...poor woman... What did she do to deserve this? He couldn’t stop himself from looking deep into her eyes, and bearing witness to all the fears that she had bottled up inside, the raw terror that she was expressing.

He couldn’t help but also think of Sophie. If her mother were dying...or even permanently maimed, what would she think? Would Sophie realize the severity of that? A part of Snap hope she does not completely understand. The idea of a vengeful toddler running around ChalkZone was a rather terrifying one. An adult would show more restraint, but a toddler with unbridled emotional feelings... that was another thing entirely.

Snap stroked Tilly’s hair gently. He leaned in a little closer to her, trying to be as physically near her as possible without unintentionally putting strain on her in any way. “Shhh...” He whispered softly as he listened her cries. “It’ll be okay. You’ll be fine... I promise...”

But deep down, he wasn’t really sure what he could do for her. She was the last person who could use the magic chalk. He didn’t know if there were any portals open, and there was no way to contact Rudy or Penny from within ChalkZone. None of them would know something happened to Tilly until it was too late.

How was he going to get her into the Real World? How was he going to be able to get her the treatment that she so badly needed? She couldn’t go to a hospital here. They might be able to fix her leg and arm a little and stabilize her body a bit, but they wouldn’t be able to do too much. Even the act of minimizing her pain would be impossible, given how their medicine would just dissolve in her body before it could take any kind of effect.

But...there had to be a way, right? It wasn’t possible that she was stuck here forever. If he thought hard enough, he’d figure something out. There...there was always a way. Always a way...

He heard a hissing sound behind him, slight sucking, and he turned his head around. He could see the large vacuum cleaner turning to face him. The sight of this made him uncomfortable. Just what they needed. Another creation that isn’t supposed to be alive, but is. Was this thing going to turn out like the twister? Though he realized he was jumping to conclusions, he didn’t want to let his guard down around it.

At least he had figured out what its power was. But he wasn’t really sure what to make of it, if it was a blessing or a curse.

It could regenerate itself, and rebuild itself from the ground up.

When the twister had been distracted by the scribble creature’s noble sacrifice, Snap had moved around the twister and had found the pieces of the shattered and broken vacuum cleaner. He had barely touched it when the pieces started to pull towards one another. The sight of this had shocked him and he nearly lost his footing. Before he knew it, the vacuum cleaner had rebuilt itself, and was as sentient as he was.

Snap hadn’t even said a word to the twister before it took action. Snap hung back and watched as the cleaning device advanced on the twister. It did...something.... that.. He wasn’t sure. Something about creating a void around it so the twister couldn’t see it. But then...wouldn’t it have detected it anyway with the missing pocket of air? Snap wasn’t sure. He was getting a headache just thinking about it. The point was, the vacuum cleaner was able to get to the twister before the swirling bag of wind was able to realize what was happening.

Snap felt a pang of guilt clench at his stomach. He hadn’t noticed Tilly’s plight until the vacuum cleaner had started to suck up the twister. He had been so shocked by the vacuum’s resurrection that he had hardly paid attention to anything that was going on around him. This resulted in him being unable to help Tilly earlier, and now she laid injured horrifically because of that.

Well, could he have done anything different? Probably not. He was too small and weak to handle taking on a twister. He would not have been able to get her down sooner. Still, he wished he had known earlier so he could have done...something.

The vacuum cleaner had paused. Snap could still hear it sucking up air. It was a low, hissing rumbling noise now. He wondered for a moment if it could even stop doing that. He didn’t try to ask, however, as the thing lowered its ‘head’ to them. The long, air-suckig nozzle came down towards them, making Snap flinch and cringe back. He held onto Tilly and glared fearfully at the vacuum cleaner.

A few seconds later, Snap flinched when he felt the tip of the nozzle head against him. It was a gentle nudge, light enough that it didn’t knock him down, but firm enough for him to truly feel the weight of this thing. He clenched his teeth fearfully, holding still, freezing him in the spot.

The nozzle head moved gently over him, lightly grazing him. The rush of air could be felt as the thing seemed to sniff his head. Snap held completely still. He fought against his instinct to fight back or run, his body trembling. He wasn’t sure if making any sudden movements was going to startle this thing.

Then the vacuum cleaner, after a few moments, moved away from them. Snap turned his had, watching the vacuum cleaner move towards Biclops. It was then that he took notice of just how massive the thing was. Much like the twister, it was much larger than Biclops, and would be able to easily tower over him if it were standing up on its ‘hind legs’. When Snap saw the nozzle head touch Biclops, he felt panic sweep through his body. Just what was this thing going to do?

The thing was so close to Biclops now. The nozzle was so close, practically touching him. What was Snap supposed to do now? Should he take action and save him before it was too late? Or was he already too late? If he tried to take action now, was it going to crush him under its massive weight? Was it going to get the helpless Tilly next?

To his surprise, the vacuum cleaner didn’t hurt Biclops like he had feared. Instead, it pushed its long ‘neck’ underneath his body. It then raised itself up, letting Biclops sprawl onto his back. The vacuum cleaner then turned its attention on back onto them. It moved closer to them once more, this time, taking its time and moving in a slower, gentler pace. Or whatever qualified as gentle with giant, sentient vacuum cleaners.

Despite the fact that the vacuum cleaner did not speak, Snap could almost sense it saying something as it stared at him. It was as if it was trying to say ‘I’m not going to hurt you’. If that is the case, Snap wasn’t sure how much he wanted to believe it.

But staring at the vacuum cleaner parked in front of him, then down at the injured Tilly, he realized there was very little choice. He had no other way of carrying the woman, and while he was still at a loss of how to help her, at least this was something, right?

He allowed the vacuum to pick them up. Instead of being nudged up like with Biclops, he and Tilly were picked up through the suction of the vacuum’s nozzle head. Unlike the rough sucking done with the twister, this was far more gentle. Just enough to lift them up, and then it dropped them gently onto its broad, cool, hard back. Well not so much drop, as set them down lightly.

Snap flinched when he saw that Tilly had been moved a little when lifted and set back down. Now she was on her back instead of her side. He bit his lip. Had there been more damage? Well...at least this way, she could breathe better. She needed that. She was breathing in and out very quickly as she tried to deal with the pain.

Snap gently lifted her head and set it on his lap. She clinched her eyes tightly and shuddered, whimpering in pain. Snap bit his lip and stroked her hair gently. “Shhh...you will be okay. I promise...” He whispered gently to her.

Soon the vacuum cleaner began to move. Snap wasn’t sure where they were going. He didn’t know what the vacuum cleaner thing had in mind. But for now, he hardly thought about that. He kept his attention on Tilly. He continued to whisper soft, comforting words to her as they moved along the landscape slowly.

sss

She knew she was being immature. She knew that she was probaly being paranoid. She knew that she was going to be going too far if she continued with this.

But no..something had to be done. She couldn’t sleep. No matter how late it was tonight, she needed to take action. It was just too dangerous not to do anything. If she delayed this, who knows what will happen? How many people will be hurt if she didn’t do this?

She almost felt sorry for those involved. Though she had a feeling they played some kind of part, or were just simply irresponsible and didn’t pay attention, she did feel bad about dragging them into the punishment. But...sometimes sacrifices had to be made, right? Especially if they’re for the greater good.

Yeah, she was doing the right thing. She told herself that over and over again, reassuring herself that she was doing whatever it took to protect this city. It was nothing personal against these people. She was just doing what had to be done.

Ms. Tweezer was frustrated that no one would help her. Not even Terry, whom should have been on her side swiftly. That woman denied Rudy’s involvement, and had dared to insult her. She gritted her teeth at the memory. If it hadn’t been for that stupid doctor, she would have taught the bitch a little lesson.

Well if Terry won’t help her, she could take action herself. She would do what she can to save Plainsville, even if she had to do it all by herself. She will not allow Rudy Tabootie to get away with what he had done. She knew he was the ring leader in all of this, and to stop the madness, she needed to start with him. And the best way to begin was to eliminate his base of operations. Destroying his house...

...even if his parents were inside. Well it was a worthy sacrifice in the end, wasn’t it?

Holding the canister of gasoline, she continued to spray it along the ground around the large, brown house. The process was a little slower than she had hoped it would be. The can was heavy and the hole much smaller than she had thought. Nonetheless, she continued to walk around the house with the canister, clutching the handle tightly in her hand.

After a while, she managed to form a complete circle around the house. She took a few steps back, looking at the line she had formed. It was hard to see in the dark, but she could detect a slightly darker line going around the house. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a match.

She paused for a moment, staring at it, occassionally looking over at the line of gasoline that she had created. She bit her lip. There was still some doubt on her head. That and guilt. She wasn’t sure how she would really feel about killing two other fellow humans. Especially ones who had nothing to do with what Rudy had done... But still, they were irresponsible at the very least, and they should have kept a better eye on him. Or if they did know and they just didn’t do anything... That thought was more disgusting than them being irresponsible. She gritted her teeth. She hoped, really truly hoped, that it was the first option.

Well enough wasting time. It was time to get started. She placed the match’s tip against the grey stripe available on match packs. She applied pressure and scraped it swiftly. There was an immediate spark and then a small flame formed on the tip. The strong smell of recently lit lighter filled her nostrils. She walked over towards the nearest spot that was wet with gasoline. She took in a deep breath. It was now or never.

A few seconds later, she opened her hand and let it fall to the ground. The match soon touched the gasoline and there was an immediate reaction. Silently, save for a few crackles, the bright flames immediately began to spread around the house, eating up the gasolne and creating a wall of fire around the Tabootie’s home.

Ms. Tweezer took a step back and stared at this for a moment. She stared in shock at first, then she smiled. Now the boy should not be able to do anything to torment her with the unreal again, nor would he be able to assault anyone else, not while his base of operations was in the heat.

sss

Penny had a hard time sleeping. She wasn’t sure how late it was. She was still blind, hopefully temporarily, making it impossible for her to tell what time it really was. For all she knew, it could be three in the morning. But...she just couldn’t close her eyes and go to sleep. Her mind was wandering around too much, her head swirling with several thoughts of what happened lately. With her mind so busy, how could she possibly get any sleep?

She hardly paid attention to the pain that she was feeling. Though there was still an ache that she could feel, she largely ignored it, her mind focused on other things. Besides, the medicine was still working, and her throat didn’t feel as bad as it did previously. She sat up in her bed, leaning her back against the wall carefully, her arms folded lightly against herself.

Things had taken a turn for the worse. Overhearing the doctors, she had learned that her own mother had been brought in. She could feel her heart clenching in horror at this. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, but from what the doctors were saying, it was really bad. She wanted to jump out of her bed to go greet her mother, but with no way to see, that wouldn’t have been a very good idea. Besides, the doctors would probably scold her.

But she just couldn’t help herself. The temptation to go to her mother was too great. She wanted to know what was wrong with her. She wanted to know if she was going to be okay. She wanted to know what happened to her.

And what of her friends? Were they in the same boat as her mother? Were they hurt? It was bad enough that Rudy was hurt and hospitalized along with her. But she hoped that Snap and Howdy and Rapsheeba were able to escape unscathed. She also hoped that none of the other zoners got hurt either, nor any other humans in the Real World. She just wanted all of this to end. She wanted everything to return back to normal.

Well, as close to normal as possible. She had to remind herself that there were still some issues, mainly with her mother and Rudy’s folks. They knew about ChalkZone now. There was no changing that. No magic wand to wave to erase their memories. They needed to figure out what to do with this and fast. She wasn’t entirely sure how to go about this, however. With their folks knowing how dangerous the world could be, how would they be able to convince them to keep it a secret? Or to let them keep going in there?

She shook her head and sighed. This was something that she wished they had better prepared for. She and Rudy never really fully discussed how they would handle telling their parents about ChalkZone should the time ever arise. They both had been convinced that they would never need to do this. They had always been so careful, able to prevent anyone from finding out.

But then...they should have still seen this coming. They might have been good for a time, but eventually things had started to work against them. Both Vinnie and Terry found out about ChalkZone because of their carelessness. Well, mostly Rudy’s. And now another human, Dr. Von Doktor, knew about the place...

Cold shivers ran through her body. She held her arms tighter against herself as she tried to warm herself up. It was a difficult an impossible feet, and the fear inside of her just caused her body temperature to feel like it was getting even lower.

Thoughts of what that man could do entered her mind. They assaulted her left and right, bombarding her with uncomfortable, horrific thoughts. Him being a scientist made the whole situation much, much worse. He could do things that Terry and Vinnie could not. He could perform experiments on zoners, learn more about the magic chalk, and maybe even replicate it... That thought sent a freezing chill into her spine and she couldn’t help but tremble. Terry and Vinnie were bad enough, with Terry being a news reporter and Vinnie being so determined. What made Von scarier was his intelligence. He had clearly thought things through and was much harder to aprehend as a result of that. She started to wonder if that man could ever be stopped.

There had to be someway to do it. If they just thought hard enough and long enough, maybe someone would come up with a solution for him. Penny would love to see that man get arrested and sent to jail, where he so richly deserved to be.

But how to achieve that goal... She wasn’t really sure at the moment. She was at a loss and she could feel a sting in her stomach as she struggled to come to terms with that. For the time being, Von was a free man, able to do whatever he wanted to, and the authorities had no idea. The thought sickened her, but trapped here in this bed, unable to see, there was very little that she could do, even if she had a chalkboard and piece of chalk.

During this moment, she could start to hear Terry’s voice in her head again. She shivered and tried to push them away, but she found it impossible. Terry’s voice just echoed in her head.

“What's left for you? Someone who just stands on the sidelines, watching as Rudy works his magic protecting that precious world of yours?”

“You...you're nothing... You are just a worthless little tag along who just waits for Rudy to give you a command and toss you a bone.”

“You're worthless.”

She shook her head, trying to shoo those thoughts out of her. Terry had no idea what she was talking about. Penny had done whatever she could to help protect ChalkZone and help her friends. Even when she couldn’t physically do anything, she still was able to send help in the form of Howdy. Despite not being there, she was certain that this action had turned the tides in the fight against Von.

Despite what Terry said, she was not worthless. Terry had only said that to try to make her slip up and destroy her confidence. Terry didn’t know any better, and it was useless getting upset over it. She took in a deep breath and sighed, slowly feeling at least some of her anxiety leave her.

Just then, before she had a chance to relax more, she heard a loud scream coming from a few rooms down.

“Ahhhhhh!”

Penny jolted at that. It sounded like Rudy. She turned her head towards where she thought the door was, listening intently for any further sounds. She then heard another scream, and her heart skipped a beat when she realized it was Rudy.

But the scream... It wasn’t one of pain. It was of fear and terror. Was Rudy afraid of being in the hospital? Was the pain making him act irrationally? Or was it something else entirely? Something like...

“My house is on fire! I can see the smoke from here! Someone, do something!”

Penny took in a sharp gasp at this. She looked around to try to see the fire when she realized that she could not see. Her body shaking in shock, she kept on listening, trying to learn more about what was going on.

She tried to settle herself down. There was no way Rudy could see his house was on fire right? And even if there was a fire, it could be anywhere. It didn’t mean that his house was on fire. It...it must be some kind of mistake. Yeah, Rudy was just overreacting. That was all. He probably just thinks he’s seeing fire and...

Then again, they were up really high. It could be possible that, from where, looking out the window would allow them to see really far. It could be possible that Rudy really did see something. And even if it wasn’t his house, what if the fire was really close to his place? ...or hers...?

No... It couldn’t be possible. There had to be a logical explanation for Rudy’s outburst. Maybe..just maybe.. He was just dreaming or something. Yeah, and the doctors were just coming in to try to calm him down. That’s all it had to be. But the next shout that came threw that theory completely out of the window.

“Holy sh... The boy is telling the truth! I can see the fire! Somebody, call 9-11!”

Penny felt her blood run cold at this. Her mind sped up, trying to comprehend what was going on. How did Rudy’s house catch on fire..? Oh no... What about Rudy’s parents? Were they going to be okay?

Many thoughts ran through her mind. There was a large number of possibilities that could have happened. And each one was worse than the other. She could feel her heart clench tighter at each thought. She couldn’t believe this horrible turn of events. They had already been through so much. Did this really have to be added onto everything? She couldn’t begin to imagine what poor Rudy must be going through right now. She..she had to try to help him...

Despite her better judgment, Penny started to crawl out of the bed. She flinched in pain, but ignored it as she began to move along the wall, finding her way towards the door. It took her a little while, but she eventually reached it.

However, she didn’t get far when she felt a pair of hands grab onto her. She let out a grunt as she was dragged back. She struggled against their grasp, but it was useless. There was no way a ten year old like herself stood a chance.

“No, you shouldn’t be out wandering there, little missy.” A voice said. She recognized him as the doctor that was helping her before. “You need to stay in bed.”

“But.. Rudy...!” Penny cried out as she tried to struggle more.

“We will take care of it. Don’t worry.” The doctor said reassuringly. He set her back on the bed and Penny could feel the warmth of the covers move over her. “Now stay in here and rest. We will take care of it.”

“But...”

The doctor did not listen to her after that point. He simply walked away and disappeared out of the door. Penny flinched as she heard the sound of the door shutting, leaving her alone in the room. She stared over in the direction of the sound, her closed eyes widening. She then lowered her head and sighed.

sss

Millie woke up to some kind of strong smell. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore it, but the smell was getting stronger. She clinched her eyes tightly and snorted, trying to get the smell out of her head. Her attempts were futile, and it only seemed to make the smell stronger.

She let out a groan and sat up in the bed. Her half open eyes stared out towards the door, which was partially open, letting in some light. She rubbed her eyes and yawned loudly. She looked down at her husband. She was thankful that he was still asleep. At least one of them would be well rested. She just wished she could have gotten more sleep. She probably only slept for about an hour or two, her mind’s mugginess and heaviness being proof of that.

While she did recall what had happened lately with her son and everything, in that moment, she was way too tired to really react to it. To her, it almost felt like some kind of far away dream, distant and unable to be reached.

She did still wonder what the smell was. But she hardly thought about it too much. She just automatically assumed it was coming from the outside, perhaps being from one of the neighbors that decided to have a midnight snack. She yawned again and crawled out of bed. She scratched an itch real quick before she sleepily went over towards the window. She grabbed onto it and pushed it down.

Satisfied, she started to head back towards the bed. She stopped about half way there when she realized the smell was still getting stronger. She frowned softly and let out an irritated grunt. The smell must have eminated in from more windows. She looked back at her husband. She sighed in frustration. Looks like she is going to have to take care of them.

She exited the bedroom and she headed down the hallway towards Rudy’s room. Even though Rudy was not in there, she still found herself moving in slowly, as if to not awaken the boy that wasn’t there. She looked towards his window, but found it was still closed. Heading into the bathroom, she found it was open a crack and she shut it. She then turned to head down the stairs and she caught note of something.

There was some kind of unusual glow she noticed when she looked out of the bathroom window. She frowned deeply at this, her muggy mind catching that something was wrong. She headed back towards the window, her eyes firmly locked onto the window itself.

When she got closer, she noticed there was some kind of heat coming from the window as well. She felt so confused. Why was it so warm here? Granted it wasn’t that cool outside right now, but...it felt like a heatwave was coming in. What was going on here? She soon arrived at the window and she grabbed onto it. She opened it up and she peered outside.

The sight of a wall of intensely bright fire was enough to jolt her out of her sleepiness. Her eyes widened in horror and she let out a terrified scream. Her heart pounded heavily against her chest and she jumped back. She stared out the window, her body shaking in fear and terror. No... Oh no... She turned and she ran down the hallway and back into the bedroom.

“Joe! Joe, wake up! We have to get out of here!” Millie screamed. She grabbed onto her husband and attempted to rouse him from his sleep. When he didn’t wake up, she shook him harder. “Come on! Get up now! We have to leave! The house is on fire!”

But still, her husband did not stir. She took in a few heavy breaths, her eyes wide in horror and mind swirling. This couldn’t be happening... She shook her husband longer, and still he did not wake up. In her panicked mind, she thought he might be dead. She lowered her hand down to his neck to check for his pulse. Though she found one, that did not calm her down all that much.

The questions of how her house caught on fire and whether or not this was a deliberate act weren’t in her mind. Her head was frozen, burning with thoughts of needing to get out of here. The need to survive kicked in and she could feel her legs shaking with energy. If it weren’t for her husband being here, she would be running out of the house by now.

Being as careful as she could, she managed to scoop her husband’s unconscious body into her arms. The man must have been knocked out by the fumes. With a horror jolt, she realized that was the real reason for how muggie and tired she was feeling. She must have woken up just in time. Cradling Joe against her, she started to run down the steps as quickly as she could.

She reached for the door handle and grabbed it. She let out a cry of pain when the intense heat burned her hand. She yanked her hand back and shook it, cursing herself for forgetting one of the most basic fire safety rules. She ran into the kitchen and grabbed her thick oven mit. She used this to open the door. As soon as she did, she screamed in horror at what she saw.

There was a tall wall of fire in front of her. The fire crackled and simmered, bathing in her in its intense heat glow. Millie did her best to ignore the heat as she looked from left to right. To her utter horror, the fire wall spread around the entire house.

She slammed the door shut and backed away from it. She felt her legs grow weak and she collapsed beside the stairs. She looked down at her husband, her rapidly moving mind slowly coming to terms with what was happening. A cold chill went up her spine as tears formed in her eyes. The horrible truth sank in. She and her husband were trapped. There was nowhere to go. No way to escape this horrible blaze.

Intense emotion washing through her body, the woman, trembling, held onto her husband tightly and started to cry against him.

sss

“What did you say was happening, Agent D?!”

Agent D flinched as the voice shouted at him. He turned his head away, putting a finger in his eye and rubbing it. Did his boss really have to be so loud? He understood his frustration, but still...

“I just told you. There’s a fire going on at the Tabooties’ residence. We don’t know the cause of it yet, but...” He was cut off a second later.

“Well hurry it up and put out the flames! We cannot afford to lose that place!” His boss shouted at him.

Agent D growled softly. He tried his best not to become short with his boss. That would be...rather disasterous, to put it mildly. He held himself back as much as he could, glaring softly in no particular direction. He could hear his boss still rambling on over the phone. The guy just wouldn’t quit.

It was a good thing that he wasn’t doing this in his regular office. The other doctors were busy scrambling about, trying to get to patients, handle panicking people, whatever else. Though the confusion may make it hard for any of them to realize what he was saying, he didn’t want to run the risk. Here in the janitor’s office, he was much safer. With only one opening, he would be able to tell if anyone was coming.

His thoughts turned to Penny, Mrs. Sanchez, and Ms. Bouffant. At least, for the time being, they were safe. He had been the main doctor treating all of them. Well under an assumed name that is, in order to throw off suspicion. He hoped they remained safe for however long possible. For this plan to work, they needed as many pieces of the puzzle as possible.

This also included Rudy’s parents. If they were killed... The thought made him grit his teeth. The boy was not likely to be very helpful for a while if his parents perished in that fire. He had no idea just who started the flames, but when he found out who it was...

“Do you hear me?!” His boss snapped at him. “Hurry up and call the police!”

“That’s already been taken care of, sir.” Agent D said in irritation. “They dispatched the fire department and it should be taken care of.”

“Good. Just make sure that it does.” His boss replied. The levels of irritation were still there, strong as ever with no signs of lowering down anytime soon.

“Yes, sir.” Agent D said, doing his best to hold back his frustration. “I will be on my way to make sure that...”

“No, remain where you are. I don’t want anything to happen to those other people. Let the fire depeartment handle things. What I want you to do is make sure that they get here snappy, and when they do, do whatever you can to help the boy’s parents. Do not let them perish.” The man’s voice took on a somewhat threatening tone at the end. “Or else...”

Agent D gulped at this, but he managed to keep his cool the best he could. Even though his boss couldn’t even see him, he still found himself nodding his head slowly. “Y-Yes... I’ll be right on it.” He knew, from the man’s tone of voice, that he was very serious about what he was saying. “I’ll be standing by.”

“Good. Just don’t screw up! You’ve done an excellent job so far. I’d hate to see all that go to waste.”

Agent D gulped at this. Yes, indeed. It would be such a shame. Hopefully he would be able to further impress his boss. If he failed...

He shook the thoughts out of his head. He didn’t need to bring himself down like that. That would only make things a lot worse. He didn’t want to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. He just had to keep on doing his work, keep up the performance, and everything was going to be good.

A thought entered his head. “And how is Agent M doing?”

“That is none of your business!” His boss snapped. Then there was a pause, and then a sigh. “Haven’t found her yet. She must still haven’t gotten back from her assignment.”

“That’s a shame.” Agent D said. There was a slight smirk to his face. He knew Agent M would slip up sooner or later. Perhaps now his boss would realize how more reliable he was.

“I do still have faith in her.” His boss said in response. “Her assignment was not easy, and it didn’t help that some...personal matters got involved with that. So I will give her more time.”

“All right then.” Agent D said, doing his best to hide his disappointment. “Is there anything else you’d like me to do?”

His boss was quick to answer. “You’re doing a good enough job right now. Just keep it up and remember your assignment. Call me back when you have more information.” With that, there was a click and the boss had hung up.

Agent D frowned slightly. He was getting a little irritated at his boss’s seemingly undying belief in Agent M’s capabilities. He was just as good as her, if not even better. Why did he have to promote her and not him? It just wasn’t fair...

Oh well, there was nothing he could do about that. He wasn’t about to let his own anger get the better of him. As much as he would love to take action against Agent M to promote himself, he knew that would just bite him back in the ass. No, he was better off just trying to outperform her and letting herself get demoted. Besides, right now, there were more important things to worry about than his petty jealousy.

sss

Snap couldn’t help but curse at himself. If he had just been more careful, then he and Tilly would have been able to go through the earlier plan. He would have been able to enlist the help of those strong zoners, and then..

No, he couldn’t keep blaming himself. He had done what he could and that’s what mattered. Dr. Von Doktor had been stopped... Well not in the way he would have liked, but still, at least he couldn’t hurt anyone anymore. And the twister was apprehended, trapped inside the vacuum cleaner. No more will it be able to hurt innocent zoners or take any more lives.

He did feel bad about leaving the others hanging. But there was little option for him at this point. He’d have to explain to them later after he figured out a way to get Tilly back in the Real World. He didn’t know how much longer she was going to be able to wait.

He looked out ahead where they were going. The landscape was looking a little familiar. He recognized those particular rocks and those particular rows of hills. And in the distance, he could see ChalkZone City. The sight of it made him sigh with relief. The fact that they were so close to here brought a smile onto his face. He hoped that someone in the city would be able to help. Even though a part of him was telling him the chances of that were unlikely, he still clung onto hope. Surely, someone would know, right?

But...in the end, he knew he may have to face reality. It was not that simple. He couldn’t just go up to any zoner and ask. They may not be able to tell him much of anything. And the one zoner that probably could help was badly hurt. He flinched when he heard Biclops give a groan of pain in his sleep, if it could even be called that.

At least soon, he was going to get the help that he truly needed. He knew the vacuum cleaner was going to the ChalkZone Hospital first. It shouldn’t take that long to get there. He had no idea how they were going to great someone his size, but he had confidence in them. They deal with zoners all the time and some zoners were rather...big. They would have something for Biclops’s size. He shouldn’t worry about that so much.

Instead, he needed to be more concerned for Tilly. He looked down at her sadly. He bit his lip. Poor Tilly... She looked like she was in so much pain. He could see the tears flow down her face. He stroked her hair some more, but he did not say a word. He had already said to her what he could. Right now, Tilly didn’t need comforting words. She needed some real help.

He was so focused on his thoughts that he failed to notice that someone was approaching rather quickly. It was only when he heard loud footsteps and a shout for him that he turned his head and noticed who had been following them.

“Hey! What’s going on?” Lars called out, putting his paws against his mouth to make his voice sound louder. “I thought you wanted us to meet you at your place!”

Snap bit his lip. He paused for a moment, trying to think of how to explain the situation to the big guy. “Well, there was a change of plan. You see...” He rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Things...didn’t turn out the way we had hoped...”

At this, Lars tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean? What happened?”

Snap narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “There’s no way to explain it right now. I’ll do it later.” He looked over at the slumped arm that he knew belonged to Biclops. “Right now, Biclops and Rudy’s aunt need help.”

“What? Are they hurt?”

Snap narrowed his eyes at Lars. Was he really that dense? He wondered if it was just that the polar bear could not see them that well. Or rather, their injuries, at least when it came to Biclops. He hoped that was the case. He didn’t want to think Lars was as dense as he sounded right now. “Yes..they are.”

Lars didn’t take notice of Snap’s tone of voice. Instead, he quickened his pace, his breathing quickening to keep up. “Is there anything I can do?”

Snap thought about this for a moment. He tried to think of what way Lars could help. He couldn’t really think of anything on top of his head, however. He doubted Lars could help with the portal situation, and it wasn’t like he could drag Biclops anywhere. But he didn’t just want to give him nothing to do. He wanted Lars to be able to do something to help out.

Ah, that’s it.

Snap looked down at Lars and said, “Hey Lars! Why don’t you go and ask some zoners around to see if anyone can help Rudy’s aunt get back home! Tell them she is gravely injured and requires assistance!”

Lars nodded his head. “All right then! Will do!” The polar bear gave a quick solute before he dropped down on all fours and raced across the ground.

Snap watched him leave, impressed with how fast the polar bar could move when on all fours. He couldn’t help but smile at this. This was definitely good news indeed. If Lars can keep up this pace and move quickly and ask around the city, then maybe they stood a chance at finding a way to help Tilly after all.

Then he realized there is one particular zoner who might be able to help, but the chances of finding him were very low. Barney the encyclopedia centipede, had a vast knowledge of ChalkZone. If no one else knew of a way, then he might. After all, he had about every event in ChalkZone recorded in his internal database. Maybe he would have information from back when the magic chalk used to...what did Biclops say... go into the Real World.

But what were the odds of finding him now? There wasn’t that much time either. His home was quite far away, and even if he got there, he didn’t know if he would be willing to give information. He had done so that one time because ChalkZone was all in danger. But if the only one at stake was this human, even if he was related to Rudy, would the centipede still be so willing to help?

It became clear to him that there was really no way to call upon Barney’s help. He pushed those thoughts aside and looked over, watching as Lars disappeared into the city. He was their only chance right now. He hoped that Lars would be able to find someone who might be able to help.

He looked down at Tilly, biting his lip as she groaned in pain. He didn’t know how much longer she could go on without help. But judging from her groans of pain, the twitches her fingers were making, he doubted there would be too much time left. They had to hurry.


	51. Rebributions

Commit a crime. Pay the dues.

sss

Millie's heart pounded against her chest as she pulled her still unconscious husband back. The smoke filled the room much more rapidly than she had expected. She sucked in a sharp breath, struggling to keep herself from succumbing to the smoke that thickened the air around her.

Flames had begun to bleed into the house. The door had been destroyed, reduced to black ashes as it was knocked down. The sound of it falling was enough to startle her and start to pull her husband away. She occasionally would look down at Joe, hoping and praying that he'd be awake. But no luck. The smoke had still had him knocked out, rendering him helpless.

She looked left and right as she struggled to find a way out of here. She tried to figure out if she should rush off into the kitchen or into the living room. The upstairs would not be a good idea. What if the flames burn enough of the downstairs that everything just collapses on top of it? She and her husband would be buried, and who knows how long it would take for them to get rescued?

She soon decided to head into the kitchen, where there was a bit less flammable material in there. She carefully drug Joe towards there, keeping her grip on him good and tight. Despite being on cool, hard ground now, Millie could still feel the intense heat filling the air. The fire was closing in here, too, and she knew it was a matter of time before the fire would rush in through the windows.

In that moment, any training she had years ago about what to do in a fire were gone. Raw panic and terror had taken her over, and she was doing only what she could think of. And in that moment, the only think she could do was just press herself underneath the kitchen table and cuddle up with her unconscious husband.

She looked left and right, her body trembling in fear. She couldn't even get to the phone. Her legs were too wobbly and if she tried, she would fall over. Calling for help was the furthest from her mind. Her primal instincts were telling her that, since she was trapped, she should hide and wait it out.

And that's what she did.

The sound of crackling fire was all around her. She flinched and felt her heart race at each crack and snap she heard. She constantly looked around, watching as the smoke slowly began to thicken. She kept herself and her husband low, knowing that if they were too high, they'd start to choke. She didn't know how long they had, and in her panicked state of mind, she was in no condition to figure that out.

She held her husband to herself, her mind going a million miles an hour. Her body trembled harder, trying to comprehend what was happening to her. Why did this have to happen?

Millie never thought that something like this would happen. She never stopped to think of the possibility that she would be faced with such a disaster. She never prepared well enough. Now she and her husband are likely to die and it was all because of her own stupidity. Oh why didn't she better prepare?

She suddenly heard a loud crash. The ground shook slightly, making her whimper and hold onto her husband tighter. Her eyes darted left and right. Her mind sped up. Many questions started to run through her head.

Was she under attack? Was there something else going on besides the fight? Should she run? Was she and her husband in further danger if she stayed here? Were they going to get killed?

She tried her best to settle her mind, trying whatever she could to calm herself down. Such an act was difficult. Her fear was overpowering her rational side, and she found herself shrinking further onto the ground. She again looked around, her more primal mind fearing that some kind of creature was going to pop out through the window and attack her. The longer she didn't see anything, the more she shivered. Her mind was asking the same question over and over.

When was it going to attack?

It took a while before Millie could calm herself down enough to do something other than cower there. She loosened her grip on Joe slightly, taking in a few deep breaths. She turned her head towards the phone, which she could see from here. Her pounding heart thudded against her chest, creating an echo in her head. She bit her lip, slowly regaining some sense of rational thought.

What should she do? Should she stay here with her husband, or should she try to call for help? She doubted anyone had called. It was so late at night and... She shuddered at the thought of leaving her husband. Could she really do it? She wanted to stay here and be with him but...

She narrowed her eyes. She knew what had to be done. She gently set her husband down. Not wanting to waste time until her mind was overtaken by fear again, Millie got up from the ground and she headed towards the phone.

Moving at a quick pace, she soon reached it. She grabbed onto it and dialed 9-11. Her fingers were so sweaty, she ended up fumbling with the phone and nearly dropping it. She managed to somehow keep a hold of it, and as soon as she heard someone on the other line pick up and speak to her, she immediately started to shout.

"Please help! My house in fire! My husband is unconscious! Please, I...!"

"Ma'am, I'm going to need to speak slower. Please give me the address and I will have someone dispatched to you." The voice on the other end said, their voice calm and reassuring.

Millie took in a few deep breaths, trying her best to settle herself down. It took her a little while, and the person on the other side kept trying to get her to speak her location so she could get the help that she needed. Soon, Millie found herself calm enough to speak. She quickly gave the person her address.

"Okay, help is on the way. Stay right where you are. Don't move." The person said. They then hung up.

Millie returned to her husband. The fact that help was now on the way did little to calm her nerves. It didn't change the fact that fire was now starting to spread into her house. It didn't change the fact that the smoke was growing thicker, and she could feel her throat becoming dry and scratchy. Unable to resist, she started to cough.

She held her husband against herself. She let out a few more whimpers, her body shaking, as she looked all around her. She wanted to flee. She wanted to run. But that was impossible. They were still trapped. All she could do was sit here and wait for the firefighters to arrive.

sss

"Kid! You need to settle down!" The nurse shouted. She gripped the boy's arm tightly, pushing him against the bed. "You will hurt yourself more!"

"No! I need to get to them! I can't let them...!" Rudy fought back. He squirmed underneath the nurse's weight. He struggled hard to get free, ignoring the shouts the nurse was giving him. He couldn't stay here. He had to get to his parents. They needed him. He couldn't...

The nurse, however, was not letting him go. Her grip on him tightened. Rudy flinched when he felt her fingernails press against his skin. "Calm down! You are only going to make things worse! Calm down!"

But each time she shouted that, it only made Rudy feel even more anxious. His struggles increased, his desperation for freedom getting higher and higher. He started to push his hands against her, pushing against her and trying to make her let him go.

His racing mind began to see the nurse as a threat. An obstacle that was preventing him from getting to his parents, who were in trouble. His house was on fire. They were trapped inside. Despite his pain, despite his injuries, he still kicked his legs wildly, still pushed against the nurse, still tried to jump off the bed to save his parents.

"Rudy Tabootie! Stop this right now!" The nurse hissed at him. Her voice was growing louder and more irritated. She was really losing her patience with him, but he didn't care. All he could think of was getting out of here. "I said stop it!"

Without warning, Rudy felt the woman shove him against the bed harder. She leaned forward and used her weight to hold him down. Her right hand gripped his head tightly, pushing it against the pillow. Her other hand gripped his arm, securing him further on the hospital bed. Part of her body covered him, creating a barrier that his body was unable to pass. And here, the woman stayed for the next several moments, her body making it impossible for him to get up.

Rudy's mind started to panic further. The inability to move very well made his mind race faster, and his legs just kicked swifter, trying in vain to strike something, anything, in an attempt to get free. His free arm started to strike against her, his fist pounding against her side. The nurse hissed at this, but nonetheless refused to let him go. Soon, Rudy's loud whimpers and cries started to fill the air.

"Oh don't you dare! You brought this on yourself! If you had just listened, I.."

In blind fear, Rudy bit down onto the nurse's finger when striking her wasn't working. The woman's eyes bulged and she let out a scream of pain. She immediately let him go, taking a step back away from him.

Rudy, panting heavily, looked over at her. The nurse was scowling back at him, her teeth gritted. The sight of this just made him feel more afraid, and he cringed on the bed. The fear of what was happening to his parents was still the most fresh on his mind, and he couldn't help but shiver at the thought of them perishing in the fire. Tears strolled down his face.

"You little..." The nurse growled at him. She stormed back over to him and grabbed him by his arms. Rudy let out a yelp as she pushed him against the bed. "What part of calming down don't you fucking understand?!"

Rudy didn't answer. He just stared up at her, his eyes wide in fear, his lower lip quivering. The nurse didn't give him any sympathy.

"Don't look at me that way! This is your fault that..."

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Another feminine voice called out.

Rudy and the nurse looked over, noticing there was a second nurse standing there. Her eyes were wide in horror, and her hand was to her mouth. The first nurse, the one that was holding onto Rudy, froze, shocked by her intrusion. But soon she scowled at her.

"This little brat won't shut up and calm down!" The first nurse barked at her.

"You need to be gentler! He's just a little boy! Only ten years old!" The second nurse called out to her. "Can't you see he's just scared and frightened? The poor dear has every right to be scared."

"He's just going to hurt himself!" The first nurse said.

The second nurse walked in about halfway into the room. She looked like she wanted to scold the first nurse more, but instead she turned her attention to Rudy. "Please...let me see him. Let me try."

The first nurse growled, but it was clear that she had enough of Rudy. She gave a quick grunt and said, "Oh fine." She released Rudy. "The brat's all yours."

The second nurse glared softly as she watched the nurse leave. She shook her head. "She's going to be in big trouble for that..." She sighed and looked back at Rudy, her expression softening up. "Hey there..."

Rudy looked at her fearfully, cringing back. His experience with the first nurse had shaken him up, and now he couldn't help but wonder if this second nurse was going to be like her. The second nurse came in closer, making him cringe back, his body shaking.

"Please...! Just let me go..! I want to save my parents! Please!" Rudy whimpered at her. "I just..I just want to go home!"

"Shhh... It's okay..." The second nurse spoke. Her voice was much gentler than the first nurse's. She reached out with one hand. Slowly and carefully she moved. "It will be okay."

Rudy wasn't sure if he could believe her or not. He curled up on the bed, shaking even harder. He watched with wide eyes as the hand came closer. Instinct told him to swat it away, and he tensed his arm up. But seeing this nurse, and seeing flashes of that other nurse, caused cold fear to rise up inside of him, and he remained frozen.

Unlike with the first nurse, this nurse did not seem to get frustrated with him being scared. Even as he pleaded with her to let him go, her only responses were soft, hushed whispers, and her movements were very slow and deliberate, not sudden. She soon reached him, and never once did she raise her voice.

Then she laid her hand on him. Unlike the first nurse, this was a gentle touch. She didn't attempt to grab him. Instead, her hand rested on his head. She stroked his hair gently, her other hand gently clasping his hand.

"It will be okay. I promise." The second nurse whispered to him. "Everything is going to be okay."

Rudy looked up at her, tears spilling out of his eyes. "But... my mom..my dad... They're in trouble..." He breathed in and out quickly, fear starting to creep up the back of his spine. "I-I have to help...! I..."

The second nurse shook her head. "No, dear child. You're hurt. But don't worry. Help is on the way. The firefighters will rescue your parents. They will be safe." The nurse moved her hand down and caressed the boy's cheek. "I promise." She raised up two fingers and traced the boy's tears away. "It will be okay. Shhh... It's going to be all right."

The nurse's continuous tranquil nature slowly began to work its way into Rudy. He could feel his heart rate start to slow down and his breathing began to go back to normal. The reassurance in her voice helped to drive away the fear for his parents, knowing that they were going to get the help that they needed. His tears still fell, but his whimpering began to stop.

Slowly, once the nurse realized he had settled down enough, she wrapped her arms around him. Rudy widened his eyes at this gesture, but his eyes soon relaxed as well as his body. He pressed himself against her, his head against her upper chest. The nurse continued to whisper calming words to him, her hand rubbing his back gently. Rudy shut his eyes and he found himself dozing off to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

sss

Terry narrowed her eyes softly as she listened intently. The doctors were all worried about different things. She had grown used to this and had started to fall asleep. She had managed to get an hour or two of sleep. But she was suddenly awoken by the sound of a boy wailing and some panic stricken doctors scrambling about. It was worse than usual, louder, bringing her out of her sleep.

Terry wished she could see what was going on. Her vision was still nothing but blurs and darkness and yellow. Nothing to reveal too much. Just emptiness. Even with her eyes fully open, fighting against the pain, she still saw nothing. She had her head tilted in the direction that she knew the noise was coming from, hoping to get some idea of what happened.

That scream did sound awfully familiar. She knew that voice from somewhere. She thought deeply, furrowing her eyes further. She could feel her head start to ache slightly as she struggled to figure out just who this was.

Then she realized it. Her eyes widened. It was Rudy Tabootie. But...what was that kid doing here? What about that Penny girl? Was she here, too? Were they what she had heard being wheeled in doing the hallway earlier? She had thought she heard Rudy's parents and Penny's mother, even if just briefly.

She narrowed her eyes and shook her head. She wasn't sure why she was concerned about the little brats. It's not like they ever did anything for her. Well except annoy her and humiliate her. Especially the boy. She couldn't help but give a smark. Good. Now maybe the boy will learn his lesson. True, it may not be exactly what she hoped for, but a little rough reality would do the boy some good.

But then... Well what really happened there? What had caused the boy distress? She wasn't sure why she was wondering. She tried to shift it from her mind. Rudy wasn't someone she particularly cared about. Same with Penny. To her, they were just a couple of brats. She wouldn't want them dead of course, but she didn't care too much that they were injured. It just seemed like a bit of karma finally decided to strike them.

Still... a part of her couldn't help but wonder just how they were doing. She couldn't help but wonder just why Rudy had screamed like that earlier, and what caused the doctors to panic. The sounds and voices were too distant for her to make out. She couldn't even get a word in edgewise. Despite the fact that she hated them, she did feel a small pang of sympathy. Fleeting, but still there, in the back of her mind. She couldn't help but remain curious as to what had happened with them. Maybe she could try asking a doctor or nurse if they happened to come in.

Hmm...no, that wouldn't work. The doctors wouldn't reveal confidential information like that. She was just going to have to figure out another way. Maybe if she just kept doing what she did, then she could learn some new information of what had happened. So she settled herself down, frowned softly, and waited.

And so far, nothing. Time moved by so slowly around her. What was really just a few minutes felt like hours. Time just kept on ticking away, just dragging her forward so slowly. She felt her fingertips burning in frustration, making her want to punch the nearest clock, if she could see one, and break it. Oh if only time could just speed up already, if only there was a way to just push the clock forward steadily, forcing people to go faster, allowing her a quicker chance at hearing something important.

But so far, there was no such luck with that. As she continued to sit there and listen intently, nothing was exposed or revealed. It was just...emptiness. Maybe a stray footstep or two, but that was it. The doctors were starting to settle down in this part of the hospital. At least for the time being. There might be another upstart, but that may or may not have to do with whatever is going on with Rudy and Penny.

Maybe she should just give up and go to sleep. Besides, it's none of her business anyway. She should just shut her eyes and relax. A good night's sleep may help her feel better. She...

Suddenly there the sound of doors opening up. She flinched as she heard them crash against the wall. She could hear wheels churning and squeaking, the sound of metal quaking, and she knew that someone was being wheeled down the hallway now. The woman couldn't help but sit up in her sleep, clutching her head as she felt a brief wave of dizziness rush through her head.

Then she heard the sound of doctors shouting.

"What's the status?"

"Their names are Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie! They were rescued from their burning house. The husband is unconscious and is suffering from..."

Terry's eyes widened in shock at this. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie were here now? Weren't they Rudy's parents? And what did the doctor say? Something about a burning building...? This realization caused her to gasp and she found her hand finding her mouth.

Their house was on fire...

So..that's probably why the boy screamed before. Perhaps he had seen the flames from his window? They were high up, near the top floor. This building was many stories high and they could easily see the houses that were just outside of town, including Rudy's.

The woman's mind swirled with thoughts. The previous glee she had for the boy being here was rapidly replaced with horror. As much as she wanted to teach the boy a lesson, having his house burned down and him nearly lose his parents was not her idea of doing so. That was just...cruel and inhumane. She'd never want to do something like that to anyone, not even to Rudy or Penny.

Her heart clenched when she realized something. It seemed too much of a coincidence that this fire started just several hours after her encounter with Ms. Tweezer. Okay, so maybe she was being paranoid. Maybe she was overthinking things. But she just couldn't help it. Something just felt...wrong about the whole thing.

It didn't help that Ms. Tweezer had been ranting about Rudy and the 'unreal' or whatever how she put it. That woman was determined that the boy was up to no good and trying to brainwash people. As much as she hated the boy, she couldn't give him that much credit. He just wasn't aggressive enough or cunning enough to pull something like that off. Ms. Tweezer was overreacting and was trying to stir up propaganda about the boy that just didn't exist.

But for her to go this far... No, she wouldn't... Would she..? Would Ms. Tweezer really take her obsession with Rudy so far that she would destroy his own house...?

Terry narrowed her eyes. She knew what she had to do. Even if she had no proof of the woman's involvement, even if Ms. Tweezer may not be the culprit after all, she still felt a duty to report it to someone here. She was their only suspect at the moment. If Ms. Tweezer was responsible, Terry didn't want to give that woman a chance to flee for it.

Turning her head towards the door, listening intently for any doctors coming nearby. As soon as one would be near enough, she would grab their attention and she would tell them what she believed happened.

sss

The man scowled in contempt as he gripped the steering wheel of his car. He felt somewhat lucky that he was going out during this time of night. Fewer cars on the road. He could increase his speed, allowing him to move quickly along the road, hearing the sound of wheels squealing along the winding roads.

He had no idea if the tip he had gotten was for real. He didn't know if Terry had been speaking the truth or if this hint she had given him would amount to anything. After all, even Terry herself admitted that she might have been overthinking it and getting upset over nothing. But she still felt the need to tell someone about it, especially after her encounter with that woman.

Agent D bit his lip. He remembered Ms. Tweezer quite well. She had been in the hospital earlier, wanting to speak to Terry. She had attempted to choke the woman when he had arrived and managed to get her away from the woman. Agent D was pleased to see what Terry had been all right, but he had dismissed Ms. Tweezer as some kind of nuisance, but didn't think anything of it. Now, more than ever, he wished he had done something more, especially if she truly had been involved in this.

Agent D couldn't help but growl softly. If that woman was involved with this... Well he would first find out. He would confront her, never mind how dark it was right now. Was this unprofessional? Yes. Was this out of his supposed jurisdiction? Yes. But he didn't care. This woman was getting in the way of their plans and something had to be done before she caused too much harm.

Ms. Tweezer should consider herself lucky that Rudy's parents were still alive, as well as the boy himself. The boss would have been much less forgiving if she did something like that. For the time being, the boss decided he would rather have the children alive. He saw potential for them, and believed that they could help them better understand the chalk world. They would be utterly useless if they were dead.

The man pulled the wheel of the chair sharply towards the right as he turned, swerving to keep up with the curve of the road. He then straightened it out and continued down the road, soon coming towards a four way intersection. He stopped at the red light despite the roads being empty, then he turned onto the left.

It was here that he started to slow down. He recalled that Ms. Tweezer lived around here. He didn't want her knowing that he was approaching. He went as far as turning his lights off, shrouding himself in darkness, to make sure that she wouldn't notice him.

Soon he could see her house. He could recognize the number of the house. Yes, this was it. He stared at it intently. Not very large. A one story building, colored a deep brown with a black roof. It was hard to see in the dark. If it weren't for the fact that one of her lights were on and the street lamp near her house partially illuminated the building, he may have missed this house entirely.

He parked on the road. He secured the brakes and then he crawled out of the car. He narrowed his eyes as he shut the door and walked towards the house. He moved along slowly. The dark blue clothes he wore would help make it hard for anyone to see him, but still, someone might look, so he would have to do this quickly.

He snuck around the back, where the any trees would further obscure him from sight. He looked around, trying to figure out where to go from here. He noticed one of the windows appeared to be open. He stared at it intently, wondering if he should go up there. The window did seem awfully high up... And what if the woman heard him? Heck, that might be her bedroom, then she'd scream and flee... He needed another way in.

Ah yes...the garage. The back door was not locked, granting him access inside. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he opened the door up slowly. There was a slight squeak, making him freeze. But Ms. Tweezer didn't attempt to call out or ask if anyone was there, and he assumed he was in the home stretch. So he walked in and gently shut it behind him. His hands were covered in gloves, which would make it hard for the police to find any handprints. He then walked up the small staircase and stood by the second door.

He peered inside. There was no light on here, though he could see light further into the room. It seemed the living room light was on. He couldn't sell if Ms. Tweezer was in there or not, or if she went to bed early and just left the TV on.

Well, it was now or never. If he just opened up it slowly and carefully...

Amazingly, he was able to get in without making too much noise. Upon opening the door, he realized that the woman had the television blasting. He smiled at this. If the woman was in the living room, she was not going to notice the door opening; the television would drown it out completely.

He moved in slowly, tiptoeing, making sure not to put much weight to each footstep he made. He stared intently in the living room. When he got closer, he started to crouch, arching his body slightly, his fingers flexing in anticipation. He soon got close enough to peer out of the corner of the edge. Barely, but enough for him to see that there was a single long couch, and he could see the woman's head peaking out from the front of the couch. She was busy watching some random show. Good, she was preoccupied. Time to move in.

Agent D was careful to keep his footsteps even lighter than before. He glared intently at the woman. He could feel his stomach burning in disgust for her. The fact that she nearly caused the deaths of some prime suspects infuriated him. Oh how she was going to pay...

Soon he stood directly behind her. Even now, she didn't notice him. At least not at first. He leaned in closer, bringing his hands down. A second later, the woman shifted on the couch, and he could sense the tension rising up inside of her. It would seem she had taken notice that he was there, and she swerved around to see him. Her eyes widened in horror. That was the last thing she did before he lurched forward.

In an instant, his hands clutched her throat. His fingers pressed tightly against her skin, his thumbs pushing hard against her throat. The woman's eyes widened and she started to make gurgle sounds as she struggled to breathe. The man held on tightly as she tried to pry his fingers away. His grip was like a vice and he refused to let go. He glared down at her with contempt, watching as she opened her mouth wider in desperation to breathe.

"You really think you could get away with it, didn't you?" Agent D hissed in Ms. Tweezer's face. "Trying to burn down the Tabooties' place before my boss could make proper use for them... You fucking witch!"

Ms. Tweezer's face just barely registered in confusion. It was mostly dominated by pain. Her eyes began to roll in the back of her head, her struggles weakening from the lack of oxygen.

Agent D curled his lip up into a snarl. "You should count your lucky stars they aren't dead! Otherwise, your little experience with me would be even less of a joy..." He put his face close to her. Slowly, his mouth curled up into an evil smile. He gave a quick chuckle. "At least I will sleep soundly at night knowing that you are no longer a threat."

Slowly, the woman's thrashes began to die down. Her hands loosened their grip on him and they slipped down. Her eyes shut and her head lolled to one side. The man smiled at this, slowly loosening his grip on her and letting her fall limp on the couch. He walked around and pressed two fingers against her neck. A weak pulse. Good, the bitch was still alive.

Agent D's smile spread further, satisfaction swelling up inside of him. Now to prepare this woman for the punishment that she so richly deserved. He reached down and grabbed onto her. This...was going to be so much fun...

sss

Multiple lights flashed in the neighborhood. A mixture of red and blue illuminated the land. Some neighbors who had been woken up by the sirens opened their windows and looked out to see what was going on. Those who looked were greeted by a sight many of them had dreaded to see, and hoped would never happen.

Several police cars were parked around a singular house. A one-story with dark brown as its color. There were at least four police cars parked right out front. Multiple police officers were standing outside. Guns were pulled out and positioned in front of them just in case something were to happen. The officers had narrowed their eyes, and some of them looked ready to shoot at the slightest provocation.

Parked not far was an ambulance. It was blaring its white, flashing lights to the point where it practically drowned out the red and blue lights. The back door was open and some paramedics were standing by.

Two more police officers were near the front of the house. They were placed on either side of the door, their backs placed against it. One of them leaned over and knocked on the door with the back of her hand.

"Police! We have you surrounded! Open up and surrender!"

After a few minutes passed, there was no change in the situation. The female officer frowned at this. She turned to her partner, a slightly taller man, and gave him a firm nod. The male officer, knowing what to do, immediately signaled to the others to come forward.

The male officer used his fingers, pointing them all up and then decreasing them as he counted down. As soon as he was finished, the strongest officer, a large burly man, immediately knocked down the door and rushed in. Perhaps too aggressive for police procedure, but after the call Agent D had given them, how could he blame them for being...well...cautious?

Agent D soon saw the lights of their flashlights moving around. In the now darkened room, he could see them very clearly. He waited in the darkness, waiting for his cue. He had to make this as convincing as possible. He put on the finishing touches. As soon as the police began to round the corner, he took action.

"Oh officers! Thank goodness you came!" Agent D cried. He rushed towards them, his eyes wide in horror. "Come! She's right over here!"

The officers followed the panic-stricken man. He led them over to the bedroom. There, upon the bed, the officers were greeted with a disturbing sight.

Ms. Tweezer laid upon the bed in a pool of her own blood. She was not dead, but she looked like it very much. Some of her clothes were torn and her right arm had been horrifically stabbed. Immediately, two police officers, both female, rushed towards her and began to check her out. As they did this, the head officer turned to Agent D, her eyes frowned slightly.

"You just found her like this?" She asked carefully.

Agent D nodded his head. "Yeah! I had seen her set fire to the Tabooties' house and I was trying to follow her to see if I could see her license number or something. But I saw she was being followed by someone else. By the time I had arrived, the perpetrator had already gotten to her and he nearly killed her. I was able to get him away but..." He shut his eyes and shook his head. "I wasn't able to get any leads on where he might have gone, or who he was."

"Uh huh..." The female officer pulled out a pen and notepad. "Do you mind describing the attacker to us?"

"Certainly!"

Agent D had to pause for a second. He did realize earlier that he might be asked to give a description. But he hadn't thought too much of what he was going to say. For a second, he was frozen, unsure of what features he wanted to give. He had to make them stereotypical, to make it harder for the police to find the person.

Or...or he could target someone who had gotten into trouble with the police relatively recently. After all, who was going to believe a person like that, who had been convicted of being inside or of harassing people?

"All I could tell was that they had a rather short body, legs looked very disproportionate to it, their hair was dark, but I couldn't tell much from it... Oh and they had a large nose."

The female officer completed her writing of that description. She gave a nod of her head and she said, "All righty then. There's a couple of creeps I recognize with that description." She placed the pen back in her pocket. "Thank you for the information, uh..."

"Mr. Dalton." Agent D replied, using a random name as cover.

"Right. Mr. Dalton." The female officer said. She turned to the other officers, who were still checking on her. "Well?"

One turned to her. "She's lost a lot of blood. But her vital signs check out."

"Good." Thrusting her thumb behind her, she added, "Now get her to the ambulance pronto! As soon as she recovers from her injuries, she has a lot to answer for."

Agent D watched as two men, both paramedics that had followed them in here, started to move the woman's injured body gently onto a stretcher. As they began to carry her out, as the police began to leave, gesturing him to go as well, he couldn't help but feel that strong sense of satisfaction. The mission had been completed and without too much trouble. Now he could begin focusing on the next portion of the plan.

Well after a good night's rest, first. Tiredness began to rise up in the man and he found himself yawning. It was time to hit the sack. He exited the house, walked over to his car, and started to head home.

sss

"Keep shooting water at it! Don't stop!" The head firefighter shouted, pointing his finger at the brown house that was up in flames and smoke. "Just keep going!"

The other firefighters didn't hesitate. With two large hoses raised, they continued to douse the house with water. The blaze all around illuminated them in an orange and yellow color, contrasting quite well with the dark blue of the night. Dark grey smoke pillowed out into the sky, increasing as the water was continued to be sprayed.

Not far from the firefighters, several neighbors who had woken up due to the sirens had come out to witness what was going on. Many were whispering words of caution and horror and confusion. A couple children attempted to get closer, only to be held back by their parents, their hands gripping them by the shoulders.

It was a spectacle they had never seen before in this neighborhood. The idea that a house had set ablaze like that so suddenly had shaken up many of them to the core. They looked at one another, each wondering what had happened. Some were automatically assuming arson. Some even began to accuse random people of the horrible deed. Others think it was just an accident, and still a smaller portion think that the Tabooties had made some kind of stupid mistake to result in this.

But whatever the reason, they could all agree that this was still a rather horrible thing to happen. Watching the flames, they all remained silent and in horror. Though a few more tried to get close, a few spare firefighters held their hands up, halting them where they stood.

"Stay back! It's too dangerous!" One firefighter said.

"Go back to your homes!" Another cried. "We will take care of this fire! You have nothing to worry about!"

But the firefighters didn't really expect the people to leave. Yes, a few did, but some stayed behind. Grim curiosity had sunken in, and they started to gain an almost morbid interest in what was going to happen. They remained where they stood, determined to find out. It was clear that they weren't going to leave anytime soon. The firefighters would have tried better to shoo them away, but right now, they had to focus more on putting out the fire. At least the people were smart enough to remain back this time.

"Get out the other hose!" Commanded the head firefighter. "We almost have it!"

Yet another hose was brought up, carried by the two spare firefighters from before. They took aim near the side of the house and released the water. A loud sizzle sounded out, dark grey smoke flying forth, and the flames in this area immediately died off.

The firefighters continued to spray water on the fire. Gallons upon gallons of water must have been washed over the house and flames. How long had they been standing here doing this? A few minutes? A few hours? Nobody knew. They couldn't keep track of the time anymore.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the fire began to die off. The orange-gold flames soon disappeared, darkening the house and the land around it once more, save for some of the street lights. Everyone stood still for a few minutes, making sure that there isn't one speck of flame left. Even something as simple as a tiny spark would be enough to re-ignite the entire house.

Only when nothing happened, only when the smell of fire began to dissipate, intermixed with a more wet, damp smell, did the firefighters start to relax a little.

The head firefighter turned to a small group that was beside him. "Go inside and inspect the damage!"

The group simply nodded their heads. Donning their masks so they could breathe, they went inside the building, utilizing the same amount of caution they would if the building was still on fire.

Everyone outside waited and watched. Among most of them, there was a small prayer spreading through out. The plea that the building wasn't too badly damaged and could be salvaged.

But only time would confirm that.

sss

Snap tried his best to keep up. Or rather, the vacuum cleaner did, as it was the one carrying them. Despite its large size... No..because of its large size, it was having a hard time keeping up with the polar ear in front of them. The bear was on all fours again, and running so fast, it amazed Snap.

The sentient vacuum cleaner turned the gears inside of itself, attempting to move faster. But it was clear that it was not designed to be particularly fast. Instead, it was meant to just move at a slow, graceful speed. It didn't need to be fast to catch the tornado. But this slowness was going to be problematic now. They couldn't afford to lose this zoner. Not while Tilly was...

Snap cupped a hand to his mouth and shouted, "Slow down! You're going way too fast!"

He couldn't tell if Lars heard him or not. The bear didn't acknowledge him or slow down. Snap narrowed his eyes at this. He was tempted to jump off and run towards him but...that would be even worse. He was slower than this vacuum cleaner. He would have even harder time catching up to Lars then.

He couldn't remember how long they had been doing this. It felt like hours ago that Lars came back and said he had found something. He had urged him to follow right away, and did not give him a chance to reply as he started to run. Snap had been shocked by how fast Lars had moved, and he urged the vacuum cleaner to start following him immediately. The vacuum did so, but it was not able to move as fast as he had hoped it would. Snap would have tried to urge it to move quicker, but he knew this was the vacuum's top speed. All he could do was hope that they wouldn't lose the polar bear.

They started to up some hills, through some mud and shallow water, between some tall, thick trees, and soon they entered ChalkZone City. They moved down some streets quickly. Zoners that still happened to be up at this time of night jumped out of the way. A few waved fists at it, causing Snap to grin nervously and call out apologies to them.

Snap was confused. Why were they back here again? The vacuum was just here not too long ago to drop of Biclops. They had then left the city to find Lars, and now they were back again. Snap looked left and right, not noticing anything particularly different about this place. What did Lars see that he and the vacuum cleaner had missed before?

Then they turned onto a different street. This one, Snap hadn't been in before. It looked a little more run down than most of ChalkZone City. He could see the buildings had some dirt and cracks on them, and a few windows were boarded up. He wondered if this section was off limits or something. He didn't see a sign, but there was an air of tension all around. He could only hope that they weren't going to get into trouble for this.

As they continued down this darkened road, Snap couldn't help but look left and right cautiously. There weren't any zoners here looking down at him, but he couldn't let go of the feeling that they were being watched. Usual sights like trash bags and cans, some flags hanging off the sides, awnings sticking out, and old fire escapes did little to ease the zoner as they passed through.

Soon his worries seem to become a reality.

As they reached the end of the street, blocked off by a large, white fence, shadows began to move all around them. The small zoner tensed up, looking left and right as some large, mean-looking zoners began to show up. It was a whole mixture. Mostly beast-like, but some humanoid and item-like ones were among them as well. They came through the doors on the fire escape all around them. They climbed down swiftly and soon had them completely surrounded.

Before the vacuum cleaner had a chance to respond, large, energy nets wrapped around its 'neck', and they were yanked to the sides. This prevented the vacuum from moving too far away, locking it in place. Snap watched this in horror, his eyes widened. He tried to make a move, but two of the humanoid zoners pointed at him.

Lars voice caught their attention. "Hold on! These are the people I told you about!"

To Snap's surprise, the tough-looking zoners immediately began to lower their weapons. The fact that Lars knew these people, and appeared to be on good terms with them, would normally confuse and concern him, but at the moment, he was just glad that he was not being threatened again.

One of the zoners, resembling a pink two-legged unicorn, walked over towards Lars. "Are you sure? They look like bad company."

Snap narrowed his eyes. Despite this guy looking like a piece of cotton candy that had worked out, packed with muscle and sporting a menacing beard and long, sharp horn, he was tempted to go down there and give him a piece of his mind. If it weren't for all the zoners around him, he might have done that.

Lars nodded his head. "Yes, they are good." He pointed a claw up towards the blue zoner. "See? That's Snap."

"Hmm I thought he looked stupid enough." One of the zoners commented, giving a dark smirk.

"Hey!" Snap found himself shouting. The zoners just chuckled at this, but said nothing. Snap glared at them, but he knew better than to try to argue.

"Do you still have the portal that you found before?" Lars asked.

Snap's eyes widened this. A portal? Here? How was that possible? Snap could feel his heart beating quickly. He knew the dangers that an open portal could pose to ChalkZone. And these zoners, of all zoners, had it? He wasn't sure how he wanted to feel about that.

The pink unicorn nodded his head. "Affirmative. We've been saving it for something. But...it's rather useless to us anyway. Hole's too small."

Lars nodded his head. "But someone Snap's size could still use it, right?"

"Well yes. If he can find some place that has a chalkboard or chalk surface." The pink unicorn said in response.

Snap tilted his head in confusion. "What are you talking about? You know that we zoners can't use the magic chalk. What do you propose I do?"

"Hehehe you really are dense, aren't you?" One zoner said.

Another laughed coldly. "I have to wonder how the Great Creator deals with an idiot like him!"

Snap bared his teeth at them. How dare they make fun of him like that.. Did they have no idea who he was? Did they not know that if it weren't for his 'stupid ass', they could all very well be done for?

But despite of his feelings, he did his best not to give into his anger and rush towards them. It would only make things worse. He was not interested in seeing just how strong these zoners were. He would be of little use to anyone if his body were beaten to a pulp and tied in a literal knot. Plus, he didn't want to do anything to get Tilly more hurt, or have Lars get into trouble.

The polar bear didn't seem very amused by the taunts either. He glared at the zoners who spoke, his teeth bared. Said zoners did back away slowly. The sight of this made Snap wonder if Lars was a high ranking member here or something. It would sure explain why these tough zoners appeared to be respecting him.

"Well yes, it's true we can't use magic chalk, but that's only on this side." The pink unicorn said, giving Snap a sideways glance. Snap couldn't help but glare softly, unable to shake off the feeling of the zoner being semi-dismissive of him. "But if you were to use it in the Real World, it should work. Just draw a portal to be bigger and then you're in."

Snap narrowed his eyes at this. "And you expect that to work?"

"Sure." The pink unicorn raised his shoulders in the air. "Why wouldn't it? That's what me and my friends here were going to do." He motioned to the others. They all chuckled and nodded their heads in confirmation.

Snap's eyes widened in horror. "You were going to do what?!"

"Oh relax, won't you? We have no more need for it." The pink unicorn waved his hoof hand dismissively. "You can have it." He paused, then he narrowed his eyes and smiled darkly. "Unless...you no longer want it..."

"I need it! Please!" Snap cried out, his heart clenching, fearing that he may have lost his ticket to getting Tilly help.

The pink unicorn chuckled. A quick glare from Lars made him stop. "Well of course you do." He turned his back to him and raised his hoof hand. He gestured for them to follow. "Come with me."

Snap wasn't sure if he wanted to go in. He had this bad feeling about all of these zoners around him. Even the presence of Lars did little to cheer him up, especially considering he had discovered this polar bear was in with this crowd. The zoner couldn't help but wonder just what kind of things these zoners were up to, and what they had planned to do with the portal if they had gotten it working like they had intended.

But what other options did he have? Lars may have searched high and low to find some way to help them, and this might have been the only one. He didn't want to dishonor the polar bear's help by being rude and dismissing this offer of help. If he were to turn down this offer, then...what about Tilly?

He looked down at the unconscious woman. He bit his lip, feeling his heart twist. She was pale, and though the expression of pain was gone from her face, he could still tell that she was suffering. He had been careful not to move her, but he couldn't help but wonder if there was more damage done to her than he had previously thought. He looked at her damaged back, feeling his heart race. If she didn't get help soon...

Realizing there was no choice, he turned to Lars. Though he was given no prompts or questions, he still found himself nodding his head. The polar bear smiled at him before raising his hand, gesturing him to follow. Snap signaled to the vacuum cleaner and it helped to lower Tilly to the ground without moving her too much. A few of the large, burly zoners held the woman carefully, carrying her gently with them towards an open door not far from them.

Snap followed them, still exercising some level of caution. He looked left and right, gritting his teeth as he stared at the frightening zoners. They barely paid attention to him, their narrowed eyes and tightly shut lips turned towards the pink unicorn, who appeared to be their leader for certain.

Snap then looked up at Lars. The polar bear did not seem the least bit concerned of what kind of company that they were in. He had an air of confidence around him, as if he felt he could easily beat up anyone around here. Snap wasn't sure whether to feel comforted by this or not. Before, it wasn't a problem. But...how did Lars get caught up in such bad company?

The polar bear seemed to take notice of his nervousness. The ursine zoner smiled down at him calmly. "It is all right, Snap. They mean no harm."

Snap gritted his teeth. "I'm not so sure about that..." He muttered, recalling how the zoners had reacted to them earlier.

"Oh don't worry about that. They are just jumpy sometimes." Lars said. "They really do have the best intentions. Please...don't be so nervous around them." The polar bear zoner placed his paw on his shoulder. "Everything will be okay. They will be able to help your human friend. You will see."

Snap smiled the best he could. "Yeah.. I suppose you are right." But as they disappeared, Snap couldn't shake off that feeling. This was one of those times where he hoped that he was wrong.

It didn't take them long to get inside the building. Snap tensed up as they entered a dark room. A few seconds later, with the flip of a switch, the lights were on. Snap found himself in some kind of old warehouse. Rows and rows of aisles and chairs and tables were all around them. It looked like one huge maze. If Snap wandered off, he'd surely get lost in here.

"Come on. This way." Said the pink unicorn, gesturing them to follow him up a long, flimsy-looking flight of stairs. "The portal is up this way."

Snap hesitated. He felt uncertain of climbing that thing. He couldn't help but flashback to when Howdy was being chased. He couldn't help but wonder if he was being led into a trap. But he could see Tilly being brought up there, supporting her weight easily. He couldn't leave her alone, even if it could be a trap.

And he might just be paranoid anyway. He couldn't judge these zoners by their appearance. And he did know Lars quite well and the polar bear was usually never aggressive unless his territory was invaded or stuff was stolen from him. Lars would make sure that nothing happened. Yeah, it was going to be fine.

Though still nervous, Snap felt some part of him start to relax. He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He kept close to Lars, continuing to follow the pink unicorn as he led them to the small portal they claimed to have.

Snap stared over at Tilly's direction. He smiled softly. "Don't worry... We'll get you home soon."


	52. Conclusions

And thus, the story came to an end. But nothing ever truly ends at the credits, now does it..?

sss

The next day, Terry was frowning softly. Her non-seeing eyes were pointed downward, her mind taking in the new information that she just got.

“So...it was Dr. Von Doktor, huh?” Terry said softly.

“Yes.” A voice said, which belonged to Vinnie Raton. Its tone was different than before. Less haughty and more with concern and worry. “I couldn’t believe it myself. But...it is true.”

Terry simply nodded her head, confirming that she understood. She didn’t say another word to Vinnie for a while. She was lost in her thoughts, her mind rushing with random memories that popped up when Vinnie gave the news. She was starting to remember bits and pieces, more so than she did before, and now she was getting a more complete picture of what happened.

The realization that Von was the one who attacked her didn’t come as much of a shock to her as she thought. Somehow, she kind of expected it. Von did seem like he was so paranoid and desperate he’d do anything to obtain that fame and fortune that he always desired.

That didn’t lessen the blow too much for her, however. The doctors think that the damage to one of her eyes was permanent, so there was a very real chance she would be half blind for the rest of her life. And even the vision in her working eye may not fully recover...

She gritted her teeth. The realization that she have permanently damaged eyes all because of one crazy man and his stupid desires hit her full force. She felt a burning anger in the bit of her stomach. The temptation of getting up, finding that man, and ripping him apart was great. She wanted to personally ‘thank him’ for his ‘contribution’ as soon as she had the chance.

But she knew she’d never get it. That man may have fled anyway, and she was not going to be able to do much while she was currently still blind and in pain. She could only hope that justice struck that man sometime on its own. She was certain it would. What goes around comes around, right? Sooner or later, his luck would run out.

She couldn’t be mad only at Von, though. She had gotten herself in trouble by working with him. If she had just kept on her own, she may have been able to avoid this whole mess. Or if she had just left earlier, as soon as the man had started to show signs of unusal aggression or paranoia. It was her own fault for sticking around, and she took this as an important, if albeit cruel, lesson.

“Don’t worry.” Vinnie’s voice cut through the air. “He will get caught. I don’t think he will go far.”

Terry smiled at this. “You don’t know him very well, do you?” She turned her head so that she was facing the sound of his voice. “He is...smart. Yes, he might be crazy, but he’s also smart. He was able to get away for sometime with hurting me and he...”

“Not for long. Remember, I was able to find out very quickly.” Vinnie cut her off. “He hardly got away with for...I think twenty-four hours? Maybe a little more, but not much. Trust me, he might be smart, but he wasn’t that smart.” Terry remained silent at this. “I already told the police about it and they are trying to find him now as we speak.”

Terry nodded her head again. “Well, that’s good.”

“Hey...” Vinnie placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. Terry turned her head back towards him. Vinnie hesitated for a moment. He smacked his lips together once, then he said, “Uh...get well soon.”

The woman couldn’t help but chuckle. She could tell just how nervous he was. It was obvious to her that the man hardly had to be this nice to someone before. Being polite might not be his thing. And the fact that he said ‘get well soon’ as if all that happened to her was that she caught the flu was a little amusing as well.

Still, it was kind of nice that he was doing this. She would have expected him to have left as soon as he gave the news, but instead, he was staying behind. Perhaps there was a part of him that did care.

“You know... If I had my chalk world theme park, I’d offer you some free rides.” Vinnie offered somewhat awkwardly. “But..you know how that is...”

“Yeah, I do.” Terry said softly.

She was slightly amused at the mention of the chalk world theme park. As much as it annoyed her in the past, hearing such a comparitively innocent plan and not being in the evil scientist’s clutches was rather welcome. She found Vinnie’s obsession at the moment more cute than anything, and a welcome change of pace from being tormented by Dr. Von Doktor.

But for the time being, she was done with that chalk world. She would eventually want to go back and try to expose it again. But after all that had happened to her, she wanted to distance herself from it and try to do some other things. The thought of that chalk world made her think of Dr. Von Doktor, and the less she thought about him, the better. Maybe a month would be a good enough time to wait before she took action again.

After she did go back, she might consider looking to Vinnie for partnership. She wasn’t sure yet. She was still a little iffy about his behavior. But..what’s the worse that could happen? At least he wasn’t like Von. And who knows? Maybe she would get some progress with him.

For now, she just wanted to rest. She still had a lot of recovering to do. She won’t be out of the hospital for quite some time. She wasn’t even sure if she would be out here in a month. She was prepared for the long haul, the ‘reward’ she got for being foolish enough to work for Dr. Von Doktor.

“Ms. Bouffant.” A voice called out. Terry heard the sound of shuffling and then approaching footsteps. “It’s time for lunch. Would you like anything?”

Terry didn’t realize it until then, but she was feeling quite hungry. She rubbed her stomach gently, licking her lips slowly. She hadn’t eaten in a while. She skipped out on breakfast. She didn’t think she could skip another meal this time.

“Yeah... Just something simple. A sandwich maybe?” Terry asked.

“Okay, I can do that.” The nurse said. “Any particular kind?”

Terry thought about this for a moment. She didn’t want to spend too much time thinking about what type of sandwich to ask for. So she just said the first thing that came to mind. “Just ham and cheese, please.”

The nurse began to walk away. Terry listened to her footsteps as they faded away. Then they stopped. There was a bit of silence, and then the nurse spoke up again. “By the way, well I’m not supposed to tell you this right now, but... I think you have the right to know.”

“Right to know what?” Vinnie asked.

“Well you’re not supposed to hear this either. But I can’t really wait and I’m not in the mood to try to kick you out. So you get to hear it too.” The nurse said. There was the sound of approaching footsteps, and Terry could practically feel the presence of the woman beside her.

“Okay..so what is it you want to tell me?” Terry asked.

“Your attacker was caught.” The nurse said, her voice practically smiling.

“What?” Vinnie asked, stunned.

“Really?” Terry breathed. She could hearly believe this news. She couldn’t be that lucky, right? Maybe she just misheard. “...when?”

“Well..caught isn’t the right word.” The nurse corrected herself. “More like found.”

Terry felt her heart twist at this, her hope of justice immediately dropping down. Her excitement had vanished and she found herself lowering her head. So Von had been spotted, but not yet caught. It figures. He probably realized the trouble he was in and fled to Timbuktu or however that place was pronounced.

“Well..thanks anyway.” Terry said dully.

Vinnie growled softly, “How is this good news? He’s still out there!”

“No, he’s not. You guys didn’t let me continue.” The nurse said. There was some slight irritation to her voice, as if she couldn’t believe that they had interrupted her. “Anyway, he was found earlier. And to make a long story short, he’s dead.”

Terry heard Vinnie gasp at this, along with her. There was some stunned silence for a while, both of them trying to come to terms with what they had been told.

Terry replayed it over and over in her head. She wondered if this could be true. She wondered if, somehow, she had heard wrong and that this person was sadly mistaken. But..what if it was true? She felt a swell of emotion inside her stomach at the possibility. Although she was not happy with the death of another human, she couldn’t help but feel some sense of happiness if Von really did turn out to be dead. It would mean that she had been right, and that karma did finally strike him back.

But there was something else that she couldn’t forget. However he had died... What if it happened to her, too? What had claimed that man’s life? How far would it spread? She gritted her teeth. She had to know, before she could celebrate. She wouldn’t know right now whether she could truly celebrate, or if she should prepare for something else. Something that might be even worse than Dr. Von Doktor...

“What...what happened to him..?” Terry found herself saying. “Did someone...?”

“We don’t know yet. I don’t want to get into too much detail. I’ll just say it took quite some time to get his severed arm out of his mouth.” The nurse said.

“Yeowch... I know the guy deserved it, but still...” Vinnie said. “That...doesn’t sound like it was an accident.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so either. I don’t think it’s possible to shove your own arm down your own through. But some doctors are wondering if it was some kind of freak accident.” The nurse replied. “But whatever caused it, I’ll be sure to let you guy know, okay?”

Terry nodded her head slowly. “Yeah... thanks.”

Terry went silent after that. She wasn’t sure if the woman was still speaking or not. She kind of drowned her out with her own thoughts. They filled up inside of her head, and she found it difficult to really think of anything else. All she could do was ponder what had happened to Von, and whether or not she might be next.

But..she could at least relax in some way. At least Von could no longer hurt her. He had paid the price for what he had done. And it was all his fault it happened to him. He could have avoided it, but he had dug himself a hole and didn’t crawl out of it in time.

The redhaired woman took in a deep breath and sighed. She no longer had Von to worry about. While she was still concerned about who may have killed him, she could now rest easy knowing that the man was taken care of. Now, finally, she could really begin focus on her recovery. It was going to be a long and bumpy road ahead. It might take longer for her to recover. She might never fully recover.

At least, however, she could try to start the path of healing. Even if she never fully recovered, if she worked hard enough and if she stayed positive enough, she could still at least try to live life to the fullest. That would be better than nothing, right?

She was interrupted from her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She was shaken gently. “Hey..” It was Vinnie. “Are you okay? You kind of spaced out there.”

“Oh...yeah I’m fine.” Terry said quickly. She jerked herself away from the man, smiling nervously. “I was just thinking..that’s all.”

“About Von?” Asked Vinnie.

Terry nodded her head. “Yeah, him.” The fact that the nurse had left so suddenly didn’t bother the woman. Her mind was too focused on other things. “I’m...glad that he can’t hurt me again. But I can’t help but wonder that...” Her voice trailed off.

“That something else might happen?” Vinnie asked, finishing for her. Terry bit her lip and nodded her head. “Yeah, I can see that. Frankly, I’m nervous too. I mean...what kind of sicko severes someone’s arm and puts it in their mouth like that? Yeesh...” Terry could practically feel the man’s shiver from here. “But I’m sure the police will figure out what happened. It will all be good. You’ll see.”

Terry smiled the best that she could. “Yeah, probably. And who knows...? Maybe this killer only wanted to strike once, or maybe they went somewhere else and we won’t ever have to see them again.”

“That’s the spirit, sister.” Vinnie said. “Just think positive.”

Yeah... Vinnie was right. She had to do her best to remain positive. Things would work out in the end. She would be fine. She would recover. And eventually, she would do what she had been wanting to do all this time.

Return to her quest of exposing that world of chalk.

sss

Blocky let out a groan of pain. He struggled to open up his eyes, trying to fight off the darkness that had taken over him. The very act of trying caused his eyes to burn, as if something hot was being poured on them. He flinched and froze for a few seconds, and then continued until his eyes were open.

The small zoner took a moment to look around where he was. Left and right, his head turned, taking in the sights. His vision was quite blurry at the moment, causing him to only see shadows and colors and blurs, intermixed with some lighting. Luckily for him, his vision was clearing up pretty fast, and within a few moments, he would be able to see just fine.

He tried to figure out where he was. This place didn’t look like his bedroom. It was too...white. And large. He didn’t have a bedroom this size. And this bed... It didn’t feel like his own. Too large and too firm and steady. Not his kind of bed. He’d rather something softer than this.

He groaned again as he tried to pick himself up. But a voice, at the moment, distorted, grabbed onto him and gently pushed him back down. As this happened, Blocky suddenly became aware of the pain that was sifting through his body. He let out a yelp and he turned his head to the side. He quivered in pain, struggling to keep it in check. He looked up to see who was holding him down. He could only see blurs of colors, all intermixing together. There was something familiar about this person, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

He struggled to try to remember where he had been before. There was a reason that he was stuck here, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out just what happened to him earlier. His mind felt muggly, as if someone had put in a clog in the drain to keep the memories from flowing. It was an irritating sensation and he found himself shaking his head from one side to the other. Oh come on, darn memories... Work. Why won’t they work?

He could feel a hand on the top of his head, gently caressing it. He heard the same voice from before, this time softer, more gentle and less urgent. The voice was masculine by nature, and it became even more familiar. But to his frustration, he still couldn’t tell who it belonged to. He bit his lip, nearly drawing some blood.

Then another figure came in. Taller, more white, holding something. Blocky could hear them trying to have a conversation. From the tones he could make out, it was an emotional and informative conversation. Perhaps they were discussing what was wrong with him?

Blocky shut his eyes and let out a groan. He hoped he would be able to figure out what is going on with him soon. The fact that he couldn’t see very well right now and could barely hear was of no comfort to him. Yeah it’s only been a very short time, maybe just a minute, if even that. But to the green zoner, it felt so much longer. He gritted his teeth, nearly feeling them pop in his flat face.

Then, out of the blue, he started to hear something. A familiar word. No...a few familiar words.

“Is he going to be all right?”

That voice... It was Snap...

Blocky found his eyes opening once more. He looked over at where the voice came from. Peering more carefully, he took note of how this figure’s shape was finally settling down, and before long, he recognized the figure that was Snap.

“Snap..” Blocky found himself saying. His mind overwhelmed with emotion, he tried to reach over towards his friend. “Where am I..?”

“Whoa! Take it easy!” Snap rushed over as Blocky tried to get out of the bed. “You’re still hurt! You shouldn’t be trying to get up like that!” Snap gently pushed Blocky back down onto the bed. “Just lay there and stay still, buddy. Everything is going to be okay.”

“Your friend is right.” The other voice said. Blocky looked up and realized it was a male doctor of some kind. Humanoid, with plenty of detail. Clearly drawn by someone with a lot more experience than Rudy. “You need to rest for now. Your body’s suffered a lot of damage.”

Blocky couldn’t doubt that. At the doctor’s statement, he felt a sweeping pain rush through his body. He shut his eyes, feeling tears form in them. His mind raced with thoughts, clouding up inside, making it impossible for him to think of anything else.

Just what was going on with him? What had happened? What kind of injuries did he sustain? Blocky would have looked himself, but a part of him was too terrified to do so. What if he started to have a panic attack and he makes his injuries worse...? No it was better that he just stay put. The doctor would fill him in.

A few moments later, the doctor spoke up again. “At the moment, you are stabilized. We’re monitoring your heart rate and other vital signs, but we will also be needing to do more tests.”

Blocky nodded his head carefully, showing the doctor that he did understand. He looked over at Snap. He noted the zoner’s worried expression, the way his eyes were furrowed. It was a telling look, and Blocky looked back up at the doctor. “What exactly happened to me?”

The doctor looked down at him for a few moments. His expression was a little blank, as if he was trying to think of a good answer to that. The doctor then sighed and shook his head. “Right now is not a good idea to tell you. We are still gathering the information now, and in your state, one panic attack could enough to...well to put it in layman’s terms, complicate things more.”

Blocky narrowed his eyes in frustration. “Hey, I’m the one who is stuck in a hospital bed! Don’t you think I deserve to...”

“Blocky! Relax!” Snap cried. He grabbed onto the green zoner and tried to push him back down. But Blocky wouldn’t have it and he kept trying to push past him. “Blocky, please stop! You’re only going to make things worse!”

Blocky still continued to struggle for a few moments. He pushed against Snap, trying to make his way off the bed and towards the doctor. That doctor was going to tell him what was wrong and that was final. How dare he try to keep information from him.... He wasn’t going to have a panic attack if he was just told. If anything, not telling him would be so much worse.

But as Snap continued to hold him down, the rectangular zoner slowly started to feel his strength fading away. Desperation spread through his head, and fears of what might have happened came to the forefront of his mind. He could feel his body start to shake harder as uncomfortable image after uncomfortable image plagued his head. He slowly began to stop struggling, his energy becoming rapidly spent. He took in several breaths as he felt Snap successfully push him back against the pillow.

Blocky stared up at Snap, his mouth open and panting heavily. He stared at Snap with a pleading expression. “Please...I just want to know what happened... Please...”

“Shh... It’s going to be okay, buddy.” Snap said as he stroked Blocky’s forehead. “The doctor will tell you as soon as they have answers.”

“B-But..they should know now... They’re doctors, right?” Blocky argued back. He found it hard to believe that the doctors didn’t know anything yet. Just how long had he been here? A minute?

“Yes, I can see why you think that.” The doctor said, his voice that of sympathy. “We are simply waiting on the test results regarding your stomach.”

“My stomach?!” Blocky cried.

“I wasn’t supposed to tell you that right now, but...there you go. We detected something might be wrong with your stomach and we are just making sure it isn’t anything too bad. We hope it’ll be something treatable.” The doctor explained.

Blocky could feel his heart rate start to speed up. The beeping of the monitor echoed his thoughts. His bulging eyes darted left and right, and for a moment, he didn’t really notice Snap or the doctor.

Something was wrong with his stomach...? What...what happened...? Did he get kicked in it too many times? Did he swallow something horrible? Did he get poisoned? Did something else happen? Despite his best efforts, the rectangular zoner wasn’t able to fully relax anymore, and he started to thrash on the bed.

“Tell me what happened!” Blocky cried. The beeping became louder and more erratic. “Tell me!”

Snap held onto Blocky tightly, his eyes wide in horror. “Doctor!” He looked over at the doctor pleadingly. “Do something!”

Blocky was unaware of the doctor rushing over somewhere. He barely registered the rummaging as the doctor tried to find something on his desk. All he could think of were the rapid, panicking thoughts rushing throug him, the cold chill rising up inside of him, and his heart pounding in his head. He needed to get out of here. He needed to find answers. He needed to...

He froze when he felt something sharp against his arm. His eyes widened for a moment as he felt something being pushed into his body. He squirmed harder, trying to get away from it. Then the thing was pulled out and he let out a sigh of relief, happy that the stinging pain was gone.

Moments later, he started to feel strange. Not bad, not sick. Just...off. He tried to keep his eyes open, but they were growing heavy. He attempted to speak, but for some reason, he lost the ability to do so. His words were slurred and his head started to nod forward. He struggled to keep it up, but this grew harder and harder as time passed. And his vision... Any sharpness that had came was now gone, and he was back to seeing everything as blurred shapes, hearing everything as distorted words.

Soon he closed his eyes, and his world became dark and silent. The abyss had came to him once more, welcoming him in its cold yet comforting embrace. Any amount of fear was suddenly gone.

sss

“Poor Blocky...” Snap whispered softly. He gently stroked the top of his friend’s head as he watched him sleep. “I really wish he could heal faster...”

“He can’t, I’m afraid. That’s just how things are.” The doctor said solemnly from behind him. Snap nodded his head in understanding, but didn’t bother turning and looking at him. “Well I’m going to get the tests ready. I’ll be back later. I’ll just let you stay with your friend for a while.”

Snap said, “Thanks, doc.” He heard the doctor leave the room, giving him sometime to be alone with Blocky.

It had been a day since Blocky was taken in here. At least. Or had it been two days? With all that’s happened, it was hard for him to keep track anymore. Too much stuff was going on through his head, and the concept of time had become quite blurred.

The only comfort that he had right now is that Blocky was finally safe. He was in a hospital where he can get some help. He no longer had to fear Dr. Von Doktor. That evil man was gone forever, his life taken by someone whom he had taken advantage of. It was quite ironic and almost poetic. The man had been so dangerous and so uncaring, hurting Blocky, threatening others.... And he had been taken down by his own handiwork. He blew up the diamond shield. He tried to use the twister. He revealed too much, and he was killed.

Granted, it was still a rather gruesome death, not something that he himself would ever consider placing against another living person himself. But he couldn’t very well say the man didn’t deserve it. And at least this means that he can’t hurt anyone ever again.

All that’s left now for Blocky was recovering. He watched as his friend breathed in and out, his intakes looking shallow. Blocky was still quite weak from what happened to him. He had been tortured in various ways, and the doctors mentioned they found a lot of internal damage, and some say that Blocky would be in here a long time.

Snap bit his lip at this, feeling his heart twist in his chest. He fought back the tears that formed in his eyes. Poor Blocky... It was still hard for him to believe that, at most, a week ago, Blocky’s birthday was being celebrated and he was one of the happiest zoners he could ever see in ChalkZone at that point. Now he laid here, his face pale, his body weak and wracked in pain... And it was all because of that horrid man...

No, he couldn’t think about Von. Not right now. The man got what he deserved. Right now, what was more important was Blocky. He stared down at him sadly, continuing his gentle strokes. He hoped that Blocky will have a speedy recovery. He hoped that Blocky will soon return to having a lot of fun in ChalkZone, return to being the Blocky he had come to love.

He heard footsteps behind the door, and then the squeaking of it opening. He turned his head and he gave a small smile as he watched Rapsheeba come into the room. She wore a concerned expression as she stared down at him and Blocky.

When she got close enough, she said, “So...how is he doing?”

Snap shook his head. “He was awake earlier, but he got a panic attack and the doctor had to tranquilize him.”

Rapsheeba furrowed her eyes slightly at this. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Snap stared down at Blocky. Tears formed in his eyes. “I just..can’t believe this happened to him.” He paused for a moment. He added, “I can’t believe all that has happened lately, to be honest. I...never thought things would go down like this.”

“Neither did I. But that’s life for you.” Rapsheeba said sadly. “It can be cruel and expected.”

Snap felt a burning sensation in his stomach. He couldn’t argue with that. As unfair as it sounded, he knew that Rapsheeba spoke the truth. Life didn’t always end up the way you want it, and it can take turns you did not expect. This was something that couldn’t be completely controlled. All Snap could do was just take it and hope for the best. Even if it means having to endure incredibly hard times, such as this.

But it wasn’t all bad. Things were starting to recover. It would still take quite some time, but he knew that, with enough time, things would heal. The buildings and the people involved. Things would eventually return to normal.

Well...close to normal. Snap could not forget that more humans now knew of ChalkZone. He could feel the sting returning as he realized he had no idea what direction they will go with this. He couldn’t help but begin to worry about how Rudy’s parents and Penny’s mom would decide the fate of ChalkZone. They weren’t out of the woods yet.

But...he was helpless to do anything about it. He’d just have to put faith in his friends and hope that they would be able to get their folks to agree to not expose ChalkZone. He just needed to give them time. They’ll be able to do it. He was certain they would.

Another thought entering his mind, he looked over at Rapsheeba. Recalling where she had been prior, he asked, “How’s Howdy?”

Rapsheeba furrowed her eyes and shook her head. “Not good. The main concern the doctors have is his head. The skull’s cracked.”

Snap gasped in horror at this, his eyes bulging wide. “Wh-What...?” He knew just how serious a cracked skull was. There were so many possibilities buzzing around his head, and he found it impossible to make them go away. “A-Are you sure..?”

Rapsheeba nodded her head. “I’m afraid so. The doctors are doing what they can, but they warn that he might have permanent brain damage.”

Snap could feel his world shut down at this statement. He stared at Rapsheeba disbelievingly. He could see that she was still talking, but a heavy silence had fallen upon him, and he couldn’t make out anything she was saying. All that he could hear was the deafening silence of his mind and the last three words echoing over and over again.

Permanent brain damage...? Howdy...? How..how could this happen? Why did this happen? Why to him? Howdy never did a blasted thing to that man, and still he...

Snap gritted his teeth tightly, forming a fist with his hand. He lowered his head and clinched his eyes tightly. The implications of what Rapsheeba had just said... They were too horrible for him to think about. Please... Don’t let Howdy be permanently damaged... Please...

“Snap...” Rapsheeba’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. He could feel her comforting hand on his shoulder. “It...it will be okay. I’m sure...”

Snap could hear the hesitation in her voice. He could tell just how uncertain she was, and how could he blame her? Brain damage wasn’t something one could easily bounce back from. But still, he tried to have some sense of positivity in his mind. They wouldn’t know until the time came. Who knows? Howdy might bounce back faster than anyone would have expected.

“Y-Yeah.. Maybe...” Snap whispered softly. He looked down at Blocky sadly. “Just like I’m sure he will.” He closed his eyes, thinking about Rudy, Penny, Tilly, and Mrs. Sanchez. He grimaced at the memories of what happened to them. “I’m sure they all will...”

“Yeah. You will see.” Rapsheeba put her arm around Snap and pulled him into a hug. “Let’s just be there for them. They will need us now more than ever. But they will be fine in time. You’ll see.”

Snap didn’t answer. He simply sniffled softly and wiped away his tears. He pressed himself further into Rapsheeba’s embrace. He could feel her warmth against him and he could feel his own heart rate slowing down as he took comfort in this. He shut his eyes and pressed his head against her. She was right. Everything was going to be fine.

sss

Millie stared down at Tilly sadly. Seeing her in this horrible condition was just too much to bear. But regardless, she still kept herself from running away. Despite her own feelings, she couldn’t just abandon her sister like this. She needed her.

“How are you feeling?” Millie asked carefully, scooting the chair closer to her sister’s hospital bed.

Tilly wasn’t looking at her. Instead, her head was turned to the side, gazing out at nothing. Millie bit her lip at this, feeling her heart twist. Tilly had hardly spoken since she woke up in the bed a few hours ago. Millie had already informed her what she knew had happened, and once Tilly found out she might never walk again... Well Millie couldn’t blame her for shutting down like this.

Millie had done what she could to cheer her sister up, but it seemed hopeless. Tilly just wasn’t responding to naything she was saying. She was lost in her own little world, her mind likely locked onto thoughts regarding how her life was going to be like with no working legs. Millie hoped there would be a chance of recovery, but based on what the doctors were saying, there was little, to no, chance of that.

Tilly didn’t respond to anything that she was saying. She just kept her gaze away, her mind likely thinking about how she was going to take care of Sophie without legs, or how she was going to break it to her daughter that she couldn’t walk anymore and they couldn’t play games like they used to. The thought of it twisted Millie’s heart. She knew that things most likely won’t ever be the same again. She wondered if she would even be able to keep her job, and how was she going to get around now? So many questions clouded her head, it started to hurt.

Well whatever changes may come, the doctors would explain what the options were. Even if her sister didn’t fully recover, she could eventually regain some amount of her life back. She just needed a little bit of time to adjust and all. She did her best to try to stay positive. After all, things could have been so much worse.

Tilly sucked in a deep breath and sighed. This caught the blonde woman’s attention and she turned to her sister. She waited, and after a few moments, Tilly finally spoke for the first time in hours. “How are the others doing?”

Millie replied, “They’re doing a little better. Penny’s starting to regain some of her sight. The infection in Rudy is going away. Mrs. Sanchez is doing better than the doctors had expected.”

Tilly gave a small smile at this. “That’s good.” She paused for a moment. “I wonder how their chalk friends are doing.”

Millie remained silent for a moment, staring down at her sister. She recalled how Snap had somehow managed to get her back into this world. She didn’t know how he did that, considering the situation. But she was grateful for his help.

She hadn’t really heard from him or the others since the otherday. She recalled that Rudy and Penny had wanted to know how they were, but she and her husband couldn’t really give much of a straight answer. Other than telling them Snap was fine, there wasn’t much else they could say. Millie would have loved to tell them more, to reassure them. But unfortunately, that just wasn’t going to happen right now.

She did hope that the zoners were okay. Despite her misgivings of them, in the end, they still helped out her son and her sister. Perhaps they weren’t as bad as she was worried they might be.

“What’s the verdict?”

Millie looked over and she noticed that Tilly was staring at her. Judging from her expression, it seemed that Tilly recognized what was going on inside her head. Millie bit her lip and spoke softly. “About what?”

Tilly frowned slightly. “You know what I mean.”

Something clicked in Millie’s head. “Oh...you mean with the zoners and ChalkZone?” Tilly gave a quick nod at this. Millie turned her gaze downward and rubbed the back of her head nervously. “Well... I’ll be honest... I really don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it.” She looked back at Tilly. “My mind’s kind of been preoccupied.”

Tilly stared at her for a moment, then she nodded. “Fair enough.” She tilted her head to one side, letting out a sigh. “We’ve all been pretty occupied lately. What with that Dr. Von Doktor fellow and all.” She shook her head. She looked back at her sister. “Well, at least he can’t hurt anyone again.”

Millie frowned at this and nodded her head. She had recently gotten word of Von’s demise. She was horrified by the description of it. Arm ripped off and shoved down his throat... But she felt little sympathy for him. That evil man had caused them enough grief. It was about time that someone put an end to that.

“I wonder...have the zoners earned your trust? They have certainly earned mine.” Tilly said, bringing Millie out of her thoughts. “I have to wonder if... if those zoner fellows would be treated the same way Von had treated them.” Her eyes furrowed with concern. She looked back at her sister. “That would be a shame, wouldn’t it?”

Millie nodded her head. “Yeah, it would.”

“So what do you think that you and your husband would decide regarding ChalkZone? Would you keep it a secret?” Asked Tilly.

“Possibly. I mean...our children have been doing just fine for all this time. And they seem to like going there. Maybe it’s not that bad.” Millie said softly. Then, slowly, a frown came over her face as she began to recall some of the less than desirable attributes. “But...it also is a world were anything can become a reality. There may be all kinds of monsters there. Things that would not be here on earth. Weapons that we haven’t heard of. And our children did admit that there are some dangerous zoners out there.”

“Didn’t one of them say how aggressive zoners were the minority?” Tilly asked.

“Well yes. That’s true. I remember that. Something about how most zoners just want to be left alone.” Millie said. “But still... Just...what if something happened? What if that could be prevented if we just...”

“Just what? Lock them out of that world? Cut them off from the one place that makes them the most happy? Deprive them of their friends?” Tilly asked, her tone somewhat accusatory. Millie flinched at it, turning her head away. “I’m surprised at you.”

“I just can’t help it...” Millie admitted.

Tilly frowned at her for a few seconds before her expression softened up into a small smile. “I understand. It is...a rather tough decision to make. But..if you want my advice... I’d say just let them keep going. They had proven it was safe enough, and the two biggest threats, Von and that damn twister, are taken care of.”

Mille was amazed that her sister was still on the foot of letting the children still go. After being viciously attacked by the twister, she would have thought that she would vouch to ban their son. That had been something she and her husband were seriously considering. They only began to have doubts when they saw how much Rudy liked his zoner friends, and how the zoners had been quite helpful. She would feel immense guilt if she were go ban him.

She still had worries about that world. She still wasn’t sure if she could feel at ease knowing that her son goes there every day, interacting with all kinds of creatures, many of which could be dangerous. But...before any decisions were final, she decided it was best to talk to her husband again. Whatever decision that they made, she wanted to make sure it was the best one possible.

sss

“Rudy, are you okay?” Penny asked.

“Yeah...I’m fine.” Rudy said under his breath.

Penny frowned at this. “Rudy... I know when you are lying.” She paused for a moment. Then she pressed on. “Come on. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Rudy gave a soft chuckle. Of course Penny would know when he was lying. They were good friends after all. It was hard to really lie around her. He didn’t know why he bothered to try.

“Well if you must know.. I’m just..thinking.” Rudy confessed.

At this, Penny spoke again, this time, her voice more gentle. “About what our parents might say?”

Rudy nodded at this. “They hadn’t really said anything to us regarding the...status of ChalkZone.” Rudy bit his lip nervously. “They hadn’t even told us if we could still go or not. Not that we can go in this condition.. Well you can...” Rudy looked over at Penny. “But I can’t. Still bed-ridden because of this stupid hole in my stomach.”

Penny stared at him sympathetically. “Snap and the others send their best wishes to you.”

“Tell them I said thanks.” Rudy said. “And I hope they all get better soon. Howdy, Biclops....Blocky...”

At this, Rudy’s voice trailed off. It had been a week since the incident with Von, and there were still people recovering from their injuries. Biclops was doing much better, and he was going to be released soon. Mrs. Sanchez was also doing better, and had actually been released as well, able to take care of her self at home in her present condition. But Howdy and Blocky...

Howdy had some form of brain damage. The doctors still want to wait and see how bad it is. But there’s a good chance that Howdy may not be capable of living on his own anymore, and will require assistance. Snap had already offered to let him stay with him, but the doctors insisted that he go to a professional home. Rudy felt some anger at Snap’s help being rejected, but he could hardly blame the zoner doctors.

Blocky still needed a lot of help. His flesh wounds were healing nicely, but there was still some internal damage. And then there was the mental damage that man inflicted upon him. Rudy could only imagine how scared and frightened Blocky had been. Cooped up in that evil man’s lair for hours all alone... At least things were looking a little up for him and there was hope for his recovery.

His mind momentarily went to the dragon zoner. He recalled Penny telling him that she was diong better, although she is still wary of humans. Rudy couldn’t really blame her, and he hoped that she would be able to live a peaceful life soon after her mind healed some more.

Then his stomach started to sting and twist again. He gritted his teeth as the horrible thoughts came back to him. The idea of not being able to see his friends again... The idea of being permanently locked out of ChalkZone... He fought back the tears that formed in his eyes. He tried to stay positive. He tried to tell himself that things might be better than he thought. But...what if they weren’t...?

Rudy wasn’t really sure what to think or what to expect. This situation could go in any direction. While there was hope that the best case scenario would happen, that was just wishful thinking. His parents might still decide to ban them, or expose ChalkZone, or something. Rudy couldn’t stop the horrible images from crossing his head at what all that would entail.

Penny gently nudged him. “It will be okay, Rudy. Let’s just give our folks the benefit of the doubt.” Penny whispered softly. She leaned in closely, slinging her arm around him to comfort him. “My mother seems to be more on the understanding side. She might be able to convince your parents to leave ChalkZone alone.”

Rudy smiled slightly at this. “Well I’m glad someone is understanding.” He shut his eyes. “I just wish my parents would just say something already...”

Penny looked at him with concern. “They might be having a hard time making a decision. I’m sure they’ll figure something out soon enough and they will tell you.”

“I guess it all depends on what Aunt Tilly tells them.” Rudy said. He couldn’t help but speak in a somewhat bitter tone of voice. This clearly surprised Penny, but Rudy didn’t say anything to respond to her unspoken question.

“Rudy... You know she didn’t mean to break the promise.” Penny said. Rudy didn’t say anything, just turning his head away. “Besides, if she didn’t do that, we would have remained trapped at Dr. Von Doktor’s place. Would you have preferred that?”

Rudy’s eyes widened slightly at that. Then they relaxed, shutting lightly as he shook his head. “No..not really. I just...” He sighed. He looked back at Penny. “I can’t really be that angry with her. She did break her back trying to stop Von. Literally.” Penny nodded in understanding. “And I guess...” He lowered his gaze. “Yeah... I can see where she believed she had no choice. I can’t fault her for that.”

“Give her the benefit of the doubt, Rudy. I’m sure she’ll pull through.” Penny pulled him into a hug. “I’m sure they will all pull through. We just need to have a little faith in our parents. That’s all.”

Rudy nodded his head. He tried to smile the best he could. “Yeah, you’re right, Penny.”

Penny smiled back at this and her hug tightened. Rudy felt her warmth all around him. He pulled her closer, ignoring the pain in his stomach. He needed this right now. They both did. The road ahead was still uncertain, and he still felt nervous, but Penny was right. He had to try to believe in his parents some more. Who knows? They might end up surprising him.

But his happiness was short-lived. Though he still hung onto Penny, there was something else that was of concern to him. Something that he couldn’t just ignore.

What about his house? There had been a fire about a week ago. When he had seen it for himself, he had been horrified. He panicked, wanting to get out and leave. His parents were in the fire and he was worried that something had happened to them.

And he was partially right. His dad had been knocked out from the fumes, and his mother had apparently inhaled some as well. But thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The injuries were mostly minor and his dad was recovering quite nicely, to the point where he didn’t need to be in the hospital anymore.

But while his parents were fine, the house was not. It still wasn’t as bad, considering the circumstances, but parts of it were still destroyed and it was not safe to live in. His parents were staying at one of the neighbors while another neighbor had kindly offered to pay to fix it up, but the nightmare of what happened would still haunt Rudy’s mind. He wondered how many precious memories had been destroyed in the flames. Pictures and photographs that he could never get back now. The incident had humbled him and reminded him of why it was so important to not take his home for granted.

At least that witch responsible, Ms. Tweezer, was going to jail for this....

Rudy couldn’t believe what that woman had done. From what he had been told by the doctors, an anonymous source said that she had set his house ablaze deliberately, showing little hesitation in her actions. Rudy wasn’t sure why she would do such a thing, but he didn’t really care to know the reason. The fact that she did it at all was enough for him.

He hoped that she would get life in prison, or at least many years. He knew his parents felt the same way. She had never bothered them too much before, but her attempted murder of them, as well as trying to destroy their home, that was enough to make both of them hate her. Probably even more than Dr. Von Doktor, though it would be a very close tie.

There was some fear that she would escape justice and be a free woman. Rudy hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but he knew that the justice system can often be unfair. If Ms. Tweezer offered a good enough alibi, she might be able to squeeze herself out of punishment.

Well, only time will tell for certain. He might be getting worked up over nothing. What are the odds of anyone buying her stories anyway? She wasn’t really taken all that seriously, and any ranting she might give against him would be ignored, or just earn her the ire of many a people.

Well the trial was going to be soon. He was going to be there. Same with his parents, hopefully. They would see to it that she got exactly what she deserved.

sss

“This court finds the defendent... Guilty!” The man spoke, his voice monotone and dutiful.

“What?!” Ms. Tweezer yelled in horror. Color faded from her face faster than anyone would have thought. “This is some kind of big mistake! I-I didn’t do any of those things! I...”

“Enough!” The judge barked, slamming his hammer down. “The court has spoken! Ms. Tweezer, for arson, stalking, and attempted murder, I hereby sentence you to fifty years in jail. No bail! You will be sent to...”

At that, Ms. Tweezer felt her mind go numb. She could see the man’s mouth moving, but she no longer heard his words. Everything around here seemed to just freeze solid, darkening up and trapping her in an abyss. She couldn’t believe what had just happened to her. It was like some kind of dream. And she had no way out.

It was hard for her to believe that just a few weeks ago, she had been sitting in her home, watching television after she had completed her justified attack on the Tabooties’ house. But then someone attacked her. She could barely remember what happened at that point, but she knew it was what resulted in her waking up in the hospital, badly wounded. Even now, she can still feel the dull pain of her wounds.

She had been informed that she was to go to trial once she was fully able to. She remembered how her heart froze at that, and she couldn’t understand why. Even when she told them the reason, and how dangerous Rudy and his ilk were, they refused to let her go, and told her that she had no choice.

Well she supposed she couldn’t entirely blame them. After all, to them, Rudy appeared to be just an innocent little boy. And she did know what kind of trouble she could place herself in if she continued on with her task. But still..if they would just listen to her, they would realize that she was only trying to help, and that if she hadn’t taken action, Rudy might have done something really horrible to the city, to everyone. But predictably, they would rather believe the little brat than her.

The only consolence in all of this was that at least the brat’s house was destroyed, far as she knew. Now he won’t be able to bring more of the unreal into the world. He wouldn’t be able to torment anyone with those hideous creatures, those nightmarish things that want to suck out brains and chew on hearts. So in a sense, she still won.

“Come along.”

Ms. Tweezer found herself being picked up by the arm by one of two police officers. She grunted and yanked her arm back. The officers immediately pushed against her and told her to follow them. Having no choice, the woman obeyed them.

She ignored the glares she got from the audience. She ignored any snide remarks they said, the way their eyes bored into her. She knew she had done the right thing. Even if they won’t agree with her, even if they continued to see her as an enemy, she didn’t care. If they won’t believe her that she did the right thing, then that was their problem. At least she will be able to go to sleep at night, knowing that she had prevented a catastrophe from striking the world.

As she was bring brought up the hallway towards the doors, she caught sight of something familiar. She recognized it as the little boy and his little family. They were sitting near the front. The parents were sitting on either side of Rudy, who was looking over at her cautiously.

She couldn’t help but smile triumphantly at the little boy. She could practically see the defeat in his eyes. He had lost and he knew it. Oh it felt so good to win. It felt so good saving the world. She kept her gaze on the boy, continuing to smile at him even as the officers pushed her along. The boy just stared at her warily, his parents huddling closer to him, glaring at her angrily.

The only thing that stopped her from smiling was a strange man near the back. She paused her walking, staring at him long and hard. The officers pushed her again, forcing her to walk. As she exited the building, she couldn’t help but ask herself a single question.

Wasn’t there something familiar about that man?

sss

“Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.” Mrs. Sanchez said bitterly. No one in the room disagreed with her. “They both got what they deserved.”

Again, there was no disagreement. How could any of them disagree with her? None of them had particularly fond memories of Dr. Von Doktor or Ms. Tweezer. Especially that vile man... Both him, as well as Ms. Tweezer, had caused a lot of damage.

Penny tried her best not to think about them. She tried to push those thoughts out of her mind and tried to focus on other things. But she found it impossible How could she simply forget about them? She felt such burning anger inside of her. Even though they bot had been taken care of, she still couldn’t help but want more. And who could blame her? After all Dr. Von Doktor did...and Ms. Tweezer burning Rudy’s house down...

At that thought, she turned her attention to Rudy and his family. Though Sophie looked as happy as she could be, Rudy and his parents and his aunt were silent. They were eating the food her mom prepared for them slowly, picking at it once in a while, lost in their own thoughts.

She couldn’t help but soften her expression sympathetically at them. Their house was still being repaired. It was looking better than before, but some precious things had been lost, things that could never be replaced. Things like some family photos that were in the living room. The thought of that made her heart twist. It was bad enough that they lost their home, but houses could be replaced. But photographs could not.

Penny felt a bit of anger that, even a week after the trial, the repairs still weren’t finished. But then..it did take a while to repair a house, so she shouldn’t be too surprised. She just had to be a little more patient, like the Tabooties’ were.

She couldn’t help but be amazed. Despite what they were going through, Rudy and his parents were hanging in there. They were handling this quite well, considering the circumstances, and she was impressed. At least they were able to keep a chin up and try to be positive. Yeah, sometimes they still felt depressed, like now, but at least they weren’t curled up into balls and sobbing and acting all woeful, since that would do nothing to help. Yeah, this attitude they were having was exactly what they needed to help cope with the loss of their house. And at least that wasn’t going to be permanent. Ms. Tweezer was not going to win.

Her mom, who had recovered even more from her injuries, especially those chemical burns, had offered the Taooties’ to have dinner with her. She felt it was the least she could do after what had happened. They gladly accepted. Rudy’s aunt and little cousin were also invited to come over. It was a nice change of pace, having dinner together like this. Especially compared to the hell that had occurred lately.

Things were starting to look up everywhere, to be honest. Blocky was doing much better and Howdy’s condition appeared to be improving. Her mother had mostly healed up and she and Rudy were in much better condition, with Rudy finally being able to leave the hospital. Tilly still hadn’t regained use of her legs and likely never will, but she had adjusted to moving about in a wheelchair, and she had even worked out something with her boss so that she could still keep her job. Handling Sophie was still a problem, but then..since when was it not?

ChalkZone was also improving. Not just for the zoners, including her friends, who were recovering, but restoration was underway. Things sped up especially after Biclops, who was recently released from the hospital, came in to help. He normally did not leave the Chalk Mine, but he made an exception. No one was leaving the city anyway, wanting to help repair the damaged buildings. Besides, he did have Snap left there to help guad it.

The twister had been placed in a new diamond shield, this one heavily monitored and guarded. It was located in a further part of ChalkZone, far away from the city and most civilization. There was little to no chance of the twister escaping and causing harm. The vacuum cleaner, having done its job, had been shut down and placed in some kind of storage. She couldn’t remember the exact details, but it was safe.

On the topic of ChalkZone, she found herself raising her head and looking towards Rudy’s parents. Even though it’s been well enough time now, they still hadn’t really said what their verdict was. She understood if they were preoccupied with other things, but..this is kind of very important. Why didn’t they say anything?

Before she could finish her thought, it would seem that this was exactly what was on their minds.

“Rudy, Penny... about that chalk world...”

Rudy lifted his head and stared at them. “So now you decide to bring it up? After what...weeks?” His voice had a bitter tone to it. Rudy’s parents flinched. Penny could not blame him for being upset. They did wait really long. “How did it take you this long to...”

“We’re sorry. We just thought that...waiting until the situation with the house and everything else was...” Mrs. Tabootie’s voice trailed off. She bit her lip nervously, trying to figure out what to say.

Rudy raised an eyebrow. “Better?”

“Uhh yeah..” Mr. Tabootie nodded his head. “We just...didn’t want to add anything more onto the plate.”

“Well by not talking to us, you kind of already did.” Rudy said, narrowing his eyes. “Do you know how little sleep I get at night, wondering just what you and mom are going to say? Do you know how sick I feel knowing that I might not ever see my friends again?!”

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie cringed at this. The room fell silent after that outburst. Even Sophie wasn’t saying or doing anything, just staring at Rudy. For a while, no one said anything. Rudy’s parents glanced at each other, gritting their teeth nervously. Guilt washed over their faces and they gave a sigh.

After a few minutes, Mr. Tabootie spoke up. “Yeah, you’re right. We should have said something earlier. We’re sorry.”

“Hmph.” Rudy grumbled, turning his head away. It was clear that a simple apology wasn’t going to make him forget what happened.

Mr. Tabootie looked at him sadly, biting his lip. He looked to one side. He turned back to Rudy and said, “Well...we did talk about it a little more. And I think we did finally come up with an answer.”

At this, Rudy and Penny both turned their attention to Mr. Tabootie. His wife and other adults also looked over at him expectantly. Penny wasn’t sure if they all had agreed with this and are just letting him speak, or if Mr. Tabootie decided he was making the final decision and they were just going along with it.

Regardless, they kept quiet and waited for him to speak. Penny could feel her heart twist in anxiety. Days and weeks of tension, of paranoia, of not knowing, it all amounted up to this. With the next words he’ll speak, it’ll make or brea it. It could change everything for the better...or for the worse. Penny felt the cold chill all around her freezing her in place, her teeth clenching tightly. She glanced over at Rudy for a moment, feeling the tension from his rigid body, before looking back at his father. The same question plagued her over and over again.

Just what was he going to say?

Finally, after what felt like forever, the man spoke up. “Well it was hard to figure out what we were going to do. There was enough for us to go in either direction. We weren’t sure, no matter which path we thought of, which was the best. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.”

Mrs. Tabootie nodded in agreement. “That was partly why it took so long. We just...” She looked at her husband, gritted her teeth, and sighed. She looked back at Rudy and Penny. “It was so hard for us to decide.”

“Well me and Tilly here already decided. We both agreed that the world seems safe enough if you two keep going in there all the time.” Penny heard her mother say. The woman held her hand up in gesture. “But we couldn’t say anything for certain because we might be at a stalemate.”

“It all depends on them.” Tilly gestured her head towards Rudy’s parents. “Whatever they say...” She paused. She seemed to want to continue, but she bit her lip and went silent. She looked over at her sister, waiting for her or her husband to continue.

Mr. Tabootie paused for a moment. He stared at the other adults, as well as the children. There was a certain look to him. Something that Penny couldn’t identify completely. Almost like...nervousness, uncertainty, and sympathy all rolled into one. The sight of this made her nervous. Was it possible that he...?

No, she had to try to stay positive. He..he couldn’t do such a thing, would he? If he had spoken to Tilly and her mother, surely he would be faced with more facts about ChalkZone than just the bad side, right?

She and Rudy watched him intensely, ignoring everyone else around them. It felt almost like a dark voice came around them, trapping them all inside. She couldn’t move her eyes away from the man, finding them narrowed and glued to him. When the man opened his mouth, she leaned in closer. This was it. The final decision. What was it going to be?

“We decided to not expose that world. Nor will we ban you from that world. We felt that it meant way too much to you to do something like that, and the last thing we want to do is make you feel worse. Especially with what had happened.”

Penny and Rudy both felt waves of relief strike them at this. They couldn’t help but smile, glancing at each other. The fear and worry that had swelled up inside of them left their bodies through their fingertips. It was a sensation that felt so good, they had to keep themselves from giving off a laugh.

Penny’s mother and Rudy’s aunt both smiled gently at them. There was a sense of relief in their expressions as well. Had they been worried, too, that Rudy’s parents might have made the decision to just outright ban them? Well at least that fear was now gone. But judging from the man’s expression, they weren’t completely out of the woods yet. There was still more. She and Rudy fell silent and waited to see what he was going to say.

“However, I would still like to lay down some ground rules.” Mr. Tabootie said, his eyes narrowing softly. Upon seeing the children’s expressions, he added, “Don’t look at me that way. That world might still be dangerous. So some rules must be set up. It is the only way we can truly feel safe about you two going in there.”

Penny lowered her head at this. She ignored the sympathetic expressions she and Rudy got. She let out a soft sigh, feeling some of the sting return. She should have known that there’d be some kind of catch. She shook her head. Well, there was nothing she could do about it except...well, accept it. Nothing she or Rudy would say was going to change his mind, and she didn’t want to ruin this one chance that they had.

She lifted her head and looked at the man. “And what are the rules?”

“Here is how it’ll be...”

sss

Rudy tapped his toes impatiently. Just how long has it been since Penny went into his bathroom? It shouldn’t take this long to change, right? Well then again, she was female, and Rudy was well aware of how long girls can take in the bathroom.

Nonetheless, he wasn’t able to hold his patience for long and he pounded on the door. “Hurry it up!”

An irritated feminine voice called back to him. “Hold on! I still need to adjust my...”

“You’ve been in there for half an hour already!” Rudy cut her off. “Can you please hurry it up? We don’t have that much time!”

“Okay! Okay! Don’t get your horses tied in a knot. I’m coming!” Penny called back to him.

Yeah, of course she was coming... That’s what she had said the last time he tried to get her out. This time, instead of just standing there and waiting, Rudy felt the need to call her out on it. “You keep saying that and each time you just stay there longer!” He gritted his teeth and rubbed his head. He placed his hand on the door and said, “Don’t you know that we can’t...”

Suddenly, before he could finish, the door was opening up. Rudy let out a yelp of surprise and waved his hands around frantically as he tried to keep himself from falling over. He was soon able to right himself up as he grabbed onto the bathroom sink.

“Oh, sorry about that. I thought you wanted me to get out now.” Penny said. There was a slight tone to her voice, but Rudy hardly paid attention to it. “Are you okay?”

Rudy pushed his hands against the sink, lowering his head over it, and panted. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He put a hand against his chest. “Just a little startled..that’s all.” He turned his head around. “Are you...” His voice trailed off. “Ready...?”

Penny stood there, dressed up in her latest outfit. A white long sleeved shirt accompanied by a deep purple vest, with a slightly lighter purple for a long skirt. Her hair had also been put up. It was hard for Rudy to describe it to himself. He wondered if this was what took her so long. She did look rather...nice. But wasn’t this a bit of overkill? They were just going to...

“Didn’t you say that we were late?” Penny asked, noticing Rudy not moving. “You were in a hurry just a few moments ago.”

“Uh...yeah.” Rudy managed to say. “Well not late. But if we don’t get there soon, they’ll start without us.”

“Right. Sorry it took so long.” Penny put her hands on her hair. “I was trying to figure out how to wear my hair. It took me a while to figure out which look I liked best.”

Rudy looked at his friend up and down. He still couldn’t believe how well dressed she looked tonight, especally for a simple party. Well okay, it wasn’t a simple party. It was quite important and many zoners were going to be there. Besides, it wasn’t like Penny hadn’t dressed up before for other occassions, so he wasn’t sure why he was so surprised by this.

Perhaps it was with what happened lately, with Von, Ms. Tweezer, the house nearly being burned down... It was still a little difficult to get back into a more normal mindset. Rudy had a feeling it would take much longer than this to fully recover.

It had been over a month now. Most things had gone back to normal, but there was still some tension. The boy was still haunted by the memories of the house burning, nearly losing his parents... That wasn’t something one could just bounce back from so easily. No one could blame him, either. So for them to go into ChalkZone on a very peaceful ‘mission’, in this case, a party, it still felt so abnormal, considering what had happened not so long ago.

“Well come on, let’s go.” Penny said as she made her way across the hallway towards Rudy’s bedroom. “Let’s not keep them waiting any longer.”

“Right.” Said Rudy as he followed his friend.

“Going back into ChalkZone, I see.”

The two children frozen in the door way. They turned around and they could see Mr. Tabootie standing there. They smiled up at the man, waving and grinning nervously at him. The man simply frowned at them, his hands on his hips.

“What did we tell you two?” Mr. Tabootie asked, cocking up an eyebrow. “I thought we were quite clear.”

Rudy’s eyes widened and he felt a wave of guilt strike him. He lowered his head. “Sorry, dad. I guess we just got so excited that...”

“We’ll be back in a few hours. We promise.” Penny added, smiling the best she could at the man.

“Well okay.” Mr. Tabootie said, continuing to frown in disappointment at them. “Just remember to tell us next time. You know the deal.”

“Yes we do...” Rudy and Penny said in unison.

“All righty then. Have fun, you two.” With that, Rudy’s father waved to them and disappeared down the stairs.

Penny grimaced at this, a look of disbelief on her face. “I can’t believe we forgot all about that...” Rudy nodded his head slowly, not bothering to look at her. “Well, at least that’s one mistake we won’t make again.”

Hopefully not. Rudy didn’t want to shatter the trust in his parents. They were allowing him to still go into ChalkZone, but under the condition that he tell them when he was going to go. They hadn’t forbade him from going in school time, but only because he hadn’t mentioned that. He didn’t want to limit himself more. But he was glad that, despite the slight restriction, his parents were at least trying to be understanding.

Well it was time to head into ChalkZone. They had delayed going there quite enough. The party was going to start soon, and he and Penny didn’t want to miss out on it. Quietly, the two of them headed back into his bedroom.

Positioned in the middle of it was a brand new chalkboard. The sight of it made him freeze, his eyes widening slightly. He recalled how his original chalkboard was sold by his aunt, and then later damaged, no longer usable. At least the portal was gone and couldn’t be exploited anymore. Still, that chalkboard did hold some fond memories for him and to have it gone..

His aunt did make up for selling it by buying him a new one. This one was a bit larger and looked like it was made of better material. It was quite nice. He hadn’t expected her to do such a thing, but he was glad that she did. She even went out of her way to buy the biggest one they had so that he and Penny could crawl through the portal easily.

“So are you ready?” Rudy asked his friend as he raised the magic chalk.

Penny chuckled, smiling back at him. “Of course! Come on, before Snap wonders were we are.”

Rudy smiled at the mention of his friend. “Yeah, that’s true. He’d never let me live it down if we’re late to this party.”

Without saying another word, Rudy quickly drew a portal. The light shimmered, and soon dissipated as a portal was opened up. He gestured for Penny to come over. He grabbed her hand and gently helped her through the portal. He came in after. Recalling at Sophie was being babysat by his parents, and not wanting her to crawl into ChalkZone like that one time, he quickly erased the portal.

He and Penny then headed towards ChalkZone City, specially the Night Zone section. He could see the lights from here and he and Penny knew that the party was getting started already. Not wanting to miss too much, they quickly bolted.

sss

“Didn’t I tell you this was place was great or what?” Snap said with a grin. He spread his hands out, gesturing to everything around him. “I told you would have a great time!”

“Yeah... I mean, I didn’t think you were lying. But...” Penny took a moment to look around her. “I just didn’t expect it to be quite like this...”

Rudy nodded in agreement. “It’s quite a lot more...expansive than I thought.”

“Well that’s what everyone says.” Snap said, grinning more broadly. “And soon, we are going to see more of it!” Upon seeing Rudy and Penny stare at him in shock, Snap chuckled. “What? You think that one measly firework show was all they were going to do? Peeshaw!” Snap waved his hand dismissively. “They have four more coming! And each will be bigger than the rest!”

“Wow...” Rudy whispered softly. “That’s...quite a lot.”

“I know right? Isn’t it incredible?” Snap put his hands on his hips. “I told you to it was going to be one big spectacular...”

“Yeah, you sure did.” Penny said softly, smiling at her friend. “Well thanks for inviting us. Especially after...” Her eyes narrowed softly and she turned her head. “You know...”

Snap looked at his friend sympathetically. He didn’t say a word, and simply nodded his head in understanding. His friends were still shaken by what happened before. In fact, much of ChalkZone still was, to some extent. Many managed to move on, but the haunting scar still remained. Nearly being exposed, having a few of their own tormented and tortured... It was not easy to recover from something like that, especially with what happened many years ago, with all those creators running around, causing all sorts of trouble.

That was part of the reason for this celebration. Snap had suggested it himself and had done his best to make sure it was as great as it could possibly be. The zoners needed something esle to focus their attention on. What better than a party? Zoners love parties. In fact, who doesn’t? Well except for party poopers. He chuckled lightly at the thought.

He got some help from Howdy. His smile fell slightly as he thought of that zoner. While Howdy was able to communicate with them, he was not fully independent. The blows to his head did cause some permanent damage. His sense of balance was a little wonky, his vision isn’t what it used to be, and sometimes he slurred his words. So an aid came in to live with him to help him out. Snap was glad that he was at least able to retain his mind and memories and the sense of who he was. Howdy had been able to return to as normal life as possible, and he was quite excited for the party. He was even being entertainment, something that, even with his disabilities, he was still happy to do.

Right now, he and his friends were located in an asian-looking restaurant, raised high above the ground as part of a tower. They had seats in the balcony, a few metal bars serving as a railing and keeping them from climbing over the edge. There were streamers and other decorations all around them, and outside, they could hear the cheers and bustling of many zoners playing games and having a good time. The bright lights constrasted well with the pitch black of Night Zone.

“So when does the next firework show start?” Blocky asked.

Snap looked over at the rectangular zoner and couldn’t help but smile. He had made a fully recovery from his injuries over a month ago. He was still more nervous than usual and certain things, like being alone, frightened him. But for what could have happened, this was quite good.

He was glad that Blocky decided to come with them. He was one of the zoners who, out of everyone, really deserved some happiness in his life again. In fact, it was also partly due to Blocky that Snap wanted to arrange this party. It had taken a little while to convince the zoner to join them, and even now, he could detect some slight hesitation. He was still glad that, in the end, he had decided to come with.

“It’ll start in about half an hour.” Snap said. He picked up a spoonful of pork fried rice and ate some. After he swallowed, he said, “We’ll head down once we are done eating.”

Blocky smiled at this. “Can I sit in the front?”

Snap chuckled. “Sure, buddy. Sure.”

Just then, there were footsteps coming in from behind them. They all turned their heads to see that their waiter had come to check on things. “How is everything?” She asked, wearing a small smile on her face.

Snap remembered this zoner. It was that dragon zoner that was rescued before, the one that Von created to experiment on. She had a few scars from her experience, but looked otherwise fine. Her mental state had improved quite a bit since that incident, and she had begun to start trusting Rudy and Penny, but she was still cautious around tall, human-like zoners. Sometimes they would cause her to flash back and she’d freak out, which was why she was on some kind of medication to keep herself calm.

“Yes, everything is going swell.” Rudy said with a grin.

“Hey, do you mind getting me more water?” Blocky asked as he held out his cup.

“Sure thing.” The dragon zoner said. She grabbed it, then paused. She frowned slightly at Rudy and Penny. “And you are certain you don’t want anything?”

“No thanks.” Rudy waved his hands out in front of him. “Penny and I can’t eat chalk food.”

“Yeah, sorry. It’s not that we think your food is bad or anything. But...well..we don’t like the taste of chalk.” Penny said, smiling nervously.

“Oh..” The dragon zoner nodded her head once. “All right then.” She looked down at Blocky and said, “Let me go get that water for you.” With that, she turned and walked away.

Snap watched as the dragon left, and then he turned his attention back to his friends. He and Blocky resumed to eat their food as the celebration continued to go on. They all took a moment to reflect on what happened to them, and how everything nearly went downhill beyond the point of recovery. They all felt chills in their spine as they remembered certain events.

But now, they could relax. They could feel their tension leaving their bodies as they reminded themselves that things were looking up. The happy cheers from the zoners around them served as reminders of that. Their laughter was contagious, and soon they found themselves joking and laughing amongst themselves, their minds pushing back the horrible events as they focused on being happy once more.

Snap took another sip of his drink and stared back at his friends. Things were on their way to full recovery, and soon, all that happened was just going to be a distant memory, nothing more than a scary bed time story to be told.

After Blocky got his drink and after a little more time of talking, Penny called out, cutting them all off. “Hey, isn’t that Howdy?”

They all looked outside the balcony, down on the street were a lot of zoners were gathered.

“It is!” Rudy cried. Smiling, he looked to his friends. “Do you want to down there and watch him perform?”

They all nodded their heads. Wanting to join in on the fun, they all left the restaurant, exchanging grins and laughs as they joined the crowd outside. They stood in the front of the crowd, raising their hands in the air and cheering as Howdy, despite his limitations, did what he could to entertain them all.

Snap turned to Blocky and noticed he was having a hard time getting up. Smiling, he walked over and he grabbed Blocky by his legs. He hoisted him up off the ground, helping him to see.

“Is that better?” Snap asked.

“Yes. Thank you!” Blocky laughed and waved his arms in the air.

Snap chuckled at this, and he joined in the cheering with his friends. The laughter, the fun, the games, the fireworks, the happiness, they all went into the wee hours of the night. It was a party that no one was going to forget any time soon. And after all that had happened to them, that was a blessing.

sss

The boss stared down at the papers set before him. He flipped through them slowly, looking at their contents. He frowned deeply, his eyes darting around, trying to memorize the plans written on here.

A part of him wasn’t entirely sure. This seemed really risky. Then again, why should he be surprised or care? He had done quite a bit of risks himself, especially with the missions he sends his people on. This was really no different. It was on more risky than having something like Agent D take care of Ms. Tweezer for burning down the Tabooties’ place.

But...with how far they had come... With how much they had accomplished, he did not want to ruin anything. They had come so far now... They couldn’t allow any foul ups to bring them back down to zero. If that happened... He could feel his heart twist at the thought.

He glanced back down at the group of people before him. Most of were staring at him while others appeared almost bored, tracing or taping the table or just looking elsewhere. The boss frowned at this and he slammed his hands on the table, startling those not paying attention and forcing them to look at him. He scowled at them, making them grimace and lower their heads.

“Are these the right plans?” The boss said, lifting them up.

“Yes, sir!” Agent A called out, raising up from his seat. “Agent L and I did doublecheck to make sure.”

“And you are positive?” The boss asked, raising an eyebrow in slight suspicion.

Agent L was up next. “Yes, we are positive. That is what Agent M gave us after we were able to make contact with her.”

At this, the man’s eyes widened slightly. The mention of her name caused some murmurs throughout the room. Agent M was quite well known, and she had even earned some rivals, like with Agent D, who scowled at the woman’s mention.

The man looked down at the papers. So...Agent M was the one who made these plans, eh? Well that changed things around. Now he knew one of his more competent agents was responsible for this. But still... He couldn’t help but be a little nervous. This time, it wasn’t so much the plan, but the woman’s...status. He knew how personal this mission was going to be. A part of him wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not to let here get involved.

Well it was too late now, and he was stuck with her being the lead operative in this mission. He was just going to have to trust that she doesn’t allow her personal connections to this case cloud her judgment. All it would take is one wrong move and...

Which reminded him...

“Where is Agent M?” The boss asked. “Is she not here today?”

“Oh don’t worry. I am.”

That voice, slightly cold, but quite firm, sounded out, making the other agents wince and cringe. The boss turned his head towards his back, where the door was open and he could see the familiar dark shadow that was Agent M.

“Ah, Agent M. I’m glad you could make it. Considering your...condition...” The boss was quite careful with his words. “I wasn’t sure if you could come right now.”

“I was able to find the time. You are lucky that they believe that you made accomodations for me. Otherwise, I don’t think they would have been so trusting.”

The boss nodded his head. “Yes, I can see that.” He paused for a moment. He was still recovering from the shock of Agent M being there. He sucked in a deep breath and comed his fingers through his hair. “So, you are still up for this?”

Even in shadows, it was easy to tell when Agent M was nodding. “Affirmative. So long as you keep your end of the bargain and leave my family out of this, I will be more than happy to assist you.”

“Yes, of course.” The boss said. He raised his hand up and gestured for her to come closer. “Come, let’s get started then.”

The other agents, save for Agent D, watched nervously as Agent M came slowly into the room. The shadows moved over her body, the light slowly illuminating her body. The only sound that could be heard was the squeaking of wheels as the woman pushed herself forward, revealing herself to be a woman in a wheelchair.

But not just any woman.

It was Rudy’s aunt, Tilly.

The woman soon positioned herself next to the boss. The man gritted his teeth as she looked at him strangely, almost accusatory. The woman had been working secretly with him for years and, even before her skepticism was shot, she had been quite the efficient agent, able to cover her tracks and her famly was nonethewiser. In fact, it was because she was so good that he felt a little nervous around her sometimes.

Then, after an awkward silence, Tilly gave a sneer, her eyes flashing in the dark, showing some signs of amusement as the other agents showed their fear towards her, if only because of her extreme proficiency.

“Well now...” Tilly said, the somewhat evil-like smile on her face. She looked at the boss with a sideways glance. “Are you ready to proceed?”

The boss nodded. “Yes, of course.” He looked down at the plans. “Tell us what you have in mind.”

“Gladly..” Tilly said as she began to explain.


End file.
